The first BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe goes on sale this week from £25,815. Unveiled in November, it completes the 2 Series line and the company’s four-door coupe range and will be available with a choice of 140hp or 306hp petrol engines and a 190hp diesel. Almost half the Ford UK 400 dealers could be axed in a radical shakeup to boost profits by the car-maker, reports media. Ford has declined to … [Read more...]
Dangerous dynamic motorway hard shoulders culled
Dynamic hard shoulder smart motorways will be abolished on safety grounds, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced today. In a Parliamentary Statement he said, “Following concerns about Smart Motorway safety, I asked my Department to review the evidence and, if needed, bring forward recommendations. Today I am publishing that work and taking the action necessary to ensure our roads are as safe … [Read more...]
Newslines 10 March
Six-in-10 UK drivers (59%) want the new Chancellor to bolster spending on the country’s crumbling local road infrastructure in the Budget by ringfencing 2p from every litre of petrol and diesel sold without increasing duty rates, according to an RAC survey of 3,200 drivers. In fact drivers feel so strongly about the need to increase spending on maintaining local roads that they would much prefer … [Read more...]
Fuel prices fall may be hit by Budget bash, warn RAC
Don’t hold your breath for fuel cuts, warn the RAC. The plunging price of oil over the weekend should bring down pump prices within days, but RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said, “This is looking like the biggest single daily drop in the oil price in 20 years. “It should translate to some serious cuts at the pumps, particularly as the price of both petrol and diesel is still overpriced … [Read more...]
Poorest to be hit hardest by planned new fuel grade
Government plans for a new petrol standard next year will hit 600,000 motorists who cannot use it and lead to social hardship and exclusion, according to the RAC. The Government has proposed replacing the minimum E5 standard for petrol blended with ethanol and substituting an E10 grade, which uses more ethanol but produces less carbon emissions. However, engineers say it may need engines being … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 March
Building Labourer is the most expensive occupation for car insurance in Wales, new research reveals. According to the data from Confused.com, Building Labourers are deemed to be the ‘riskiest’ drivers in Wales, paying a staggering £1,649, per year for their car insurance, on average, waiters pay £1,522 and car valet people are washed out with £1,426 while council workers get it for just £320 … [Read more...]
Newslines 21 February
SsangYong Motors UK will support the world’s premier three-day equestrian event, Badminton Horse Trials, from Wednesday 6 to Sunday 10 May, 2020, after Mitsubishi withdrew their 28 years backing for the event. Its vehicle provision at Badminton Horse Trials will commence this year, illustrating the perfect synergy between SsangYong Motors and the Trials, which is the most prestigious 5-star … [Read more...]
Learners facing changed theory test
The theory test for learner car drivers is changing very soon. From 14 April, instead of reading a case study and answering five questions related to that, learners will watch a video clip and answer three multiple choice questions on it. RAC spokesman Simon Williams said, “This is a very positive change and should make the driving theory test accessible to many more people as watching case … [Read more...]
Mounting concern over Government “green plan”
The Government’s plan to bring forward the ban of petrol, diesel, and hybrid vehicles is ambitious, but does not have a basis on which to achieve it, said Brian Madderson, Chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association. Today, plans have been unveiled to move the date when non-electric cars are banned from 2040 to 2035, with a possibility of the date being brought forward further. The PRA believes … [Read more...]
Death of Welsh & international rallying great
One of the great characters in Welsh and International rallying has died. Despite being fiercely patriotic about all things Welsh, Denis Cardell was quick to point out that his family originated from the Scottish Borders. Born in 1934, Denis started competing in major rallies in the sixties, first co-driving for South Wales car dealer Norman Harvey in a Cooper S on the 1963 RAC Rally and then … [Read more...]