Jonathan Goddard News Archive

Reviews from Jonathan Goddard

Results 76 to 100 of 274.

Mitsubishi launches two special edition versions of the Colt
Mitsubishi's small hatch gets a little hotter 19 May 2007 21:29 GMT
The Mitsubishi Colt has gone all funky with the launch of two special edition Black Hawk models.

Both are based on three-door versions of Mitsubishi’s funky hatch, the distinctive Black Hawk styling provides two silver stripes running from front-to-back, over...
Say hello to the 670bhp Golf GTI
VW packs a W12 engine into its latest hatchback concept 19 May 2007 21:12 GMT
Volkswagen has unveiled the GTI W12-650 – that’s a Golf GTI packing a mid-mounted bi-turbo W12 670bhp engine. With rear-wheel drive.

Not only is it the most powerful Golf ever produced by V-Dub, but it’s also the fastest. The sprint from standstill to 62 mph...
Conquest pricing announced
Renault's new Scenic ain't that cheap, but it is ugly 17 May 2007 21:47 GMT
Renault has confirmed pricing and specification for the first two models in the new Scénic Conquest range.

Priced £17,945 for the 2.0 VVT 136 and £19,135 for the 1.9 dCi 130, a further two engines will be added in September.
The Conquest is another ghastly...
Suzuki launches SV1000 Classic
New life for old favourite 17 May 2007 21:32 GMT
Making its encore following 2 years away from the UK market, Suzuki GB has unveiled a special edition, limited-edition SV1000, featuring a "café-racer" inspired specification, named the SV1000 Classic.

A popular model in the Suzuki range for years, the SV1000...
Servicing Lottery
Shop around for the best service price ... or lose out 17 May 2007 21:27 GMT
Motorists may be benefiting from increased competition to get their cars serviced, but some dealers are still charging twice as much as neighbouring garages.

European laws aimed at removing restrictions on servicing new cars have allowed independent garages...
90% of ladies slam male driving habits
Men annoy women, shock study finds 3 May 2007 17:03 GMT
Around 90% of female drivers believe men have irritating driving habits, according to a new study.

Research by women's car insurance provider Diamond found that the majority of chicks thought male driving habits were irritating, with half also believing themselves...
£51 billion cost of driving
Despite rising car bills, UK is determined to keep motoring 30 April 2007 14:57 GMT
£51 billion a year - that's how much it costs Britain to keep motoring every year.

Tax, maintenance, parking and fuel cost each of us an average of £1777 a year, and 91% of drivers say that the cost of keeping a car has increased in the last 5 years.
McQueen's first Ferrari up for grabs
Classic 250 GT could fetch £500,000 at auction 30 April 2007 14:44 GMT
A rare Ferrari once owned by Steve McQueen is up for sale.

The 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso was owned by the Bullitt and The Great Escape actor for 10 years before going into a private collection and being completely restored. The Christie’s guide price...
BMW unveils new Concept CS
New four-door coupe concept officially drop dead gorgeous 26 April 2007 11:35 GMT
BMW has shown its new Concept CS grand tourer. A four-seat, four-door coupe, if it hit the market it would be a direct rival to the Merc CLS.

The CS is 400mm wider 67mm longer than standard 7 Series. It’s gets a reworking of the classic kidney grille design...
Nissan trials mobile phone safety system
3G and GPS will allow cars to "see" pedestrians 18 April 2007 12:17 GMT
Nissan is developing an advanced mobile-phone based system to help reduce accidents involving pedestrians.

The Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) will use 3G and GPS function to provide pedestrian location information to drivers. Geographical data transmitted...
New Wrangler due in May
Jeep's old-faithful keeps on going 18 April 2007 11:57 GMT
Three things in life are certain: death, taxes and the fact that Jeep will never stop making the Wrangler.

The "new" version of the classically homoerotic off-road legend hits the UK in May, and unsurprisingly looks a lot like the current one.

The...
More motorway service stations due
Government backs plans to extend national rest-stop network 17 April 2007 16:37 GMT
Over-priced Cornish pasties, ancient coin-operated arcade machines, inbred yokels on caravanning holidays … it can only be a motorway service station. Whether you think they are god-forsaken hell holes or welcome respites on a long journey, one thing’s for certain – a whole...
Government to offer pay-as-you-drive incentive
Fuel duty bribes offered to guinea pigs 17 April 2007 15:52 GMT
The Government has announced plans to bribe the public into taking part in road-pricing experiments aimed at reducing traffic congestion.

Rather than forcing drivers to install a black box to track their cars’ movements, ministers hope to encourage volunteers...
Volvo refreshes S40 and V50
Did someone order superficial with a side of so what? 10 April 2007 14:49 GMT
Volvo’s two best-selling models last year – the S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon – have been given a retouch. Not that you’d notice.

The S40 gets a redesigned nose with chrome-framed grille, clear-lensed headlamp units, full-width air intake, integral fog lamps...
BMW unveils the new M3
420bhp monster due in September 10 April 2007 12:21 GMT
BMW has finally lifted the lid on its latest M3 Coupé.

The new 4.0-litre V8 engine develops a massive 420bhp at a whopping 8300rpm and 62mph can be reached in 4.8 seconds. Power is transferred to the road by a six-speed manual gearbox and variable differential,...
Chevy shows off three new concepts
Beat, Groove and Trax aimed at the young and the restless 6 April 2007 15:25 GMT
Making their all-singing, all-dancing debut at this week’s New York Auto Show, a trio of new concept cars proves that Chevrolet has gone a bit loopy.

The Beat, Groove and Trax are a trio of urban yoof cars, created at GM’s design studio in South Korea. The most...
Kia set to unveil new SUV concept
The KND-4: not a robot off Star Wars, but a car 6 April 2007 15:12 GMT
Kia will unveil its KND-4 concept car at the Seoul International Motor Show.

The exterior styling of KND-4 is aimed squarely at the ‘active lifestyle’ brigade – the sort of people who would buy an SUV if they weren’t worried that other people would think them...
Armoured Phantom goes on sale
Rolls-Royce gives rich dictators even greater protection 6 April 2007 15:01 GMT
Rolls-Royce is pimping its insanely sumptuous Phantom flagship – with armour, no less.

Offering the highest levels of personal protection and engineered to VR7 level, the highest current international protection rating, the Phantom Armoured is indistinguishable...
Lexus takes World Car of the Year honours
LS 460 scoops top international motoring accolade 6 April 2007 14:52 GMT
The Lexus LS 460 has been declared World Car of the Year 2007 by a group of international motoring journalists.
The LS 460, launched in January, was chosen from an entry list of 28 contenders nominated by jurors from 22 countries.

WCOTY jurors considered...
More than a million people fear driving ban
New penalty points system welcomed 31 March 2007 20:57 GMT
More than a million British motorists are on the brink of losing their licences, according to a new report.

There are currently 6000 speed cameras monitoring drivers in the UK and currently 4.5 million drivers have points on their licence for speeding. One in...
Seat develops first ever RC touring car
Driverless race car trialled in UK 28 March 2007 20:57 GMT
Seat has trialled the first ever driverless touring car. Cutting-edge developments in electronics, virtual reality and on-board computers have enabled the Seat Sport UK team to create what they claim is the most advanced remote control car in the world.

The...
Golf reaches 25million mark
VW rolls yet another mid-size hatchback off the assembley line 28 March 2007 20:48 GMT
Volkswagen has produced its 25 millionth Golf.

The very first example of the production Golf was assembled at the German marque’s Wolfsburg plant in 1974. Over 33 years and four generations later a Golf 1.4 TSI fitted with auto transmission and finished in...
Citroen launches special edition C2
French supermini gets a good old pimping 26 March 2007 12:56 GMT
Citroën has made the C2 more attractive (not difficult) by taking its lively 125bhp C2 1.6i 16V VTS supermini and chucking in cow skin seats, sporty exterior styling touches and an exclusive paint job.

The C2 Code special edition – pretty good value at just...
Nitro and Avenger coming to the UK soon
Big US cars muscle their way into Dodge 26 March 2007 12:46 GMT
The American invasion shows no sign of abating, with the announcement that the Dodge Nitro SUV and Dodge Avenger saloon will be available in the UK soon.

Leading the charge to generate more sales outside of their domestic market – in which homegrown cars have...
Hummer heads over here
Enormous US 4 x 4 gets a UK showroom and right-hand drive 19 March 2007 20:25 GMT
Be afraid; be very afraid – Hummer is coming to the UK,

The government might be rumoured to be slaming 4 x 4 with more taxes but that isn't stopping the first dedicated Hummer showroom on these shores opens this week, and the right-hand drive H3 goes on sale...