Anyone for Hash!
Lotus unveiled their concept Eco-Elise at the British Motor Show with panels made from hemp, carpets made from sisal and solar panels on the roof which can provide power for the car's electrics pretty cool eh?
Thursday, 31 July 2008
Anyone for Hash!
Lotus unveiled their concept Eco-Elise at the British Motor Show with panels made from hemp, carpets made from sisal and solar panels on the roof which can provide power for the car's electrics pretty cool eh?
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Bio Diesel - Home Producers Beware!
A man blew up his garage attempting to make biodiesel from cooking oil at his Northamptonshire home.
The victim received 20% burns when his makeshift garage factory, in Middleton Cheney, exploded on Saturday afternoon.
He was airlifted to the specialist burns unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire, where he is now being treated.
Fire crews from Banbury, Oxfordshire, in breathing apparatus, sealed the area off until the chemicals were made safe.
It is understood the man regularly made fuel from used cooking oil, which he got from his local Chinese takeaway.
Soaring prices
He was using an electric drill to mix the oil with ethanol and caustic soda when a spark ignited the flames, causing the explosion.
Making your own fuel is legal - the government allows people to produce 2,500 litres of biofuel a year, tax free.
The AA has said more people are making their own supplies since the price of petrol and diesel began to soar at the pumps - with one estimate suggesting that 20,000 people across the UK are doing so.
But the organisation said while biodiesel might work in older cars, newer engines often do not react well to home-made fuel.
Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service warned that people without sufficient knowledge of how to deal with chemicals were likely to face problems.
A spokesman said: "Firefighters would like to urge members of the public to take extreme caution if undertaking such chemical mixtures in their own homes and ensure they know exactly what they are doing and the potential consequences."
The victim received 20% burns when his makeshift garage factory, in Middleton Cheney, exploded on Saturday afternoon.
He was airlifted to the specialist burns unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire, where he is now being treated.
Fire crews from Banbury, Oxfordshire, in breathing apparatus, sealed the area off until the chemicals were made safe.
It is understood the man regularly made fuel from used cooking oil, which he got from his local Chinese takeaway.
Soaring prices
He was using an electric drill to mix the oil with ethanol and caustic soda when a spark ignited the flames, causing the explosion.
Making your own fuel is legal - the government allows people to produce 2,500 litres of biofuel a year, tax free.
The AA has said more people are making their own supplies since the price of petrol and diesel began to soar at the pumps - with one estimate suggesting that 20,000 people across the UK are doing so.
But the organisation said while biodiesel might work in older cars, newer engines often do not react well to home-made fuel.
Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service warned that people without sufficient knowledge of how to deal with chemicals were likely to face problems.
A spokesman said: "Firefighters would like to urge members of the public to take extreme caution if undertaking such chemical mixtures in their own homes and ensure they know exactly what they are doing and the potential consequences."
Friday, 25 July 2008
Vivaro Delivers The Goods
The Vauxhall Vivaro van is an extremely capable small panel van that has been carrying away awards for a few years in a number of categories including van of the year. With stylish looks and an impressive range of Euro 4 compliant diesel engines Vivaro sets the standard in this class. With a payload of up to 1200kg the Vivaro can easily cope with the needs of a small to medium user. Long service intervals and a no nonsense 3 year warranty ensure you’ll spend more time on the road which is essential in today’s business climate. Best of all the Vivaro is lovingly made in Luton England! Just glance in your mirror on a Friday afternoon on the motorway and this is what you will see!
The Vauxhall Vivaro van is an extremely capable small panel van that has been carrying away awards for a few years in a number of categories including van of the year. With stylish looks and an impressive range of Euro 4 compliant diesel engines Vivaro sets the standard in this class. With a payload of up to 1200kg the Vivaro can easily cope with the needs of a small to medium user. Long service intervals and a no nonsense 3 year warranty ensure you’ll spend more time on the road which is essential in today’s business climate. Best of all the Vivaro is lovingly made in Luton England! Just glance in your mirror on a Friday afternoon on the motorway and this is what you will see!
VW Unveil Elise Beater!
Volkswagen seem to have somehow bucked the trend in new car sales which has seen other players in the motor industry look towards the future with furrowed brows. Keen to show their good fortune VW has revealed plans for a competitively priced, mid-engined roadster as part of a brand building campaign as it sets about fulfilling its master plan of selling over five million cars a year by 2018.
VW's chairman Martin Winterkorn has indicated that the company is planning to unveil a concept version of a lightweight two-seater at the LA motor show in November. If reaction is positive enough then the new car, which has been styled under the guidance of Walter da Silva, could be in showrooms as soon as 2011.
“We are working on a mid-engined concept for the Los Angeles motor show,” a senior source recently confirmed.
The new Volkswagen roadster is described as being a lower cost alternative to the Lotus Elise, designed to be stylish and lightweight while offering genuine performance and class-leading fuel economy.
Power will come from mid-engined four-cylinder petrol engines, with Volkswagen’s 168bhp 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and a new 125bhp 1.6-litre TDI common-rail diesel both being considered for use. Drive will be supplied to the rear wheels by a seven-speed DSG gearbox.
A production version is anticipated weighing in at under 1000kg, and being capable of combining Golf GTI levels of performance – 0-62mph in just under 7 seconds – with economy to rival a diesel Polo –about 63mpg combined, which will cause a lot of excitement
The car is likely to be constructed around an aluminium spaceframe, by using the expertise of VW’s daughter company Audi. This link is fuelling speculation that there may also be an Audi version of the car, a so-called R4. Rumours of this car have existed for almost two years, despite denials from the manufacturer. It would have different styling to the Volkswagen version and is likely feature more powerful four-cylinder engines than the VW version, with Audi’s new ‘EA888’ based 211bhp 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine and an forthcoming 204bhp twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre TDI common rail diesel highly likely to feature.
In a further development, Porsche who now have a large share in VW are said to have shown interest in the new project, possibly paving the way for a return of the much loved 914.
Volkswagen first hinted at plans for a mid-engined roadster with the Concept R at the Frankfurt motor show in 2003. It was followed up by the Eco Racer (which was more of a fledgling R&D concept rather than a full blown design concept) which was unveiled at the Tokyo motor show in 2005.
According to Volkswagen insiders, two more mid-engined concepts were created but never revealed to the public. If the car is given a green light it could be assembled by Volkswagen’s long-term partner, Karmann, in Germany who have reportedly been experiencing some financial difficulty in recent times.
Volkswagen seem to have somehow bucked the trend in new car sales which has seen other players in the motor industry look towards the future with furrowed brows. Keen to show their good fortune VW has revealed plans for a competitively priced, mid-engined roadster as part of a brand building campaign as it sets about fulfilling its master plan of selling over five million cars a year by 2018.
VW's chairman Martin Winterkorn has indicated that the company is planning to unveil a concept version of a lightweight two-seater at the LA motor show in November. If reaction is positive enough then the new car, which has been styled under the guidance of Walter da Silva, could be in showrooms as soon as 2011.
“We are working on a mid-engined concept for the Los Angeles motor show,” a senior source recently confirmed.
The new Volkswagen roadster is described as being a lower cost alternative to the Lotus Elise, designed to be stylish and lightweight while offering genuine performance and class-leading fuel economy.
Power will come from mid-engined four-cylinder petrol engines, with Volkswagen’s 168bhp 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and a new 125bhp 1.6-litre TDI common-rail diesel both being considered for use. Drive will be supplied to the rear wheels by a seven-speed DSG gearbox.
A production version is anticipated weighing in at under 1000kg, and being capable of combining Golf GTI levels of performance – 0-62mph in just under 7 seconds – with economy to rival a diesel Polo –about 63mpg combined, which will cause a lot of excitement
The car is likely to be constructed around an aluminium spaceframe, by using the expertise of VW’s daughter company Audi. This link is fuelling speculation that there may also be an Audi version of the car, a so-called R4. Rumours of this car have existed for almost two years, despite denials from the manufacturer. It would have different styling to the Volkswagen version and is likely feature more powerful four-cylinder engines than the VW version, with Audi’s new ‘EA888’ based 211bhp 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine and an forthcoming 204bhp twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre TDI common rail diesel highly likely to feature.
In a further development, Porsche who now have a large share in VW are said to have shown interest in the new project, possibly paving the way for a return of the much loved 914.
Volkswagen first hinted at plans for a mid-engined roadster with the Concept R at the Frankfurt motor show in 2003. It was followed up by the Eco Racer (which was more of a fledgling R&D concept rather than a full blown design concept) which was unveiled at the Tokyo motor show in 2005.
According to Volkswagen insiders, two more mid-engined concepts were created but never revealed to the public. If the car is given a green light it could be assembled by Volkswagen’s long-term partner, Karmann, in Germany who have reportedly been experiencing some financial difficulty in recent times.
Monday, 21 July 2008
Previously speculated on and now at last revealed! Volkswagen's up! minicar will be switched from a rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout to a front-engine, front-wheel-drive arrangement when it goes on sale in 2011. According to VW CEO Martin Winterkorn, "Our engineers favoured a rear engine and fought until the end for that solution." Unfortunately, the rear-engine layout had to be dropped due to cost constraints and the limitations it imposed on passenger space.Volkswagen originally planned to launch the up! in Europe sometime in 2010, but the switch in format has bumped back its sale date by four- to five-months, meaning it will likely hit showrooms in early 2011. While a few months wouldn't normally be a big deal, the Toyota IQ is set to debut in dealers early next year and the Fiat Topolino will launch late in 2009, putting VW back by almost two years.Volkswagen plans to launch the up! in three versions: a hatchback, MPV and saloon. The manufacturer expects sales in Europe and emerging markets to hit approximately 500,000 units per year, although a decision has yet to be reached on whether the up! will make it to the U.S.
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
New Scirocco A Future Classic?
The Scirocco is back a mere 34 years since the original appeared. Looks the mutt's though so perhaps worth the wait.
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