From the monthly archives: August 2011
MANY MOONS ago the cynics joked that Lotus stood for Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious. But the Norfolk based sports car maker has produced some beautiful, reliable cars since then.
One such car has to be the exquisite Evora. Its Pepsi-bottle shape, reminiscent of a curvy woman, is very hard not to like. Even [...]
THE NEW Mercedes-Benz SLK is an attractive car but you will only be able to demonstrate to one friend at a time that, in this case, looks keep pace with performance. It is a strict two-seater after all.
Indeed, the third generation SLK takes driving pleasure and open-air enjoyment to a new level. It [...]
THE TOP SPEC T6 all-wheel-drive (AWD) R-Design model, on test here, generates 301bhp and 325lb/ft of torque (pulling power) from its 3.0 petrol powerplant. That makes it very fast, but also muscular enough to tow up to 1800kg, which is ideal for caravan and horse trailer owners.
The R-Design badged V60 model is basically [...]
WAY BACK in 1992 I had a friend who took driving lessons later than the rest of our social circle. How we laughed. Not at the fact that he was learning to drive at 21 (most of us had passed our test at 17), but at the car his instructor turned up in: a Kia [...]
A FEW years ago if you had asked a director to give up their large company car and accept a smaller, more fuel-efficient alternative, you may have been looking for a new job soon
afterwards. Now things are different and greener cars are now a perfectly acceptable executive option.
The seventh generation [...]
BEHIND THE WHEEL, the new Volvo V60 feels every bit as taut as its design thanks to a chassis that has been tuned to match the expectations of enthusiast drivers. It is a stylish new estate, and no one can deny it’s an impressive car.
The V60 isn’t supposed to be a load-lugging wardrobe-on-wheels [...]
THIS IS the sixth generation of Astra in 30 years, but the only part of the popular Vauxhall which isn’t new is its name.
With its strong silhouette and steeply-raked windscreen, the new model makes clever use of many of the design features found in the Insignia. Also, like its larger sibling, it has [...]
THE LATEST incarnation of the Swift is short and wide and yet its body appears to be rippling with energy. Viewed from the front, side or rear, the small hatchback is unmistakably new with unique curves that make it look, dare I say, quite attractive – for this type of car.
Inside, things get [...]
THE SUBARU WRX STI is like nothing else on the road. It combines power with precision and rally-bred performance with everyday practicality, putting it in a class of its own.
Introduced at the end of last year, the 2011 Subaru WRX STi is a substantial upgrade to the high performance version of the [...]
MANY PEOPLE still turn their noses up at Škoda. But it is madness to do that considering the brand is part of the respected VW family.
It is even crazier to ignore the high-octane Octavia vRS which has proved extremely popular since it was launched in 2000. More than 60,000 have been sold, [...]
