Jonathan Goddard News Archive

Reviews from Jonathan Goddard

Results 151 to 175 of 274.

18 million vehicles expected to be on UK roads next weekend
Make sure you pack a DVD player 15 December 2006 14:03 GMT
With 18 million vehicles expected to be on UK roads next weekend, analysts are predicting a miserable couple of days for traffic.

The worst day for seasonal congestin is expected to be Thursday 18th December, when commercial, commuter and leisure traffic will...
Cost of accidents claimed to cost us £1billion a year
An average of three and a half days dealing with the aftermath of a crash 15 December 2006 13:04 GMT
Car accidents cost the UK economy at least £1 billion every year in lost working hours, a report claimed today.

Motorists spend an average of 3.5 days dealing with the aftermath of a crash, says a leading accident and claims management company. More than 10,000...
China home to most expensive Rolls-Royce ever built
High Roller 14 December 2006 11:24 GMT
There’s yet more evidence of China’s superpower status with the news today that it’s now home to the most expensive Rolls-Royce ever built.

An anonymous (not for long, surely) property developer in Beijing has snapped up the $2.2 million super-luxury car, which...
Citroen launch parking space measurement system for Citroen C4 Picasso
Saves you parking miles away supposedly 13 December 2006 10:44 GMT
We’ve all been there. You see a gap in a row of parked cars and it looks impossibly tight. You pull up next to it and try to work out if you can fit. You either bottle it and park a mile away or you go for it. Wouldn’t it be nice to know instantly whether you can get in...
Journey times up to three times longer during term time
Down With School 12 December 2006 15:00 GMT
The real impact of school-run mums on traffic congestion has been revealed today.

Analysis from Trafficmaster shows that average journey times in some areas of the UK are up to three times longer during term times than during school holidays.

The...
Skoda gives Fabia a makeover
Fabulous Fabia 12 December 2006 11:33 GMT
One of the most underrated superminis is getting a much-needed makeover following the news that Skoda is finally updating the Fabia.

The "finest Czech export since the writings of Franz Kafka and pilsner lager" - according to the somewhat overcooked press release...
London to introduct two-tier parking system
London Parking Fines Shake-Up 11 December 2006 11:06 GMT
London will introduce the country’s first city-wide two-tier parking penalties scheme, which will see drivers punished depending on the seriousness of their parking offence.

From 1 July 2007 drivers parking at bus stops, on pedestrian crossings, or in the safety...
Volvo to revolutionise hybrid and electric car making
Exemplary Conduct(er) 5 December 2006 9:00 GMT
Volvo has invested £150,000 in a company that says it has developed am energy-efficient conductor that could revolutionise hybrid and electric car making.

The conductor is used, among other things, when battery direct current is converted into alternating current...
Hummer goes Green with new concept car
Hubba, Hubba, Hummer 4 December 2006 10:00 GMT
The words Hummer and environmental sustainability don’t normally sit too well with each other, but a concept design for a next-generation Hummer has won an award for demonstrating just that.

General Motors’ Advanced Design department scooped the LA Auto Show’s...
Freelander 2 gets iPod dock and more
Range of accessories for the mid-sized 4x4 announced 4 December 2006 9:00 GMT
Land Rover’s all-new Freelander 2 goes on sale in the UK this week, and a range of accessories for the mid-sized 4x4 have been announced.

An audio connectivity module allows you to integrate an iPod nano, iPod 30+60GB and iPod Photo (version 4), using the steering...
Pay-as-you-drive "could save economy from £22bn loss"
Sir Rod Eddington’s landmark study 1 December 2006 14:40 GMT
A landmark report into the future of British roads has called for radical adoption of congestion-charging schemes and a thorough upgrading of the transport infrastructure.

Sir Rod Eddington’s landmark study claims congestion will soon cost the UK economy £22...
Skoda's Roomster gets Scout upgrade
Will the trend for butching-up otherwise mundane motors ever cease? 30 November 2006 14:13 GMT
Time and again manufacturers have sought to inject new life into their model range by adding some rubber, jacking up the suspension, and slapping on thicker tyres all in the name of making something wholly on-road look like it can go off-road.

This exercise...
Drivers shirking maintenance duties
British drivers are not carrying out basic motor vehicle because they are confused by technology 30 November 2006 12:23 GMT
British drivers are not carrying out basic motor vehicle checks and maintenance because they fear increasingly complex automotive technology.

An RAC report suggests that motorists are becoming too reliant on other people to fix problems and more than half are...
Volkswagen unveils new Tiguan compact 4x4
You Can In A Tiguan 30 November 2006 12:08 GMT
Volkswagen has unveiled an all-new concept compact 4x4 at the LA Auto Show – and for what passes as quick turnaround in the automotive world, it will go on sale by the end of next year.

The Tiguan, so named after the result of a poll of more than 350,000 readers...
Nissan bringing battery powered cars to market within 3 years
Electric dreams 29 November 2006 0:49 GMT
Japanese manufacturer Nissan is planning to sell battery-powered electric cars within 3 years in a bid to catch up with its rivals in the market.

The AFP news agency carried a story from the Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper, stating that the light, sub-compact...
Jaguar to build all-new saloon
Producing a brand new sports saloon next year 28 November 2006 12:17 GMT
Ailing Jaguar Cars has surprised pundits by announcing that it will be producing a brand new sports saloon next year.

The Jaguar XF, which will make its public debut next autumn, replaces the much-derided although rather good S-Type. Designed and developed...
Pay As You Drive plans praised
Could be the answer to all our road ills 27 November 2006 12:15 GMT
Pay as you drive plans could be the answer to all our road ills, according to a new Independent Transport Commission report.

Research suggests that charging motorists to travel would raise sufficient cash to fund improvements in infrastructure such as tunnels...
Duo break Guinness World Record for a two-man stoppie
Pulling Out All the Stoppies 27 November 2006 10:46 GMT
For most people, getting on a motorbike is extreme enough. But for Craig Jones and Wing Chui, extreme means extreme.

Not content with having set two official Guinness World Records for solo stoppies (when you do a forward motion wheelie on your front wheel,...
Volkswagen Touareg tows Boeing 747
Need a lift? 23 November 2006 10:42 GMT
As PR stunts go, getting a Volkswagen Touareg to successfully tow a Boeing 747 is rather impressive.

The 155-tonne retired passenger liner - the very same one you can see in the background on Top Gear when they’re testing cars on the track - was hauled through...
Boy racers use YouTube to boast about street racing
Like Need for Speed only in real life 22 November 2006 12:32 GMT
Boy racers have been driving through quiet suburban streets at more than 100mph and then posting their times on video-sharing website YouTube for others to beat just like you can in computer games.

The site describes two leafy residential roads in Cheltenham,...
Subaru Honours Burns - with 320bhp Impreza WRX STI
Limited special edition 22 November 2006 11:12 GMT
When Richard Burns succumbed to cancer a year ago, the world of motor racing - and indeed the entire sporting world - lost one of its true greats and a gentleman to boot.

In honour of his career, Subaru - the manufacturer for who Burns plied his trade so effectively...
Nissan updates the Skyline
V6 with 2.5 and 3.5 litre versions 21 November 2006 11:30 GMT
A legend has been reborn with Nissan’s decision to produce its latest evolution of the venerated Skyline - the mack daddy of boy racers.

Succeeding the V35, the new Skyline with its all-new platform and V6 engine has a longer nose, sharply raked A-pillar, curvier...
VW has revealed its latest concept in China - the Neeza
Neeza Good 20 November 2006 15:35 GMT
A kind of crossover between a sports coupé and an off-road estate car, the Neeza has been designed in China specifically for the Chinese market - another sign that the Far Eastern superpower is fast becoming the most exciting emerging automotive market in the world.
Maybach launches the £340,000 62S
Maybach Force Be With You 17 November 2006 12:14 GMT
Maybach’s new flagship model is the world’s most powerful chauffer-driven saloon. Quite why anyone other than Simon Cowell or the leader of a military junta would need a 612bhp V12 luxury car is anyone’s guess.

Then again, at a shade over £341,000 DaimlerChrysler...
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster coming soon
At the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month 16 November 2006 15:18 GMT
The launch of a new Aston Martin is always a moment to savour. The very name evokes more about the beauty of motoring than any other, and that’s set to continue with the unveiling of the new V8 Vantage Roadster at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month.

Developed...