European Car of the Year - you decide

By Bertie Abarth (and Cameron Countach)

So the votes have been counted and the Vauxhall Insignia has been crowned the European Car of the Year.

Cameron and I didn't take it personally that we weren't part of the official voting process (nor was Jeremy Clarkson) so decided to hold our own vote and want you to do the same.

Just like the 59-strong panel of 'senoir motoring journalists' we dished out 25 points to the following seven finalists: Alfa Romero MiTo; Citroen C5; Ford Fiesta; Renault Megane; Skoda Superb; Vauxhall Insignia and VW Golf.

Voting was just as tight as the official result which saw the Vauxhall Insignia record 321 votes, the Ford Fiesta scored 320 and the VW Golf came third with 223.

Here at Orange the votes went as follows: Ford Fiesta 10; Vauxhall Insignia 9; Alfa Romeo MiTo 8; VW Golf 8 Renault Megane 6; Skoda Superb 6 and Citroen C5 3.

For the record here's how we (controversially) voted.

Bertie: Alfa Romero MiTo 3 (ah those models promoting the car in London and Paris); Citroen C5 2; Ford Fiesta 7 (bonus point awarded for Alesha Dixon singing at the ExCel); Renault Megane 0; Skoda Superb 5; Vauxhall Insignia 5 and VW Golf 3.

Cameron: Alfa Romero MiTo 5; Citroen C5 1; Ford Fiesta 3; Renault Megane 6; Skoda Superb 1; Vauxhall Insignia 4 and VW Golf 5.

Feel free to submit your own votes - remember you've only got 25 points to award between the seven finalists - feel free to award any of the above 'nul point' ...

Oh dear Mr Clarkson...

By Bertie Abarth

So is Jeremy Clarkson funny? I've never been a fan, and Sunday's BBC Top Gear programme in which Clarkson joked about lorry drivers spending their time 'murdering prostitutes', certainly didn't change my view of him.

The Doncaster-born Clarkson, climbing behind the wheel of a lorry, said: "What matters to lorry drivers? Murdering prostitutes? Fuel economy?"

He added: "This is a hard job, and I'm not just saying this to win favour with lorry drivers. It's a hard job change gear, change gear, change gear, check your mirrors, murder a prostitute, change gear, change gear, murder. That's a lot of effort in a day."

Road Haulage Association chief executive Roger King has written to Mr Mark Thomson, Director General of the BBC. The transcript of Mr King's letter is as follows...

Dear Sir

Having watched Sunday’s Top Gear programme on BBC2 and the antics of the three presenters when driving heavy goods vehicles, I am not alone in wishing to express my disgust at the way this part of the programme was executed.

The Road Haulage Association represents some 9,500 road haulage companies operating nearly 100 thousand HGVs on our roads. Not every goods vehicle driver is beyond reproach but, as an industry, we pride ourselves in seeking to obtain the highest professional excellence in driving standards.

Driving a truck through brick walls and other obstacles trivialises the essential role of the goods vehicle in fuelling the basic needs of the UK economy.  These vehicles are very challenging to drive as your presenters discovered, although it has to be said, unladen trucks are nowhere near as challenging as those that are fully laden.

What has truly upset our members is the reference by Jeremy Clarkson that as a "self-acclaimed goods vehicle driver", he felt the need to ‘murder prostitutes’. Whilst this could be interpreted as being ‘humorous’ by some, it certainly is not seen that way by over half a million lorry drivers who take great exception at such type casting.

At a time when the BBC has come in for much criticism over the Brand/Ross debacle, I would have thought more attention would be made to ensure that highly paid tv presenters did not gratuitously insult other members of the working population.

I look forward your response.

So do I, throw the book at him please - a hardback perhaps Cameron (Countach)...

Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton

Posted by Cameron Countach

Well done to Lewis Hamilton, following his dramatic world title victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday.

OK, so he didn't win the actual race, but the drama of seeing him battle to move into the fifth place that would secure him enough points to bag the title, goes down as one of the most exciting moments in sporting history.

Showing he can deliver when it matters, the British ace took Timo Glock with only a few corners to go, depriving Felipe Massa of the world title he and the rest of the Ferrari crew thought they'd won for a few brief moments. Hamilton sure knows how to keep us on the edge of our seats.

It’s definitely game on now, as the youngest ever world champion starts his run to overtake Michael Schumacher’s landmark of seven world titles.

It’s going to be a tough one, but Hamilton just seems to have what it takes in abundance: talent, passion and an incredibly mature attitude for such a young guy. And considering Schumi was 25 years old when he picked up his first drivers’ title, the fact Hamilton already has a couple of years on him after winning the title at 23, bodes well for the future.

He just needs to watch out for fellow youngsters Sebastian Vettel, who almost cost him the title, and Robert Kubica: both have looked handy during the 2008 season.

But we’re confident his driving talent and McLaren’s engineering prowess will ensure this is the first of many world titles Hamilton brings back to Britain.

MPH'08 - We liked it alot

Posted by Cameron Countach

Thanks to the lovely people at MPH, we were lucky enough to get on down to the latest version of this popular British Motor Show at Earls Court - and we weren't disappointed.

OK, so it doesn’t have the same level of new car unveilings that you get with the likes of the Paris International Motor Show and the British Motor Show – though the 1018BHP Koenigsegg CCXR Edition made its debut at the show – but it makes up for that by putting some of the hottest cars ever made on display.

One minute you're stood in front of Aston Martin DB5 made famous by its appearance in James Bond movie Goldfinger, the next your facing down a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, wishing you’d worked harder at school so you now had the kind of job that meant you could afford this Italian stallion. MPH really is a motor enthusiast’s dream.

And our favourite car of the show? Well, it has to be the Tesla Roadster. We’ll never get tired of a car that bangs the drum for the introduction of more electric cars to the market.

So you can get a sense of the delights we experienced, check out this gallery of the best cars on display.

All images taken by our talented selves, because we were there and we could. Not that we're bragging. Much.

MPH '08 in pics >>

The car that looks like a shoe

Posted by Cameron Countach

Sorry to disappoint, but we haven't photoshopped a ‘70s style basketball shoe onto car wheels. The 01 is a genuine effort to break into the sports car market - and it looks ridiculous.

Under the circumstances, you might expect the company behind it, German manufacturer Fuoss, to make up for its latest model’s looks by equipping it with kind of performance capabilities that would make your eyes water. But you'd be wrong.

All you'll get out of this motoring version of a roller skate is a top speed of just 90mph, which means even a Robin Reliant has a chance of beating you to the finish line. And that's not even a souped-up version.

OK – maybe we're being a little harsh. It is fun to look at, and probably great fun to drive if you're competing in the world's slowest racing car competition. But at a time when manufacturers are bringing out electric sports cars with top speeds in excess of 250mph, this idea is a little lost on us.

Only 10 units per year are set to be made, but we can’t see there being any real rush even for those.

Anyway, here are some pics of the world's slowest shoe on wheels. We think you’ll enjoy looking at it more than you’d enjoy driving it…

Fuoss 01 in pics >>

The dream cop car

Posted by Cameron Countach

In tough economic times, goverment agencies are normally the first to suffer, but the Italian police certainly don't have any reason to complain after taking delivery of a 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Polizia.

This may look like a fantasy car, with its stunning blue paintwork and sleek exterior, but Lamborghini has donated this Gallardo to the Italian state police.

The Gallardo Polizia’s performance capabilities practically eradicate any chance of the crooks outrunning the cops thanks to a 0-60 of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 204mph. The only way you’re going to escape this mean machine is in a Ferrari Enzo or a McLaren F1, and you don’t see many criminals in cars like those.

It's the third car to be donated by the famous Italian marque to the Italian police force, with the Bologna police owning a 2005 Gallardo, and the Rome police also having a Gallardo at their headquarters. In total, the two cars have clocked up a massive 149,000 miles in the past five years. All in the name of keeping the peace, obviously.

As far as police cars go, this is as good as it comes, and we can imagine there's a lot of competition between officers to get behind the wheel. At the very least, a lot more than in the British police force, where they have to settle for a strong and sturdy Range Rover for high-speed chases.

Some 30 lucky officers will be taught how to handle this bad boy and can look forward to using state-of-the-art equipment. The car is equipped with an automatic number plate tracking device, and a GPS data system to maintain surveillance of the car the police are pursuing and the speed it is travelling at. It’s also kitted out with more traditional equipment such as a gun holster, radio and video camera.

Even the traditional beacon on top of police cars has had to go through some changes to make it more aerodynamic, because of the high speeds the Lambo will be capable of reaching.

Stay tuned to the Orange Cars channel to see our pick of the coolest cop cars of all time later this week. In the mean time, see pics of the Lamborghini police car >>

Bloodhound Project on trail of World Land Speed Record

Posted by Bertie Abarth

Twelve years since Andy Green OBE and Thrust SSC scythed through the sound barrier on their way to the current World Land Speed Record of 763.053 mph, Green and former record-holder, Richard Noble OBE, are preparing to write the latest chapter in the history of World Land Speed Record attempts, with a 1,000mph bid.

As much an engineering adventure as the ultimate speed record challenge, the four-year Bloodhound Project, sponsored by premier fuel additive brand STP, is designed to re-ignite interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics amongst the youth, and raise the numbers entering technology careers.

Founder sponsor of the Bloodhound Project, STP is famed as the world’s premier engine fuel additive brand, and is no stranger to the land speed record arena, having sponsored US barnstormer, Athol Graham, back in 1959, and backed fellow countryman Art Arfons to successive World Land Speed Records in the early ‘60’s at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats, USA.

An exotic combination of jet, rocket and piston-engined power is employed in the 12.8m, 6,400kg Bloodhound supersonic car (SSC) in the quest for the ultimate goal.

With former Land Speed Record Holder and team boss from 12 years ago Richard Noble OBE again fronting the team, and Andy Green OBE once more in the driving seat, the team has all the credentials to tackle arguably the greatest motor-sporting challenge on earth.

The project, based in Filton, Bristol, will provide the most exciting, compelling and enthralling arena in which to showcase frontier technologies, and for STP, to educate consumers and future users on wider issues of engine efficiency.

Starting with an 800mph bid in 2009, the car will be continuously developed, with a 900mph run in 2010 and the ultimate goal of 1,000mph will be aimed for in 2011. The venue for the record runs is to be confirmed, but Black Rock Desert, Nevada, the scene of Green's record with Thrust SSC, is one of the considered venues.

Significantly, to fulfil the aim of generating interest and enthusiasm in technology, the unique project has complete public accessibility, unlike other major motorsport arenas. Bloodhound SSC will be developed in the full public gaze at the team HQ in Filton, where visitors will have access to see the car taking shape.  Comprehensive and constantly updated websites, from both the Bloodhound Project and STP, will also act as a rich resource for full information as the project unfolds.

See pics of the Bloodhound Project >>

Financial crisis dents car sales

Posted by Cameron Countach

Bad news, car fans. Apparently the credit crunch has taken its toll on our purchasing of cars, with sales in Europe going down by 8.2% in September, and UK sales dipping by dreadful 21.2% in the same month.

It's a continuation of the damage done to the industry because of the global financial crisis, with the UK alone experiencing some of the worst sales ever. August's car sales were the worst since 1966, so it was almost inevitable the rest of Europe would feel the crunch at some point.

According to a report on Evo, in August things were even worse for car manufacturers in Ireland and Spain, with sales dropping by a mahoosive 41 per cent. Ouch. And things weren't much better in Italy, with the country experiencing a 26% drop in sales.

Across Europe, the impact on individual car manufacturers has hit Land Rover the worst, with the Tata-owned British marque experiencing a drop in car sales of 54.9% when comparing August's figures with the same month last year. And in September, the company's sales went down by 49% compared with the previous year. Not good.

There was some good news for VW in September, though, with the German giant experiencing an increase of 1.4% in the company's sales across Europe.

However, things didn't get much better in the UK in September for car sales, despite an expected boost to sales thanks to the launch of new number plates. Car sales in the UK were down 21.2% to 330,295 from 419,290 in September 2007.

It really is bad news all round for car manufacturers in these financially tight times, and it would seem it's not a good time to be launching any of your latest production cars.

But here at Orange Cars, we don’t think it’s all doom and gloom, with the Paris Motor Show proving that despite the crunch affecting our wallets, it hasn't ruined our love for four wheels.

And we're confident that things will turn around in the sales market, thanks to a number of affordable new cars coming out in the next few months and 2009, including the new Ford Ka, which should start as low as £7k, a Mk6 Golf starting at £13k, and the new Renault Mégane. We'd even go so far as to say neither the consumer nor the manufacturer will be too badly hurt by the economic crisis in the long run.

One-77 dodges credit crunch

Posted by Cameron Countach

For any of you who make tons of money and were hoping to get your hands on the much-coveted £1.2m ride that is the Aston Martin One-77, we hate to spoil the party but that time has now come and gone.

According to Aston Martin, more than 100 offers have been made for one of these bad boys, and as it’s a limited run of just 77 models (hence the name), you can pretty much guarantee you're not going to be able to own a One-77 – even if you could afford one.

You might think in these difficult times, anyone who wants to own a £1m+ car is a madman, especially since Aston refused to unveil all of it at the Paris Motor Show. But the legendary McLaren F1 has proven that with time the purchase of a limited-edition car (only 100 F1s were made) is no different from owning a rare piece of art – just as long as you don't prang it.

The F1 is now selling at auction for prices well in excess of £1m, with the even rarer LM version boasting a £2m price tag. So you can only imagine what a limited run Aston Martin is going to be worth in 10 years’ time, especially one that has already overtaken the Bugatti Veyron as the world’s most expensive car. You can take that £1.2m price and double it at the very least.

Glad to see some people aren't struggling in the credit crunch…

Introducing: Lego's version of the VW Beetle

Posted by Cameron Countach

While on my daily journey into cyberspace, looking to bring you the best new developments from the world of cars, I stumbled across what could be the best ever motoring-related gizmo.

Toy manufacturer Lego has unveiled a kit for 16-year-olds and over (that means us), which after piecing together 1,626 different coloured bricks will result in you owning your own miniature 1960 ‘Charlotte’ Beetle. Now that's the kind of toy we want to get our hands on.

The decision to recreate the Lego VW came after the Danish company asked its customers in October 2006 which car they would most like to have in Lego form. The overwhelming response was in favour of the Beetle.

It really is a miniature masterpiece with a movable stick shift, a glove compartment that opens and seats that move forward so you can put your little Lego family inside.

And just in case your Lego Beetle ever gets a puncture, similar to the real deal, there's a spare tyre under the bonnet. The Charlotte also features a rear-view mirror and windscreen wipers, not that you'll need them unless you're planning to take it for spin in the bath.

With Christmas just around the corner, myself and Bertie Abarth have already put it on our lists for Santa Claus. Mind you, Bertie has been a bit naughty this year and might have to settle for a piece of coal. Either way, I'm sure he can stretch to the £79.99 price for this brilliant Lego kit if he has to…

Here are some pictures, just in case you want to take a peek >>

Source: Autoblog