The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

To say that the first night / street F1 race in Singapore was exciting would be an understatement. There were more overtaking, crashes, team tactics and actions, packed into yesterday's race compared to the whole season put together.

I would normally not write about F1 races as I don't see the point. It would just be a two line blog. How I saw it yesterday would have been, 'Massa gets pole position at Sing GP ..... Massa wins Sing GP.' The race is getting so boring now that I would normally fall asleep watching it on the second lap and I would get up just before the last lap and it would still be the same.

But boy was I wrong yesterday. I was at the edge of my seat from the word go right through to when the chequered flag was dropped. There were times when I had to peek from the back of my sofa to watch as it was so intense.

Who would have thought that the person starting on pole position (Massa) would end up 13th on the grid at the end of the race and the person starting 15th on the grid (Alonso) would go and win the first ever night street race? But that was the results in the end.

After leading the race for 14th laps, Massa’s position was snatched after Alonso’s team mate Piquet crashed into the wall. The crash meant that the safety cars were deployed and this is when the race was turned on its head. Bad for Piquet but good for team mate Alonso as he went on to lead the race after confusions and traffic in the pits. Drivers (Rosberg and Kubica) were diving into the pits before it was open and getting themselves a 10 second stop and go penalty.

Then when the pits was open to refuel, Massa came in to refuel but drove off before the fuel nozzle was off the car, taking the whole fuel hose down the pit straight and knocked a couple of Ferrari crews in the event. He then had to stop at the end of the pit and the crew had to run to his car to detach the hose. Although it was a mechanical fault and not his fault, that cost him a lot of time as when he rejoined the race, he was last of the pack. If that wasn’t bad enough, he had a drive through penalty for not exiting safely and almost colliding with Sutil from Force India.

If you thought that was it, well, it wasn’t. Later in the race on the 51st lap, Massa spun, but as he was recovering Sutil didn’t see him and crashed into a barrier. Although it was at low speed, the safety car had to come out once again while the marshals removed the car and cleared the debris.

Ferrari’s Raikkonen crashed on the 58th lap which means that for the first time in the season, Ferrari didn’t score a point on driver or construction table.

Alonso went on to win his first win since Monza 2007 and Renault’s first since Japan 2006. Rosberg was second and had to be driver of the day as after all the chaos and stop and go penalty he had, he was still second.

And where was Brit Hamilton in the end? Starting second, he dropped a position but continues to lead the driver’s championship by seven points. And if that wasn’t enough to turn the Ferrari crews red, McLaren snatching the lead from Ferrari in the construction table by one point should do it.

Oh, and did I say that all this was happening under floodlights? Well, they could have added a few more dramas by switching the lights off for a few seconds. Maybe next year...

'THE 571G' Sells for Over £10K

(In the style of Jeremy Clarkson) 'Some say it is just a number plate, some say it is what a true fan would do. All we know is that, Mr Fusari from West London has just bought the plate 'THE 571G' for £10,690 which is 26 times more than its reserve price of £400.'

Now all he has to decide is which of the two Ferraris he is putting the plate on.

He said: “Like all motoring enthusiasts I’m a fan of Top Gear, ironically, though, my mum always says she can’t stand ‘that man’ Jeremy Clarkson, but that won’t stop me going out and buying a white crash helmet.”

Damian Lawson, Marketing Manager for DVLA Personalised Registrations, said: “We had more than a dozen people chasing the 'THE 571G' registration - and there we were thinking there was only one Stig but now we’re not so sure!”

If you do see this car on the road, remember one thing, it isn't the real STIG. His identity is still a secret.

Faster, Sharper, Cleaner Golf GTI MK VI

This is the new VW Golf GTI Concept that will be debuting at the Paris Motor Show next month. Although it is still known as the GTI Concept, I can bet any money that this will be the MK VI GTI production car, with probably slight alteration to its appearance.

The new GTI Concept still maintains the core attributes to the original GTI when it was launched in 1975 - sharp dynamics, style and practicality. To enhance the driving experience, VW is using the latest advances in drivetrain and chassis technology design.

If you are a Golf fan, you will notice that the front is taken from the GTI W12 - 650 concept and the 'telephone dial' type wheels from the MK V is making a reappearance.

What's different between the MK VI and the MK V is that for the first time, the GTI will be featuring an electronic limited slip diff linked to the ESP to maximise traction.

This will also be a 'cleaner' GTI. Although the 2.0 litre TSI engine will be producing 210 PS, that is an increase of 10 PS over the MK V, it actually emits 11 g/km co2 less than the outgoing car. But this doesn't mean that the GTI has gone soft, it will take the car to 60 in 7.2 seconds and will reach a top speed of 148mph making it the fastest GTI in production.

We can expect production to start spring 2009 and sales are expected early summer.

FIAT 3D Showroom Wins Award

FIAT's 3D showroom featured on their UK website has won Retail and Leisure Sector Technology Project of The Year at CNET's Networks UK Business Technology Awards.

In the digital industry, this is like winning the Oscars, so well done FIAT!!

If you have never visited the site before, I recommend that you pay them a visit. Even if you are not planning to buy a FIAT, just playing with the vehicle configuration section is good fun. Especially if it is the FIAT 500 section where you are able to customise the vehicle in 500,000 different ways.

“We are absolutely delighted with this prestigious award,” says Elena Bernardelli, marketing director, Fiat UK. “When we re-launched fiat.co.uk we wanted to employ cutting edge creativity to produce an interesting, exciting and user-friendly site that visitors could enjoy using. I am pleased the CNET judges have acknowledged that we achieved that.”

Click on the link below to be taken to FIAT's 3D showroom and make sure you have plenty of time as you will be on it for ages.

www.fiat.co.uk/showroom

FIA Rejects McLaren's Appeal

The FIA has rejected Mclaren's appeal against the penalty imposed on Hamilton at the Belgian GP.

This means that Hamilton will only lead the championship by one point into the next race with four races to go.

Surprise? I wasn't. This isn't the first time that the FIA has given such an absurd decision towards the McLaren team. I'm sure the decision would be different if it was a Ferrari who was involved in the penalty.

The FIA said, drive-through penalties could not be appealed.
"Article 152 of the International Sporting Code states that drive-through penalties are 'not susceptible to appeal'," a statement from the FIA's Court of Appeal said on Tuesday.
"The competitor Vodafone McLaren Mercedes appealed the Steward's decision before the International Court of Appeal in a hearing in Paris on September 22nd.
"Having heard the explanations of the parties the Court has concluded that the appeal is inadmissible."

Hamilton said after the judgement, "People will probably expect me to be depressed about today's result, but that isn't me,"

"All I want to do now is put this matter behind me and get on with what we drivers do best: racing each other."

"We're racers, we're naturally competitive, and we love to overtake. Overtaking is difficult, and it feels great when you manage to pull off a great passing manoeuvre. If it pleases the spectators and TV viewers, it's better still."
"So I'm disappointed, yes, but not depressed."

The next race will be in Singapore and it will the first night street race.

I Got Stung by a Scorpion... And I Liked it

I took my Bravo for its first service today. An hour later, and the car was ready for collection, and I was presented with the bill. To my surprise, it only cost £188.25 for the service and the good people at Rockingham Car Corby even gave me 10% off my bill.

Anyway, while I was at the dealer, I spotted a couple of Punto Abarth on the forecourt. From reading reviews about the car, this is supposed to be a cool pocket rocket. But I was trying to keep my cool and didn’t ask if I could take it for a spin. However, lucky me, the person who looked after the Abarth department is the same chap (Kevin) who sold me the Bravo. After a few minutes talking about the car, Kevin offered to take me for a spin in the Abarth. He drove the first half of the journey and I drove it back to the dealers.

I got stung by a scorpion, and I liked it.

From the outside, the Abarth looks like a normal Punto that has just drove into Halfords with a large magnet stuck to it. There isn’t anything special about it. However, look closer and you know this is a special car as you won’t find a single FIAT badge on it. All you see is the infamous scorpion badge with Abarth written on it.

The car I drove had cool leather bucket seats. That would cost an extra £850 on top of the £13,500 for the car. There is also a ‘Sport Boost’ button on the centre console. Similar to BMW’s ‘M’ button or Astra’s 888 ‘Sport’ button, this button will encourage you to drive like a lunatic.

If you were to own this car, I would suggest that you drive it with the ‘Sport Boost’ button switched on all the time. This increases the torque, makes the turbo kick in earlier, sharpens the steering response and adds a distinctive note to the exhaust. Without the button switched on, you will still have the power, but it feels sluggish to drive. Not worthy of the Abarth badge.

Somehow, the power delivery of this car is smooth. Unlike some other turbo cars where you will get a lack before the turbo kicks in and when it does, it just pushes you back into your seat, the Abarth feels smooth. It doesn’t feel like a turbo powered car but more like a normal aspirated car. It isn’t a bad thing. It is easier for you to control the power.

The huge Brembo brakes needs getting used to. One thing for sure, it will definitely stop the car at any speed.

I was quite surprise by the car’s ride. Judging from the outside, I thought this would be one of those spine-shattering-ride cars. However, it isn’t. You can feel that it is firm but nothing uncomfortable about it. You could drive this car for hours and still have your back intact.

So, will I buy it?

I don’t know. I like everything about the car but the looks. There is just something about a scooped up Punto look that shouts ‘chav!’ at me. If I can put a brown bag over the car and drive it, maybe I would. The thing is, only a car enthusiast can tell the difference between the Abarth and a Punto. For others, it will just be a boy racer’s Punto. Someone who probably has an ASBO to their name. It will have to be a bit more special before I can part with my £13,500.

In the meantime, I’ll just drive my Bravo and I look forward to the 500 Abarth coming soon.

But if you do decide to get one, give the good people at Rockingham Car Corby a call and ask for Kevin. He’ll sort you out with a deal.

Come on Abarth, make a Bravo.

Happy Birthday Bravo

Today, my Bravo is one year old. It has done just over 17,000 miles. That is a lot of miles in one year.

It has been in one accident (not my fault) and had a scuff on the wheel (my fault). Other than that, I've had no problems with the car. It will be serviced tomorrow. The damage will be the price I will be paying for the service.

Looking forward to years of trouble-free motoring with my Bravo. Very optimistic.

Proton's Autumn Clearance Sale

Today, Proton announced that it will be slashing £2000 off the price if you buy a brand new Gen-2 before 31st October. For a starting price of £6995, you can get a brand new car with electric front windows, twin airbags and air conditioning with pollen filter.

You will also get Lotus design and handling, ABS, EBD and all the combination of alphabets you can think of in this car and six years 100,000 miles warranty. But before you rush out and get yourself a Gen-2, let me also list the cars that you can get for that money.

• Fiat Grande Punto - Better looking than the Gen-2
  
• Ford Fiesta - Better handling than the Gen - 2, although Lotus has played around with the handling
  
• Kia Rio - More space
  
• Renault Clio - Smaller but why not?

Still fancy that Gen - 2?

Credit Crunch Bite on Tyre

A research by Protyre today reveals that over 75% of motorists are potentially breaking the law. There is mounting evidence that the credit crunch is starting to take its toll on motorist. The false economy is putting drivers and other road users at danger of an accident or a prosecution.

Did you know, if you are caught with a worn or defective tyre, you will risk a fine up to £2,500 and three points on your license? Not only that, we are currently experiencing the wettest autumn in years and the danger is all too obvious.

Today, coming back from work, I witnessed two separate accidents. One was a Lotus Elise facing the wrong way on a straight road and the other, not sure what happened, but it involved a road sign, a kid and someone’s wig. As funny as it sounds, it looked serious as there were a couple of ambulances around.

Commenting on the Protyre findings, Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, the road safety partnership of leading industry bodies, government and road safety professionals said, “This research is worrying. Clearly drivers are delaying the replacement of worn tyres which is a false economy and will place drivers at greater risk of having an accident”.

In short, it might be fun sliding around in the rain. But if you’re not trained to handle a car properly, it isn’t worth risking it…

Bravo v World Car Free Day

Tomorrow, Monday 22nd September is World Car Free Day. I don’t know about you, but I won’t be ditching my life luxuries to jump on a push-bike or hop onto one of Brown’s over-priced-fare public transport to get to work.

We live in Britain, we can’t do things like this. Picture the scene. I get up an hour earlier than usual for work tomorrow, as it would probably take me an hour to cycle 12miles. Get out the front door and it is raining!! We’re in the UK, we don’t have enough sunny days to be doing things like this.

I’ve just checked the weather forecast for tomorrow and guess what? It is definitely raining tomorrow. So cycling to work is not an option. What about public transport then?

Well, first of all, I will need to walk a few hundred yards to get to the stand. Providing that it isn’t raining heavily and the bus is on time, I shouldn’t get too drenched. Then, I would need to pay £3.30 per way to get me to Harborough, where I work. £3.30 for 12 miles!! It would only cost me on petrol £1.56 for 12 miles. That is with the current fuel price. That is extortion!

I know I have to pay for insurance and other things with my car, however, I don’t have to get up early, the only walk I have to make is from my door to the car which is about 10 steps or less and later from the car park to my desk. I can listen to Radio 1 instead of the roaring engine of the X3 bus and I don’t have to worry if the bus is going to be on time today!

So you can see why I won’t be getting up in a hurry tomorrow to ditch my car. I can vaguely see the point of doing a World Car Free Day. It may well work in other countries, but unfortunately, I don’t think it will work here.

Bring on the next idea…

PR:Monday 22nd Sept 2008 - World Car Free Day

The Environmental Transport Association will once again be celebrating World Car Free Day.

The event, which will be held on Monday 22nd September, will see motorist over twenty cities and towns ditching their cars for favour of bicycle, trains and busses. The Car Free Day focuses on alternatives to car travel, the right of pedestrians and also public transport.

Last year, almost 2000 cities and town over 38 countries got involved.

Director at the ETA, Andrew Davis said: “With people facing high fuel prices and concerns about the environment, this year’s Car Free Day is timely. The idea is not to put cars on trial or to totally condemn drivers’ desire for mobility, but rather to reconsider the way we travel.”

“European surveys have shown that over six people in ten say that city traffic is unbearable. Nine out of ten people believe that increasing public transport is a priority in combating air pollution and seven out of ten say they support a ban on car traffic in the centre of cities on certain days. However, at the same time, the number of cars and urban traffic is constantly increasing, eroding the quality of life of urban dwellers with the increase in noise, air pollution and stress.”

Areas involved in the event on Monday include: Brighton; Bungay; Derby; Devon; Plymouth; Torbay; Harrogate; Hastings; Lewes; London; Maidstone; Manchester; Newcastle upon Tyne; Reading; Edinburgh; Glasgow; West Lothian; Sheffield; Walsall; Worthing.