Month: October 2013

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Friday – Ugly Betty?

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I’m not sure the great British car-buying public really understand Subaru. Seriously, the company has carved out such a niche for itself that there are still a long of people out there who are still uncertain about the brand.

In a search for a family-friendly SUV, they either pay a premium for an image-conscious BMW or Audi all-wheel drive, or they go for a cheaper, pseudo 4×4 from Nissan or Renault that looks the part but will be left in the dirt when set against a Subaru.

Hopefully over the next seven days we can try and persuade you that despite the Ugly Betty looks, the Forester should definitely be on your list of options. It may not be as pretty as an X3 or a Q5 but it will prove ultra reliable, practical, brilliant off-road and kind of cool, in a slightly alternative type of way.

I’ve just driven our XC back from Heathrow. It has excellent road manners, takes a corner well and is surprisingly good fun on a twisty A-road. It may look a Plain Jane but the Forester is worthy of being regarded as much more than just a farmer’s car for carrying damp Border Collies.

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Thursday – Flying Dutchmen

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The 2013 World Solar Challenge ended in Adelaide today – with the fastest car completing the 3000km road trip from Darwin in just 33 hours and five minutes.

Team Nuon from Delft University in Holland was pushed all the way by reigning two-time champions Team Tokai from Japan.

Cloud and rain greeted the solar cars on the arrival into Adelaide. It was Team Tokai who came off worst when they ran out of power on the final approach. They had to pull over about 60 kilometres from the finish and take what charge they could get from the grey skies.

The 2013 event will be a bad memory for some of the other teams – not just the British entry, forced to pull out before the race even started.

The American solar champions from University of Michigan were blown sideways by winds touching 80mph heading into Coober Pedy, damaging their car and putting them out of a top five finish.

Car Couture will be back to normal tomorrow – with a week-long UK road test of the Subaru Forester…

 

 

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Wednesday – Holland v Japan

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The two top teams in the World Solar Challenge are only 20 minutes apart after travelling 1000 miles south from Darwin to Adelaide.

High winds have caused problems for some of the cars – with one lightweight vehicle being blown off the road and damaged beyond repair.

No such issues for Dutch outfit Team Nuon who currently lead the race as they set off from Coober Pedy, around 25km ahead of reigning champions Team Tokai from Japan.

Yesterday, teams had to cope with temperatures around 40C as they came through Alice Springs in the red centre of Australia. The lead cars are expected to finish on Thursday morning, Australia time.

 

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Monday – Alice Springs

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Two days and 1800km on from Darwin, the World Solar Car Challenge is about to pull in to Alice Springs, in the red centre of Australia. That’s 1800km of crazy straight roads (42 km on one stretch), lunatic drivers (thank you ‘Rooster’) and really quite bad food untouched by vegetables.

The lead cars are currently a Dutch team called Nuon, just 8km ahead of Tokai University, who are winding them in at an alarming rate of knots. So when the clock hit 5pm today and all race cars are forced to stop, the Japanese were the ones celebrating.

Tomorrow Tokai, winners of the last two events in 2009 and 2011, look certain to overtake the Dutch as the race crosses the border into Southern Australia. It’s been a fascinating battle between two ultra professional outfits, pushing the legalities of the rulebook to the max.

Falling further behind is the multi-million dollar US entry. The team, which has won few friends in Australia because of their huge back-up team and slightly aloof attitude, look likely to be eating humble pie by the time the chequered flag drops in Adelaide.

Wifi willing, more tomorrow…

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Saturday – Missing In Action

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If you made a four-wheeled bogie as a child, you might understand why the teams in this year’s World Solar Challenge are so passionate about their eco machines.

Some of them have spent two years preparing for the 3000km journey from Darwin to Adelaide, only powered by the rays of the sun. Many have also put their lives and careers on hold to ensure their team is on the start line Darwin tomorrow, as I discovered talking to them in the race HQ today.

A few came agonisingly close to making it but fell at the last hurdle. The Saudi team built and shipped their car over to Australia, only for the transport lorry to become involved in a major accident that destroyed the vehicle. No wonder they needed counselling afterwards.

It was a similar story for the British team from Cambridge University. Their slimline car was hailed as a potential winner a few months back. Then it proved unstable on the road, was involved in two accidents and is now unlikely to even finish the race.

I’m off now to buy barrels of water for the trip down to Alice Springs, 900 miles south of Darwin. We’re stopping half way at Tennant’s Creek where asking for wifi might be considered offensive. Consequently, Car Couture may be ‘missing in action’ for a few days.

Stick with us – the photos should be good if nothing else…

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Friday – Sunny Side Up

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Today I had my first opportunity to see the 40 cars entered in this Sunday’s  World Solar Challenge. It’s 35C in Darwin and there’s no shortage of sun – although it wasn’t a good session on the test track for our British team, Cambridge University Eco Racing.

Their unorthodox, slimline design was being touted as a potential contender in the 3000km race down to Adelaide, powered only by the rays of the sun. But after a crash on public roads earlier in the week, the UK’s only entry in the race rolled over during an early morning track session.

The ultra-light, teardrop-shaped car was damaged and taken away for repair. However, organisers say there are now genuine safety concerns over the stability of the vehicle.  Will it be on the start line this Sunday? We’ll have to wait and see.

Earlier I enjoyed a more stable and entertaining ride in the remarkable Stella car, built by Dutch students. Capable of carrying four people, it’s the closest you will get to a conventional car in this technology packed event.

The Dutch machine built by students from Eindhoven University of Technology, can travel 420 miles on a sunny day and creates twice as much energy as it uses!

 

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Thursday – No Lights, Action

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You know it’s going to be an interesting week when the pilot comes on the intercom to tell you that the runway lights have failed. He doesn’t wish to alarm us but it’s the first time this has happened in his 25 year flying career…

Darwin is Australia’s northern-most capital city – and that means just getting here can be a challenge. More than 60 nationalities make up the population of 100,000 and the city has been flattened twice – once by the Japanese in World War Two and then by Cyclone Tracey in 1974.

According to The Rough Guide, ‘it’s now a hip city to visit, rather than the just the end of the road for lost souls’.”

It’s also the start of the road for the 40 teams taking part in the 2013 World Solar Challenge. I arrived at the hotel in the early hours of this morning with a nicotine-addicted taxi driver. Little did he know that he was churning out more emissions that these machines will produce during the entire 3000km trip to Adelaide.

I’m here covering the race for the Sunday Times, Metro London and CAR magazine. Over the next few days I’ll be posting as much as I can on the build up to this quirky event, wi-fi and jet lag allowing….

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Wednesday – A Pug That Bites

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Just occasionally a car comes along that truly surprises. The Peugeot 2008 is just that. Even though it can only pretend to be a 4×4 with raised ground clearance, scuff plates and beefy looks, it has turned out to be a capable machine.

Crossover vehicles try to be all things to all people – which is what makes them so popular with family buyers. However, sometimes the good things get diluted in an attempt to tick all the boxes.

The 2008 has some faults, like the pointless light display integrated into the roof lining, an annoying handbrake design and a rather lifeless drive but overall, the good points far outweigh the bad.

Here is a small family estate that will easily achieve 68mpg in everyday driving, is cheap to tax, can carry five adults AND their bags, and still manages to look pretty stylish on the outside. For £17,245, our 1.6 diesel looks like a great buy.

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Tuesday – Slippery Customer

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The very thought of using a two-wheel drive car effectively in mud, sand and snow is a tough one to get your head around. That’s especially true if it’s a modest family estate from Peugeot with model names live Active, Allure and Feline!

This week I’ve been trying to find some suitable ‘dirt’ to put the 2008 to the test. There’s a long, rutted track that I use to run down near Warminster and so I’ve used it to try out the car’s Grip Control dial.

The system is designed to maximise traction in low grip conditions. It adapts the 2008 to the terrain – just like a traction control system on a ‘proper’ 4×4.

My off-road route isn’t blessed with sand and snow (yet) but in mud mode, the 2008 scrambled along with remarkable agility, even if the rear end wandered a little in the process.

If you want a full-on four-wheel drive car, there are plenty to choose from. But let’s face it, how often do you actually use 4×4? It’s such a long time since I slipped my Land Rover into four-wheel drive that when I do, I have to read the instructions first!

So, for occasional, light off-road use, the Peugeot 2008 shouldn’t be written off as just a tame estate car pretending to look macho. It also has the benefits of remarkable fuel economy – something you won’t find in a full-time 4WD.