Motoring News

Bond sells crashed car for a profit

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:20:00 GMT

We all know James Bond is more than adept at neutralising international crooks, bedding beautiful women and drinking vodka Martinis - shaken not stirred, of course - but how does he fare as a used car salesman?

Perhaps inevitably, for a man who seems to have it all, the answer's pretty well.

The Aston Martin DBS that crashed into Lake Garda while on the way to the film set of the new Bond film Quantum of Solace has been sold - for more than its asking price when it was in pristine, pre-Bond condition.

The car was destroyed when it crashed off a damp mountain road near Lake Garda, Italy.

The smash was so severe that the car's driver, an Aston Martin development engineer, was knocked unconscious and sank 150 feet to the bottom of the lake, before freeing himself and swimming to the surface. Remarkably, he was virtually uninjured.

The film's star, Daniel Craig, has revealed that a Bond collector paid more than �200,000 for the scrap metal, despite a DBS only costing �134,000 new.

Biggest ever MOT fraudster found guilty

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:30:00 GMT

The man behind the biggest ever MoT fraud has been found guilty of three counts of conspiracy to defraud at Leeds Crown Court.

Roobik Mirzabegi, 51, used four garages in Leeds to issue thousands of invalid MoT certificates for vehicles that were not properly tested.

The Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA) lacks exact figures, but Mirzabegi is said to have made 'vast sums of money' from the fraud.

His brother, Hakop Mirzabaigian, was also found guilty of forgery and was fined �6500. Ten other men were prosecuted in January for their part in the operation.

Sentencing of Roobik Mirzabegi will take place at a later date.

Digital average speed cameras coming

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:02:00 GMT

New speed cameras that can measure average speeds over vast areas will be used for the first time next summer, following successful trials in London.

The new cameras use digital technology, so they will never run out of film, and do not need to be connected by cables.

As many as 50 cameras can communicate from up to 15 miles apart, automatically reading numberplates and transmitting information on speeding motorists direct to a processing centre.

Current average speed cameras only work in pairs and need to be connected by cable. As a result, they are costly to install and drivers can evade detection by turning off between the cameras.

Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said the new cameras would bring significant safety benefits as well as reduce congestion by making traffic flow more smoothly.

BMW goes turbo

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:40:00 GMT

Every BMW engine – petrol and diesel – will soon be turbocharged as the company seeks to expand its Efficient Dynamics package of fuel-saving, CO2-cutting measures.

BMW already fits an engine stop-start system to all its four-cylinder manual-transmission cars and uses braking energy to recharge the battery in every model it makes.

Dr Stephan Neugebauer, the head of Efficient Dynamics, hopes BMW will soon be able to fit stop-start to cars with automatic transmission and engines of more than four cylinders.

This would significantly reduce the CO2 and fuel consumption of the models it sells outside western Europe.

'We have to do some things with the transmission and the climate control so that the car will drive away smoothly and the interior will remain cool when you are stopped in traffic. Comfort is very important to the owners of such cars,' said Neugebauer.

Another BMW insider hinted that autos with stop-start could be on sale in only two years.

Longer-term, Neugebauer believes further savings could be made by recycling thermal energy in the exhaust gases.

He is working on two ideas: a 'turbo steamer' that uses the exhaust temperature to produce mechanical energy, and a way of harnessing heat in the gases to create electrical energy.

'The benefits would not be reflected in the EU fuel tests because they are conducted at slow speeds, but the system would work in the real world,' he said.

'We hope to be able to make it fall within a cost range that would allow us to fit it into cars.'

Official pics: new Mazda 3

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:30:00 GMT

The new Mazda 3 will be revealed at the Los Angeles Motor Show next month.

Initially, only the four-door saloon will be shown in American specification. However, both it and a five-door hatchback version will go on sale in the UK next year.

Mazda is remaining coy on details, but does say the new car is more refined, quieter, has a sportier ride and achieves top-class fuel economy, which will be boosted by the introduction of more efficient engines and a Stop-Start system.

The new car is particularly important for Mazda, because the 3 accounts for approximately one-third of all its sales globally.

Used car buyers think small

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:35:00 GMT

With the value of used cars falling, and the cost of motoring rising, many car owners are trying to beat the credit crunch by looking for small, economical used cars.

The high cost of fuel, and the threat of a sharp rise in the cost of road tax for some cars, means that owners are scrabbling to sell their large, less-efficient models and snap up cars that will be cheaper to run.

As a result, industry analysts believe that used car values have dropped by as much as 20% year-on-year over the past three months. They also predict that this trend will continue until at least the end of 2008.

Large MPVs and 4x4s have proved very unpopular, with drops in value of 30% or more. Even family cars are suffering.
Analysts believe that buying superminis and small family cars may have longer-term benefits when the cars are sold, too.

'Although the values of small family cars and superminis are still falling, it's nowhere near as fast, and in some cases it's almost levelled off,' said Martin Keighley, from industry experts Vehicle Information Publishing.

The lack of demand for cars is also having a knock-on effect on the value of part-exchange vehicles. Garages are willing to offer only low values against unpopular models in case they end up with cars they can't sell.

Infiniti confirms convertible plans

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:30:00 GMT

Infiniti has confirmed it will add the G37 Convertible to its model line-up next summer.

The brand, Nissan's upmarket offshoot, will launch in Britain next spring.

The G37 Convertible is powered by a 316bhp, 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine, and has a three-piece retractable hard-top roof.

Buyers will be able to choose between the standard six-speed manual gearbox or an optional seven-speed automatic gearbox with a paddle-shift system.

Full details of the car will be announced at the Los Angeles motor show next month.

New car sales slump

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:30:00 GMT

New car sales fell to their lowest level for more than 40 years last month.

Just 63,225 new cars were sold, the worst August figures since 1966.

The only sector to show improved sales was the city car category, highlighting a shift away from large vehicles. However, there were still marked declines in car sales throughout all other segments.

Premium brands were among the hardest hit, with Aston Martin suffering a 67% drop to just 19 cars sold. Land Rover suffered a 58% fall in sales to 422 cars and Jaguar a 41% slump to 422 cars.

Industry experts described the sales figures as 'dreadful' and gave warning that they would impact on car building in Britain. Already Toyota and Land Rover have announced production cutbacks because of falls in orders.

The British Car Auctions (BCA) Used Car Market Report also revealed that used car prices dropped dramatically.

Estimates for the first half of 2008 suggest that the average value of a used car bought at auction has fallen by more than £1000 to £4765.

Car sale changes year-on-year
City car +17.01%
Supermini -22.51%
Small family car -22.72%
Family car -19.19%
Compact executive -18.27%
Executive -19.51%
Luxury -42.79%
Sports -18.29%
Off road -40.98%
MPV -17.97%
Source: SMMT

Southampton street gets naked

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:22:00 GMT

Southampton has set up a 'naked street' to test a new road safety scheme.

Naked streets have all their signs and markings stripped out in an attempt to make motorists drive more slowly by confusing them.

The practice is already common on the continent, and was pioneered in the Dutch town of Drachten, where removing signs and lights has resulted in a decline in road crash casualties.

Simon Taylor, head of the Southampton project, said: 'By increasing the potential risk of a minor accident, you in fact decrease the chances of it happening because people drive more carefully.'

Brian Gregory, chairman of the Association of British Drivers, said: 'I have grave reservations about this scheme and how it would work at night in an area with bars and clubs.'

'I foresee situations where drunk people will wander off these crossings and be hit by a car.'

If the trial is successful, the scheme is set to be expanded throughout the UK.

Refreshed Suzuki Grand Vitara launched

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:41:00 GMT

Suzuki has launched a face-lifted Grand Vitara, featuring a new 2.4-litre engine.

The engine has 166bhp in the three-door model and 169bhp in the five-door. That's more power than the 2.0-litre unit it replaces, but emissions rise only slightly, to 205g/km of carbon dioxide for the three-door and 208g/km for the five-door.

The exterior of the car has a mildly-revised front end and door mirrors with integrated wing mirrors, while the interior has more chrome and wood fixings and new dashboard controls.

Standard kit includes stability control, an MP3-compatible CD player, rear tinted glass and 17-inch wheels.

Five-door models get leather seats, heated front seats, 18-inch wheels and a sunroof.

The car is on sale now, from £14,499.