British Auto Needs a Comeback

We all know it and in one way or another have accepted it. The British auto industry has been dying on its feet since the end of WW2 when billions went into the occupation and restoration of Europe. Meanwhile, the vast factory floors which were used during the war to make tanks and artillery lay dormant and eventually fell into disrepair. It’s a sad faith for a once legendary tradition.

There remains only a handfull of ‘real’ British auto makers, and even these have moved some of their productions abroad or are owned by the Germans. TVR have been the most recent fatality in this list.

They were taken over by a young Russian man with plenty of money. He first exclaimed that the company would remain 100% British, but has now gone back on his word and decided to move operations to Turin.

This is sad news, especially in such economic circumstances. So if you’re a Brit who has a keen idea for the sports car. Get yourself a few sheets of paper, a few mechanics and workers and get to it!!

Merging Motor Companies

During my time writing here , various news stories and blog ideas have led me to this one; Car companies must merge. Sure it’s not the ideal situation. We all like the stand alone heroes who do it all alone, just like the pioneers in the industry like Henry Ford, Carroll Shelby and Enzo Ferrari who started off in muddy farm barns and gritty work shops armed with nothing more than few basic tools and a dream.

However, let us be honest here for a second. Keeping a car company on the road is almost as hard as starting one, especially in today’s turbulent market. Oil prices are going up more than down and the share prices are going more down than up. By merging with one another, as we have seen with many other companies such as Ferrari and FIAT and Daimler and Jaguar, they can help each other out. This is done in various ways, either cutting down on engineering and design costs by sharing ideas or simply by pumping capital from one company to another.

It definitely seems like a possibility that some of our well-known companies may be going up for grabs quite soon as costs mount and sales diminish.

GPS…dangerous?

GPS, or global positioning system as it is technically known as has revolutionised how people go about planning a journey. Instead of just going to the local store and buying an AA map to plot out their route, they can just use a touch screen device that will tell them where to go, where to turn and even where is good to park!

But can these great little devices be dangerous? What if u suspect grid-lock ahead and decide that the best plan of action is to change course to avoid the rush hour mayhem so you can start your nice weekend retreat without boiling over? You just have to spend a few seconds changing the setting on your GPS and your on your way!!

But what if, within those few seconds something were to happen on the road in front with you still blissfully unaware. It could spell disaster.

Of course, the best advice is to pull over at the roadside or at a lay-by to change your course, but then there are many of us who would chance it to avoid the hassle of loosing a few moments while navigating through a busy lay-by.

Should these devices be put into the same class as mobile phones? You cant tough them while behind the wheel.

Car crashes just aren’t funny. Well…at least for the most part!

I was kicking back last Friday doing a bit of channel surfing when I came to one of those low-budget American home video shows. In case you aren’t too familiar with what I’m talking about, they are basicly a collection of clips which the public have sent in of embarrassing family moments caught on video tape. Some of the clips included a cat sitting like an angel on top of a Christmas tree and then falling down, hitting every branch on the way. Another was of a kid showing off on a skateboard. He tried to grind along a handrail but fell straight down catching the family jewels in the process.

Anyway, they did a section on auto clips. It was a bunch of random clips of amateur racing gone wrong such as this one that was my personal favourite. This guy who proclaimed himself as ’The driver of the century’ to the camera, was showing off in his new car going around a small track untill he gunned the engine, slid and went into a ditch full of water, ruining his brand new car.

Sure it wasn’t funny for him, but it makes for pretty good TV!

Drivers Who Text

Talking on your mobile has been banned while driving and is considered a serious offence and is becoming a kind-of taboo in society with the growing knowledge that those who do it are putting everyone who uses the road at serious risk.

However there is something even more dangerous than talking to your mate while navigating through traffic at 60mph. Texting at the wheel has become rampant, and although it was banned along with talking on the phone while driving, many continue to do it. The main reason for this is that texting can be easily conceiled behind the body work by simply holding the phone below the window. However this can be just as distracting as you often have to look at the screen to correct mistakes and to send the message. It is in those few seconds that a car could veer in front of you or you could loose control.

This may well soon be combated to an extent with new voice recognition software which is being developed. This software will be similar to that used on some computers to eliminate the need for typing. This will allow people to text, select the recepient and send the message without ever touching the phone. However it seems like this software is quite a while away and may not get rid of the problem all together.

Red Ferraris…Yellow Lamborghinis…

Something occurred to me the other day. For most cars we have no real image in our heads. No real iconic flashback, which we associate with that particular model or marque. However, with the more prestigious cars we do have this kind-of image. An image of a glorious spectacle associated with achievement in engineering or motor sport.

For example, we associate most Ferraris with the colour red. Almost every toy replica will have a glossy red finish and almost every 10-year-old will want a shiny red Ferrari. We associate Lamborghinis with being yellow, when infact they are mostly silver and black! Subarus are mostly associated with being blue because of the Rally team. This seems to be then same for may cars and has contributed to their success, because we all know of them and are familiar with their looks and image in the public eye because of this image. Who need adverts anymore?

Dose anyone think that this is a perculiar way in which we think of cars and how they are formed throughout history?

NASCAR… pretty good!

So there I sat, room temperature had shifted somewhere above the normal level and the rain outside forbade me from even looking outside, never mind stepping outside. Me; work all done for the day, girlfriend out cueing for tickets for some concert (in the rain) and nothing on two hundred and twenty channels. Typical.

Okay, so right about now I sounding as if I’m making a diary entry but I just want to tell you about little discovery I made; NASCAR. Yes, Yes, I know. It is for hicks and people who drink in the afternoon but man is it a great thing to watch. Even though they go around in circles again, and again, and again it never runs out of exciting moments. I mean, I do not even follow it…it was just on so I watched it.

The ‘dicing with death’ maneuvers are great, the final laps are great…the crashes are great. The best thing is that you don’t even have to follow it to get full enjoyment from it. Each event is like an entire season when it comes to enjoyment. I just can’t wait ‘till next week!

What do you think? Ever watched it?

Back To The Future DeLorian making a comeback?

They were built in Northern Ireland, they were great and they still are. I’m talking of course about the DeLorean DMC-12. The time machine in the hit movie ‘Back to the Future’, just remember not to power them with plutonium!

I was doing research for the company profile of DeLorean, which is available in the

‘Car Make Plates’ section. Anyway, this article says that the DeLorean will be coming back into production in Houston, Texas. Now granted that it would be better if they were built in Northern /Ireland again so that us lot could get them cheaper, but none the less, for those willing to import one from the States, it seems likely that it’s exactly what you’ll be able to do!

The company who claims that they will be putting the car back into production is called DMC Houston and are said to be entering production this year with extras like GPS, double sided airbags and new interior looking like promising features.

I know I’d love to see such a classic come back into production!

Tough Times Ahead For Car Companies

Times are tough and are now getting tougher. Oil prices are soaring and car companies are starting to feel the credit crunch. Car dealers are finding it more and more difficult to sell cars and turn a profit and worst of all…we might be seeing some manufacturers fall on hard times or even disappear all together.

Think about it… Jaguar went bankrupt and had to be sold off to Asia. The same went for Rover and now it could be the turn of any of our well-known companies.

It would most probably be one of the smaller, less established companies whom would find it difficult to survive if sales plummeted and oil prices soared yet again. Small companies who are relatively new to western shores such as Kia, the automaker from Korea.

Who do you think will be going under within the next few months because after all…something has to give? GM share prices plummeted he other week as did the Asian stock market where also of our manufacturers are based such as Suzuki, Honda, Kia.

It seems likely that we will be waving goodbye rather than hello.

Scooters…Cool or Uncool?

One minute they’re cool and the next they are not? You love to ride them but always wear the helmet (so you will not be seen). An American magazine said, “They are the funniest of all road going vehicles to drive, yet they have an unforgiving stigma about them”.

I would like to pose the question as to whether or not scooters are cool. Sure they only go up to around 40mph and make a god-forsaken noise. However, they are incredibly cheap on petrol, something that is vital they way the oil prices are going.

They are also great for beating the rush hour as you can simply zoom in and out of traffic (carefully!)

I really have divided opinions on this one. I mean, I hate that noise they make and the stigma that follows them everywhere they go, but they have so much positive aspects from fuel economy to style.

Ever if Jeremy Clarkson hates them and your friends would throw stones at you…If you have ever ridden one…You would not trade it for a two door civic, that’s for sure.

New Honda Hybrid

This past January, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui revealed that a production hybrid based on the CR-Z Concept shown in Tokyo last year is going to be a reality. It currently looks as if the CR-Z will first be released in Europe, with a guesstimated US release date of sometime in 2011.

The original CR-X was a lightweight, and small, hatchback that managed to be a fun car, with a small efficient engine. The CR-Z coupe should also be small, fun and efficient, with the addition of Honda’s updated Integrated Motor Assist hybrid, to push the fuel efficiency to the next level.

The design team for the 2011 Honda CRZ Hybrid is based in Europe, where the majority of sales are expected. The CR-Z Hybrid is expected to be an anchor for Honda’s European line. Specifically, Honda’s UK branch is handling design, while engineering and testing are taking place at Offenbach in Germany.

The hybrid system in the CR-Z will be the same one used in the Fit Hybrid, to be released the end of 2009. That includes nickel based batteries, and a lack of plug-in adaptability.

For the interior, Honda tried to combine modern high-tech with classic sporty design. The result includes an interesting mesh material on all fabric surfaces, and a lot of LED displays. The whole effect is both futuristic and funky. Unfortunately, I have to wonder if all the fun inside will be a distraction from the road.

Honda has tagged the CR-Z (by the way, that stands for ‘Compact Renaissance - Zero) as “a next-generation lightweight sports car equipped with a Honda petrol-electric hybrid system.”

Performance Parts

When your prized possession is on the road, you surely want the best performance. One of the simplest ways of ensuring that is to make sure that your automobile’s performance parts are always up to the mark.

Be it the clutch, the brake, the spark plug, the boost gauge, the voltmeter, the fog light, the exhaust, the oil gauge, the air filter or the shock absorbers, it’s imperative to keep a check on the functioning of your auto parts. Regular use would obviously result in wear and tear and it thus becomes important to repair, change or upgrade the performance auto parts from time to time.

Performance parts play an important role in the functioning of your vehicle. Any good machine would give optimum performance only when its machinery is in top condition. With upgrades hitting the market everyday, one has a wide variety of auto parts to choose from.

When you believe that your car is the best, it is only fair to give it the best. Besides the basic kits, you can choose from a wide variety of performance parts and accessories that’ll enhance the working of your vehicle, giving you a stellar street performance. Be well informed when purchasing performance auto parts and you’ll breathe easy and so will your car. If you aren’t sure about which part would be the best for your car or whether what you intend buying is as good as it sounds, head for a dealer whom you know. If you don’t have a known dealer, ask your friends and try to find someone reliable.

Car Shows - The TV Ones!!

I was flicking through the channels and was obviously searching for something to watch about cars. It kind of hit me that there is a massively larger amount of car and auto TV programs now that there was five or six years ago.

I mean, think about it. You have Top Gear (naturally), London Chop Show, Fifth Gear, OCC…the list goes on and on. This got me thinking about just how popular the industry has become to the public. There have always been enthusiasts but never on this scale. I looked around on the internet and found literally thousands of online car magazines, amateur TV shows streamed over the net and lot of other stuff. It seems that every car, manufacturer, job within the car industry, and area with a bit of road on it has a website dedicated to their respective category. Be it racing, modding, industry news or a combination of every thing you can think of!

Not only that, but apparently the bigger ones are making a handsome profit out of it too. Just do a little search for online car magazine and you will see adverts spring out, special offers and give away prizes. All this excess money is being lobed right back into the system to keep this new industry booming. All the while, providing us with hours of watching and reading material.

Life is good…

Uncle Sam Needs to Get it Together

When you look at it closely, Americans are really the same as their engines. Gobbling up fuel/food while still somehow managing to do it in style.

Their engines are mile apart from foreign counterparts like the Europeans and the Japanese. Over this side of the Atlantic, fuel economy and precision performance being squeezed out of out engines using sophisticated CPUs and fuel injection systems, where as even the new Ford Mustang still sports a big fat beer bell of an engine grumbling along.

With fuel prices on the rise and General Motors Stocks plummeting last week, I think it’s about time for Uncle Sam to get his act together and ‘borrow’ some of the techniques used to perfection by manufacturers like BMW and Toyota.

Red Bull Gives You Cash

There I was yesterday sitting in traffic when I looked out to my right; a giant red-bull can was sitting on top of a car. Kind of caught my eye, ill admit. I have seen these around before and every time you will see people on the footpath and behind the wheel gawking at it. That got me thinking.

I looked it up and apparently, companies will pay you a good bit of cash for advertising on you car. Now having a giant energy drink slung over my roof is a step too far but having advertisements places on the side of your car is definitely growing.

For the most part it is Taxis and college students taking part in these programs because they’re always on the road and well. They need the money.

None the less…not a bad idea if you’re short of cash and don’t mind becoming a moving billboard.