Road - Numbers game

Statistics, eh? Who’d believe them? Still it gives you something to get the pub argument underway of an evening. Especially this one.

Apparently, drivers using the roads in and around Caithness exceed the speed limits 36% of the time whereas in Argyll, they only do it 8% of the time. Those who break speed limits most often appear to come from Bristol (5% of the time) and Greater London (8% of the time) but the research also claims that Yorkshire drivers only break the speed limit 5% of the time.

Given the fact that Caithness has some cracking roads and are pretty much empty most of the time I can understand that, but Yorkshire? There are some fabulous driving roads down there, so that statistic is hard to figure.

And there’s more, the most popular time for speeding is 5.59 am when the roads are at their quietest and the least popular time for speeding is at 5.16 pm - during evening rush hour!

The research was undertaken by an outfit called Wunelli who supply the insurance industry with a lot of ‘facts and information’ which is used to calculate insurance premiums.

And how about one more? The driver most likely to be caught speeding will be driving an Audi TT. The analysis suggests that Audi TTs spend an average 22% of their time on the road over the speed limit.

So what does that say about hairdressers and dentists? Or Audi drivers? Or Scottish drivers? Or Scottish roads? Or statistics?

Road - Corvette is back

The original and the latest

My favourite from the early 60s

American cars incite all sorts of opinions and passions from adoration to revulsion, but for most folks there is usually something in between which will appeal. 

Take the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray for instance. The early cars were stunning, then the design department lost its way, but at the Detroit Auto Show this week, the new designers showed they are back with a bang.

It looks as though they have been on an Italian diet of pasta and pizza though, compared to the raw beef and fries generation which designed the 80s and 90s cars. Squint your eyes and there is a distinct look of Ferrari about the new Corvette, or maybe it’s just the colour.

 In fact, it’s exactly 60 years since the first 150 hp Corvette V8 was revealed to the public. Sixty years later, the sixth generation of the car still has a V8 but with 450 hp.

It was also announced at the show, that Chevrolet will be building right hand drive models for the European market, the bad news is, it will be 2015 before we see and hear them.

Road - Monster machine

If you thought the new Ford Ranger currently on sale in the UK was big, then it’s worth bearing in mind that over in Americky, they sell a range of pickups they call full-size, which are bigger than anything on sale in Europe.

And whilst our modest British Ranger looks big compared to the current crop of pickups, you should see what Ford were showing in Detroit this week at the auto capital’s annual show.

Ford say it is purely a concept vehicle, but you know what happens to concepts? If the public like them and the manufacturers think there is a market for them and profit potential, then it can be hard to resist.

There is no information on engines and drivetrain as yet other than ‘EcoBoost’ engine technology will be employed and neither is there any information on dimensions, but the thing looks huge.

What size is it? Check out the guy at the front

It looks as big as a theme park and just as much fun.

Road - Dewar Trophy

Winner of the ‘International Engine of the Year’ award for 2012, Ford’s new 1 litre three cylinder EcoBoost engine has just received another major award, the Dewar Trophy 2012, presented for outstanding British technical achievement in the automotive industry.

But here’s something you didn’t know, the man heading up the team which designed and produced this wee sweetie of an engine is a Scot, and he was at the UK launch of the new Ford Fiesta yesterday in Manchester.

Andrew Fraser is the Manager for Gasoline Powertrain Development at Ford’s engine R&D centre in Dunton, Essex, and he headed up the core team of over 50 engineers and another 300 or so ‘specialists’ who created this little jewel.

Andrew has been with Ford for 26 years now after graduating from Edinburgh University with an Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering. His first major project was the design and development of the common rail diesel injection system when it was first introduced into the Mondeo, but the EcoBoost engine was something special.

“You don’t often get the chance to design an engine from scratch,” said Andrew, “the opportunity comes round once every 15 years or so, so this was particularly rewarding.”

He also seemed a bit overwhelmed with the praise being heaped on his engine, but one thing really did please him: “McLaren engines were a close second for the Dewar Trophy award,” he smiled! 

Nice one Andrew.

Road - Fiesta at War

Ford launched the new Fiesta at the Imperial War Museum in Manchester and a few of us managed a walk round during the lunch break, but it wasn't a museum that you could just walk round, look at a few artefacts and walk out again.This is one of those museums that make you stop and think.

There aren't a great many large exhibits inside the building, just one tank, one field gun, one aircraft - and a Trabant! However, it was the smaller exhibits, personal possessions, and very personal stories that were absorbing and moving. The museum makes great use of informative panels alongside each exhibit, film and audio clips, and there is even a section where the smells of the trenches in the First World War have been recreated, from cordite and damp clothing to gas and decaying bodies.

Another moving exhibit was a section of the twisted steelwork from the Twin Towers tragedy in the USA and there was much more  bringing the war against terrorism up to date. One exhibit made me smile though, it was Kate Adie's spiral bound reporter's notebook opened at a page where she had written up a report on a firefight - and it was in plain English, not shorthand.

Then it was back to the day job. The new Fiesta is a cracking wee car, but like all modern cars these days it is festooned with technology. Ford were pushing the 'MyKey' system whereby each car is supplied with one Master key and one second key.This is not a traditional spare key, this one can be programmed by whoever holds the Master key. A speed limit can be set, an audible warning of when that programmed maximum speed is being approached, a maximum volume for the onboard music system, and sneakiest of all, it will record the actual mileage of the car while the second key holder is driving it.

Thank goodness that system wasn't around when I was growing up - what chance do the kids have now? So much for trust, eh?

Road - Whither Peugeot?

The A66 was shut - again - snow - again!

There was a time when Peugeots were for grandparents, They were big, solid and made from the same stuff as the Eiffel Tower, Some were used for rallying, but more East African Safari than 12 Hours in Argyll - surely one of Barrie Hinchcliffe's finest?

Then someone slipped some alka seltzer in to their Vin Rouge Ordinaire, and Peugeot's image was transformed overnight. The 205 was a revelation and the 206 confirmed it. We'll ignore the 207, but I drove down to Manchester in a 208.

Just one problem. I don't like small cars with small seats and limited leg and shoulder room. Ahead of me was a 225 mile drive. The first surprise. I liked it. The second surprise, I enjoyed the drive even though I was barely over 75 mph all the way. The third surprise, I was getting 46 mpg.

This was the new 1.2 litre, 3 cylinder job but it had 82 bhp. Not enough to be exciting but enough to enjoy the wee car when I slipped off the motorway.

Outwardly it will still appeal to the gramps and granmas, but inwardly it will appeal more to the 'connected' generation, with its touch/swipe-screen controls and command centre, one 12v socket and 2 USB sockets and its blue neon illuminated sliding roof blind runners. More disco than Strictly.

On that basis it will be difficult to define its appeal. There's little room for four six footers inside, but the oldies won't appreciate the colours and the chrome. Or maybe they will!

There's another surprise in store - apparently you can download 10 Apps for the 208 on to your phone!

Road - More money for more grip

With snow flurries on the horizon, leading vehicle auction company, British Car Auctions (BCA), has noticed a distinct rise in used 4x4 sales for the last Quarter of 2012. 

The average value for 4x4s sold at BCA during this three month period also rose by nearly £2,000 compared to Quarter 3.  December recorded the highest values of the year as 4x4s approached an average price of £15,000, a rise of more than £2,260 compared to November 2012.

Tim Naylor from BCA commented; “There is a well charted trend between falling temperatures and rising values for 4x4s and we would expect to see that continue in the early part of this year,

especially with temperatures returning to seasonal norms."

No surprises there then!