Renault chose to play it fairly safe, in styling terms, when it launched the new Laguna in October. So, when I picked up the new Laguna Sports Tourer - which won't go on sale until January 2008 - it didn't really attract much attention for a model that no-one had seen on the roads yet. Read More...

I remember a year or so ago I was amazed at a Volkswagen Polo diesel that - try as I did - I could not get to do less than 48 mpg. That memorable performance has now been upstaged... by a Volkswagen Polo. But this one is the Polo BlueMotion, which, in its basic form, has such low emissions that it costs nothing to tax in the UK. Read More...

I find it very easy to pay the London Congestion charge. So easy in fact that I almost didn't notice. Read More...

Considering that Citroen has had a long involvement in events like the Dakar Rally, in the tough off-road conditions of the Sahara, it's perhaps surprising that it has taken until now for the famous chevrons to appear on the nose of an off-road vehicle. The new Citroen C-Crosser is the product of international collaboration between Citroen, its sister company Peugeot and Mitsubishi. Read More...

Such has been the pace of Audi’s new model programme in recent months that the German manufacturer has seen its UK sales continue to grow. A series of strong new models have undoubtedly helped them to achieve this remarkable growth – Q7, TT, the R8 and the A5.. This time it is the turn of the new Audi TT for the road test spotlight. Read More...

When the Mazda MX-5 was launched it neatly stole a sector of the market that was, until the 1970s, as British as the Union Jack. Britain was the past-master at producing open sports cars and selling them around the world - Austin Healey, MG, Triumph and arguably the car that the MX-5 most wanted to be, the Lotus Elan. Read More...

If your name is Mark Page and you scooped a jackpot of £4.7 million you wouldn't go out and buy Ferraris, Porsches or even a Rolls Royce. What he wanted was two Audis. Read More...

The sporting world is reeling from the tragic death of Scotland's Colin McRae, his son Johnny and two family friends in a helicopter crash yesterday afternoon near the rally legend's home in Lanarkshire. Read More...

Ford has given the Focus a makeover that gives it the acclaimed family look of the new Mondeo. Read More...

I do not like being lied to. But almost every day, governments, transport authorities and environmentalists come out with statements that are quite simply untrue. Read More...

"I have a Nissan Cash Cow to deliver to you." At least that's what I thought the guy on the phone said. The thought of a car that I could milk for money, sounded pretty attractive, but, unfortunately I think he had just fallen foul of the recent Oriental liking for strange names. Read More...

The Mercedes-Benz R Class is what could probably be described as a crossover vehicle. That is, it crosses over accepted market segments. It's an estate car. It's a six-seater so it is part MPV. And it is a four-wheel-drive, so it is part SUV. The trouble is, this crossing of boundaries makes it difficult to pin-point who will want to buy one. Read More...

The wraps are finally off the new Jaguar XF, the saloon that defines the new future style for Jaguar. The XF will replace the S-Type whose retro styling, harking back to the Jaguar MkII and original S-Type failed to attract younger buyers. Read More...

Imagine this, slightly taller and maybe toned down a tad, and you are probably looking at the new Ford Fiesta. Read More...

It's an odd feeling sitting in the driver's seat doing nothing more than feathering the brake pedal while the car parks itself. The park assist system is probably the headline-grabbing technology on the car that has everything... or at least you can have everything if you pay for the right level of specification. Read More...

At 9,500 petrol station forecourts, the UK now has the lowest number of petrol stations in its history since 1912 according to figures just released. This year to date 150 filling stations have closed, on top of the large number in recent years. Read More...

The Scottish Executive are taking plans for a replacement crossing for the Forth Bridge, out for public comment. The current Forth Road Bridge, built in 1964, is suffering corrosion in its suspension wires and, if work to stop this corrosion is unsuccessful, it is suggested that it may have to close to heavy vehicles by 2013. Read More...

Kia has two established niche markets where it is seen as a serious player in the UK - the MPV Sedona, beloved by taxi companies, and the Kia Sportage. Until the Cee'd, however, its saloons and hatchbacks have appealed largely to the motorist on a tight budget who is determined to drive a new, rather than second-hand car. Read More...

Transport for London (TfL) is proposing radical changes to the road tolls to link them to carbon dioxide emissions. If the proposals go ahead there will be a lot of hefty losers and a few winners. Read More...

The Mini range will be extended this autumn with the launch of the new Mini Clubman. This is the third variation on the new Mini theme, building on the hatchback and the cabriolet. Read More...

In the highly charged world of Formula One, it is perhaps unsurprising that tempers should flare. But, following the shenanigans in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren team boss Ron Dennis clearly has to deal with a feud between his two drivers. Read More...

When Subaru first appeared in the UK they were seen as workhorse vehicles for rural types. Pick ups and estate cars with some go-anywhere ability thanks to their four wheel drive system. Then, along came Colin McRae spearheading their high-profile world rally championship successes, Subaru suddenly became the sporty.
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To raise awareness of the problems caused by drivers who don't keep to the left lane, the Highways Agency has launched a DVD, presented by John Stapleton, called 'Stay Safe, Keep Moving'. Read More...

Does your vehicle look eerily like your neighbour’s? Are designers copying each other? If it passed you in the street could you "name that car?". Read More...

In making the new Mondeo more appealing, Ford have also recognised that company and private buyers these days like their “toys”. European buyers want a high specification as standard and they also like to ‘build their own car’ from an options list strong on goodies. The new Mondeo obliges. Read More...

Royal Mail is celebrating 100 years of UK motorsport with the launch six new stamps featuring British Grand Prix stars.
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Jaguar and Land Rover will almost certainly be bought by private equity investors as there is no interest from any other car companies around the world, according to a leading city analyst.
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A fleet of three BMW Hydrogen 7s will, tomorrow (5 June 2007), take part in the Revolve Brighton to London rally for low and zero-emission cars. Starting on Madeira Drive in Brighton, the fleet of Hydrogen 7s will follow a pre-planned route ending at Trafalgar Square in London. Read More...

Remember when getting a loaf of bread or a pint of milk meant just a short walk (or a short drive in the country) to the local corner shop? Now you probably make a family excursion to your local Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's or Morrisons. Now think about refuelling your car. Remember when refuelling the car was something you did when the fuel light came on? Oh, fuel light on, there's a station... fill up. Read More...

Volkswagen have celebrated thirty years of the Golf GTI with the launch of the Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 30. And if you have been disappointed by the "softness" of some of the preceding models of GTI, this one is a cracker... a fire cracker! Read More...

Just over a year ago I was driving a Ford Consul convertible down the road into St Andrews and it set me thinking about how long it had been since Ford had been in the market with a drop-top version of one of their mainstream models. If you discount the SportKa, you have to look back to the Ford Escort Cabriolet.
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When are our politicians going to waken up to the fact that emissions from cars are something that simply won't be a problem in ten to twenty years time. Given that most "planning horizons" are ten years or more, our politicians are accelerating global warming by spouting a lot of hot air over a problem which will simply disappear.

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Fiat, recently a very lame duck in the motor industry, seems to be on a resurgence. Judging by the pictures of the new Fiat 500, its future looks very good indeed. Mini had better watch out. Fiat is after your crown! Read More...

The new McLaren and Renault F1 clothing is now in stock at Grand Prix Legends. Read More...

A press release from Green Umbrella Sport and Leisure landed in my inbox this morning promoting a new DVD on the Greatest Ever TT Races. In the first sentence the press release says "In the early 20th century the English government refused to allow the closure of public roads for any sort of motor racing".
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A petition on the Downing Street website calling on the Prime Minister to scrap speed cameras has broken through the 20,000 figure, with a deadline for signatures set for June 29, 2007. Read More...

I remember going on the press launch for the first Hyundai Coupé (as opposed to its predecessor the Hyundai Scoupe - S Coupe get it?). The Scoupe was best forgotten so I didn't hold out much hope for the Coupé.
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The delicious XK8 has been facing some unusual resistance in the US market. Speaking with Ian Callum, Jaguar's design director he tells how there is some resistance to the XK8's air intake which harks back to the E-type original. Read More...

So petrol and diesel are to go up, but not until October. But they are to go up again in 2009. And the top whack of road tax is to go up to £300 then £400, but the bottom rate is going down by 35%... or is it?
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The Scottish Transport Minister, Tavish Scott, has announced that plans to introduce nationwide tolls on Scotland's roads have been shelved for at least four years.
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With 1.7 million names reportedly on the anti road toll petition on the Downing Street website it appears that the Government may be getting cold feet over the idea. Tony Blair is emailing all participants to try to persuade them that the government is only looking at the idea... honest! Read More...

Time spent in heavy traffic in Nairobi was a graphic reminder of how much the air quality in this country has improved, thanks to improvements in vehicle emissions.
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When I was a youngster I used to get so excited about every new car launch and get enthused about the new design direction it signified. Read More...

As more insight is gained into the Eddington Review, which proposes a system or road charging for England (similar charges are proposed in the National Transport Strategy for Scotland), it is becoming clear that motoring in the future could be very expensive. Read More...

I had to check the date when I heard that the Crown Prosecution service has floated the idea that talking to a passenger while driving could be made an offence.
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