Sunday, June 19, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
1938 Alfa 8C 2900B Le Mans
Those are incredibly good looking Jaguars
On of the most remarkable and well designed instrument gauge clusters I've ever seen
Fiat 1400b junior Ghia
Awesome use of a hoodscoop to make an ugly car better looking
Sorry, I don't know where these came from anymore, but I bet they were from websites that I've posted from in the past month
1938 Alfa 8C 2900B Le Mans Those are incredibly good looking Jaguars On of the most remarkable and well designed instrument gauge clusters I've ever seen Fiat 1400b junior Ghia Awesome use of a hoodscoop to make an ugly car better looking Sorry, I don't know where these came from anymore, but I bet they were from websites that I've posted from in the past month
read about it if you like, very dry, dull, and biographical view of how and why he was there http://forix.autosport.com/8w/targa.html
read about it if you like, very dry, dull, and biographical view of how and why he was there http://forix.autosport.com/8w/targa.html
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
For many prospective buyers in today’s market, the question of which new cars are cheapest to insure is a critical one.
In the UK, finding the answer is made easier because all models are placed at launch into one of fifty advisory groups, with the idea being that cars in Group 1 should attract the lowest premiums, and those in Group 50 the highest.
Deciding which vehicles go into each group falls to the Association of British Insurers, working with the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre at Thatcham. The allocation process takes into account things like parts costs, repair times, performance and security.
Unfortunately, there aren’t too many new cars that fall into Group 1 or Group 2. In fact, the total number is ten, and here they are listed alphabetically by manufacturer:
Chevrolet Spark 1.0 (Group 1E)
At £7,215 on the road, the base Spark is one of the cheapest cars on sale in the UK. That’s enough to buy eye-catching styling and a five-door body, with little else besides. Customers wanting electric windows, central locking, air conditioning or an audio system have to look higher up the Spark range, but more kit means a higher insurance group.
The Chevrolet’s four cylinder, one litre engine produces 67 bhp (50 kW / 68 PS) and 93 Nm (68 lb/ft) of torque, giving a top speed of 96 mph (154 km/h). Average fuel consumption is a reasonable 55.4 mpg (5.1 l/100km).
Image © GM Corp.
Citroën C1 1.0 VT (Group 2E)
Unlike anything from the closely related Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo line-ups, a Citroën C1 makes it into Group 2. However, the downside is that it’s the basic VT spec, so owners miss out on niceties such as electric windows and air conditioning.
Max power from the three cylinder engine is 67 bhp (50 kW / 68 PS), which is enough to propel the C1 from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 13.3 seconds. Such brisk performance doesn’t come at the expense of efficiency though, as it’ll average 62.8 mpg (4.5 l/100km) with CO2 emissions of just 103 g/km. Prices are £8,695 for the three-door, or £9,045 for the five-door.
Fiat Qubo Active 1.4 (Group 2E)
Possibly the biggest (literally) surprise amongst all the models here is the Qubo, a van-derived mini MPV. The Fiat’s looks may divide opinion, but there’s no doubting that at £10,705 on the road it’s a lot of metal for the money. Equipment levels are fairly generous too, with the Blue&Me Bluetooth / USB connectivity system and four airbags coming as standard with the basic Active trim grade.
Although it has a 1.4 petrol engine, it’s by no means a performance car. 0-62 mph (100 km/h) takes a lethargic 16.2 seconds, while the claimed top speed is 97 mph (156 km/h). Combined cycle fuel consumption of 42.2 mpg (6.7 l/100km) is reasonably good, given the Qubo’s relative bulk.
Nissan Pixo Visia 1.0 (Group 2E)
Nissan recently reduced the price of the Pixo Visia from £7,350 to £6,995, thereby undercutting the Chevrolet Spark. Predictably for that amount of money the windows have to be wound up and down manually, the doors locked individually and there are only two airbags. At least the Visia gets a CD player, though.
The Pixo’s 996 cc three cylinder engine generates 67 bhp (50 kW / 68 PS), and it’ll achieve a very impressive 64.2 mpg (4.4 l/100km) while emitting 103 g/km of CO2.
Nissan Pixo Acenta 1.0 (Group 2E)
The £8,100 Acenta trim grade has only just been dropped from the Nissan price list, effectively replaced by the n-tec version which falls into a higher insurance group. However, there might be some Acenta models still at dealers awaiting buyers.
Toyota Yaris T2 1.0 VVT-i (Group 2E)
Surprisingly, the entry-level Yaris falls into a lower insurance group than the smaller Aygo. Air conditioning and extra airbags are absent from the T2 version, but it does get electric windows, electrically adjustable door mirrors and a four-speaker stereo with steering wheel mounted controls.
Power comes from a three cylinder, one litre engine producing 68 bhp (51 kW / 69 PS), which is not a lot for a supermini. Consequently, it’s no great surprise that the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint takes a sluggish 15.7 seconds, but the compensation is decent average fuel consumption of 55.4 mpg (5.1 l/100km). The Yaris T2 is priced at £10,730 in three-door form, with the five-door costing £500 more.
Vauxhall Corsa Expression 1.0 ecoFlex (Group 2E)
Costing £9,995 and only available as a three-door, as expected the standard equipment list for the Corsa Expression is sparse.
In common with many of the cars listed here, under the bonnet lurks a one litre, three cylinder engine. With an output of 64 bhp (48 kW / 65 PS), it’ll do 56.5 mpg (5.0 l/100km) with CO2 emissions of 117 g/km.
Vauxhall Corsa S 1.0 ecoFlex (Group 2E)
Mechanically the same as the Expression, the slightly posher ‘S’ gets electric front windows and remote central locking, but there’s still no air conditioning.
It costs £11,625 on the road for the three-door, although the ‘Vauxhall Internet Price’ is currently £9,895, which actually makes the lead-in Expression superfluous. For more practicality, the five-door retails at £12,050 (with a ‘Vauxhall Internet Price’ of £10,730).
Image © GM Corp.
Volkswagen Fox 1.2 (Group 1E)
The trump card for Volkswagen’s Brazilian-built entry level model is plenty of cabin space, thanks to a body that’s taller than a Polo’s and almost as wide. Interior trim quality and equipment levels might not be up to Phaeton standards, but then the Fox does currently cost just £7,295 on the road.
A recently reworked 1.2 litre engine provides 59 bhp (44 kW / 60 PS) and a useful 108 Nm (80 lb/ft) of torque, but the Fox tops out at 95 mph (152 km/h). Fuel consumption of 48.7 mpg (5.8 l/100km) isn’t outstanding against the competition, and CO2 emissions of 136g/km are disappointing.
Volkswagen Urban Fox 1.2 (Group 1E)
Sharing its engine with the basic Fox, the Urban version is differentiated by having some extra goodies. These include electric windows, remote central locking, a split folding rear seat and body coloured bumpers. The retail price for the Urban Fox is £8,030.
Related post:
Top 10: Cheapest new cars
For many prospective buyers in today’s market, the question of which new cars are cheapest to insure is a critical one.
In the UK, finding the answer is made easier because all models are placed at launch into one of fifty advisory groups, with the idea being that cars in Group 1 should attract the lowest premiums, and those in Group 50 the highest.
Deciding which vehicles go into each group falls to the Association of British Insurers, working with the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre at Thatcham. The allocation process takes into account things like parts costs, repair times, performance and security.
Unfortunately, there aren’t too many new cars that fall into Group 1 or Group 2. In fact, the total number is ten, and here they are listed alphabetically by manufacturer:
Chevrolet Spark 1.0 (Group 1E)
At £7,215 on the road, the base Spark is one of the cheapest cars on sale in the UK. That’s enough to buy eye-catching styling and a five-door body, with little else besides. Customers wanting electric windows, central locking, air conditioning or an audio system have to look higher up the Spark range, but more kit means a higher insurance group.
The Chevrolet’s four cylinder, one litre engine produces 67 bhp (50 kW / 68 PS) and 93 Nm (68 lb/ft) of torque, giving a top speed of 96 mph (154 km/h). Average fuel consumption is a reasonable 55.4 mpg (5.1 l/100km).
Image © GM Corp.
Citroën C1 1.0 VT (Group 2E)
Unlike anything from the closely related Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo line-ups, a Citroën C1 makes it into Group 2. However, the downside is that it’s the basic VT spec, so owners miss out on niceties such as electric windows and air conditioning.
Max power from the three cylinder engine is 67 bhp (50 kW / 68 PS), which is enough to propel the C1 from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 13.3 seconds. Such brisk performance doesn’t come at the expense of efficiency though, as it’ll average 62.8 mpg (4.5 l/100km) with CO2 emissions of just 103 g/km. Prices are £8,695 for the three-door, or £9,045 for the five-door.
Fiat Qubo Active 1.4 (Group 2E)
Possibly the biggest (literally) surprise amongst all the models here is the Qubo, a van-derived mini MPV. The Fiat’s looks may divide opinion, but there’s no doubting that at £10,705 on the road it’s a lot of metal for the money. Equipment levels are fairly generous too, with the Blue&Me Bluetooth / USB connectivity system and four airbags coming as standard with the basic Active trim grade.
Although it has a 1.4 petrol engine, it’s by no means a performance car. 0-62 mph (100 km/h) takes a lethargic 16.2 seconds, while the claimed top speed is 97 mph (156 km/h). Combined cycle fuel consumption of 42.2 mpg (6.7 l/100km) is reasonably good, given the Qubo’s relative bulk.
Nissan Pixo Visia 1.0 (Group 2E)
Nissan recently reduced the price of the Pixo Visia from £7,350 to £6,995, thereby undercutting the Chevrolet Spark. Predictably for that amount of money the windows have to be wound up and down manually, the doors locked individually and there are only two airbags. At least the Visia gets a CD player, though.
The Pixo’s 996 cc three cylinder engine generates 67 bhp (50 kW / 68 PS), and it’ll achieve a very impressive 64.2 mpg (4.4 l/100km) while emitting 103 g/km of CO2.
Nissan Pixo Acenta 1.0 (Group 2E)
The £8,100 Acenta trim grade has only just been dropped from the Nissan price list, effectively replaced by the n-tec version which falls into a higher insurance group. However, there might be some Acenta models still at dealers awaiting buyers.
Toyota Yaris T2 1.0 VVT-i (Group 2E)
Surprisingly, the entry-level Yaris falls into a lower insurance group than the smaller Aygo. Air conditioning and extra airbags are absent from the T2 version, but it does get electric windows, electrically adjustable door mirrors and a four-speaker stereo with steering wheel mounted controls.
Power comes from a three cylinder, one litre engine producing 68 bhp (51 kW / 69 PS), which is not a lot for a supermini. Consequently, it’s no great surprise that the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint takes a sluggish 15.7 seconds, but the compensation is decent average fuel consumption of 55.4 mpg (5.1 l/100km). The Yaris T2 is priced at £10,730 in three-door form, with the five-door costing £500 more.
Vauxhall Corsa Expression 1.0 ecoFlex (Group 2E)
Costing £9,995 and only available as a three-door, as expected the standard equipment list for the Corsa Expression is sparse.
In common with many of the cars listed here, under the bonnet lurks a one litre, three cylinder engine. With an output of 64 bhp (48 kW / 65 PS), it’ll do 56.5 mpg (5.0 l/100km) with CO2 emissions of 117 g/km.
Vauxhall Corsa S 1.0 ecoFlex (Group 2E)
Mechanically the same as the Expression, the slightly posher ‘S’ gets electric front windows and remote central locking, but there’s still no air conditioning.
It costs £11,625 on the road for the three-door, although the ‘Vauxhall Internet Price’ is currently £9,895, which actually makes the lead-in Expression superfluous. For more practicality, the five-door retails at £12,050 (with a ‘Vauxhall Internet Price’ of £10,730).
Image © GM Corp.
Volkswagen Fox 1.2 (Group 1E)
The trump card for Volkswagen’s Brazilian-built entry level model is plenty of cabin space, thanks to a body that’s taller than a Polo’s and almost as wide. Interior trim quality and equipment levels might not be up to Phaeton standards, but then the Fox does currently cost just £7,295 on the road.
A recently reworked 1.2 litre engine provides 59 bhp (44 kW / 60 PS) and a useful 108 Nm (80 lb/ft) of torque, but the Fox tops out at 95 mph (152 km/h). Fuel consumption of 48.7 mpg (5.8 l/100km) isn’t outstanding against the competition, and CO2 emissions of 136g/km are disappointing.
Volkswagen Urban Fox 1.2 (Group 1E)
Sharing its engine with the basic Fox, the Urban version is differentiated by having some extra goodies. These include electric windows, remote central locking, a split folding rear seat and body coloured bumpers. The retail price for the Urban Fox is £8,030.
Related post:
Top 10: Cheapest new cars
The launch of the Fiat 500 in the U.S. market has whetted the Italian company’s appetite, as according to reports, Fiat is now considering the addition of a second model to its North-American range, the successor to the Bravo. As we wrote last month, the next-generation Bravo will take the shape of a small crossover with Fiat looking to emulate the success of Nissan's Qashqai.
The 500's early sales figures have exceeded the firm’s expectations despite initial concerns about relaunching the Fiat brand in the U.S. with such a small car. The partially open-top 500C was added to the range recently, with more powerful Abarth versions to follow in the very near future.
Read more »The launch of the Fiat 500 in the U.S. market has whetted the Italian company’s appetite, as according to reports, Fiat is now considering the addition of a second model to its North-American range, the successor to the Bravo. As we wrote last month, the next-generation Bravo will take the shape of a small crossover with Fiat looking to emulate the success of Nissan's Qashqai.
The 500's early sales figures have exceeded the firm’s expectations despite initial concerns about relaunching the Fiat brand in the U.S. with such a small car. The partially open-top 500C was added to the range recently, with more powerful Abarth versions to follow in the very near future.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
After the axing of the Fiat Coupe in 2000, the Italian brand's range was left without a coupe. And that's where British designer Peter Norris steps in with a new study that envisions a future sports car model for Fiat. However, this concept would not necessarily make a successor to the affordable Fiat Coupe, as the car carries a Pininfarina badge, thus hinting to a more luxurious model.
The study is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive luxury sports car that aims to embody the essence of the Italian thoroughbred. Judging from the drivetrain layout, this concept would be more of a successor to the 1960's RWD Fiat Dino rather than to the late 1990s FWD Fiat Coupe designed by Chris Bangle.
After the axing of the Fiat Coupe in 2000, the Italian brand's range was left without a coupe. And that's where British designer Peter Norris steps in with a new study that envisions a future sports car model for Fiat. However, this concept would not necessarily make a successor to the affordable Fiat Coupe, as the car carries a Pininfarina badge, thus hinting to a more luxurious model.
The study is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive luxury sports car that aims to embody the essence of the Italian thoroughbred. Judging from the drivetrain layout, this concept would be more of a successor to the 1960's RWD Fiat Dino rather than to the late 1990s FWD Fiat Coupe designed by Chris Bangle.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
If there is one television crew that is almost impossible to go by unnoticed (at least by the male population) anywhere they go in the world, it is the hosts of BBC’s widely popular Top Gear program. This time, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond were spotted in the medieval town of Lucca in Tuscany, central Italy. Read more »
If there is one television crew that is almost impossible to go by unnoticed (at least by the male population) anywhere they go in the world, it is the hosts of BBC’s widely popular Top Gear program. This time, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond were spotted in the medieval town of Lucca in Tuscany, central Italy.
