VolvoXC60

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Volvo XC60 – Now You Can Stay On High Beam ALL The Time And Not Bling Oncoming Drivers…

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Weird as it might sound, Volvo has developed a headlight system that allows you to drive on full beam all the time – even when there is another car approaching.

Active High Beam isn’t a pipe dream – it’s already fitted to various Volvos, including the XC60 we’re driving this week.

How does it work? Well, the headlights stay on high beam even when another car is approaching but the system prevents dazzle by only shading out as much of your beam as necessary.

It also recognises pedestrians and cyclists, so they aren’t blinded either (although it doesn’t always work for those on foot, or cyclists without lights in our experience!).

The system takes a little getting used to because you instantly want to dip when another vehicle approaches and you can still see ‘high beam’ all around their car. However, I soon got used to it.

The perfect lighting solution? Hmm, the only bugger is that you can’t easily flash oncoming drivers who haven’t dipped their headlights and blind you. Solve that one Volvo!

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Volvo XC60 – Spacious & Classy But Passion Red Might Be A Little Wild For Volvo Drivers!

 

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Spacious and classy, the XC60 is a machine that Volvo fans could only have dreamt about back in the 1990s. In fact it’s weird to think the manufacturer only started making four-wheel drive cars about 11 years ago.

Now with a line-up that includes the all-new XC90 and assorted other soft-roaders, there seem to be more Volvo 4x4s than standard models out there.

After stepping out of the V70, the XC60 feels much more up-to-date and refined. The D4 engine is smooth and quiet and is already returning 36mpg, despite power going to all four wheels.

It also has amazing front seats, big and comfy with lots of support. Less impressive is the six-speed manual gearbox. After the V70’s slick auto box, it feels pretty clunky…

 

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VW Golf GTI Performance Pack – Why Do They Use Tartan Seat Cloth In The GTI?

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Talk about the emperor’s new clothes… Can anybody tell me why they use tartan seat cloth in the Golf GTI? I’m in touch with my Scottish  but is there some other deep and meaningful reason for it?

Apparently, the Germans have a bit of a thing for it which dates back to the 1950s. In those days, Mercedes used to give each of their racing drivers different coloured tartan seats. Fangio had red and Stirling Moss sat on green.

VW has used the Jacara cloth as standard in GTIs for years but I’m not certain it’s the best option, from a couture point of view. And if you feel the same as me, your dealer will charge you an extra £1700 to upgrade to leather.

I would hesitate to suggest this might put a lot of people off. Sure, it’s quirky and different but also strangely dated and rather unappealing. It’s the one feature of this latest GTI I could live without…

 

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Volvo XC60 – Volvos Were Never Meant To Be This Sexy…

 

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Remember the wedge-shaped Volvo 480? Not many people do but back in the mid-eighties, this sleek four-seater was seen as radical. It was a total break from the norm for a company that produced lumpy estate cars with the aerodynamics of a brick.

Apparently, the 480 was designed many years before by a man who was almost hung, drawn and quartered by his Swedish bosses for suggesting something so outrageously different. Hell, this was Volvo and we don’t do sexy! Volvos were designed soley to carry sofas, while being capable of hitting an elk at 60mph.

Well, that’s all changed and for further proof, just Google the all new Polestar models that are the hottest Volvos ever built. Even the ‘everyday’ cars are pretty smart too. Just take a loot at the XC60. If you have to make the school run, then this is an SUV that your kid won’t mind stepping out of.

There’s not to much 4×4 ‘bling’ about the styling either, it doesn’t shout about it’s four-wheel drive credentials. Yes, it’s taller and more butch than your average hatchback but if you want a Volvo that is a tiny, weeny bit sexy as well as practical and safe, this is it….

 

 

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Lotus Elise S Club Racer – Like Kate Moss On A Diet

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“In short, it’s a little animal…’ says the press release. I already have two, little animals at home but after 30 minutes in the Elise, I think I might find space for another one.

The S Club Racer was only launched at Goodwood Festival of Speed last year. It’s primarily aimed at enthusiasts who want an ‘off the shelf’ track car.

If you think Caterham 7 then you won’t go far wrong. You could use the Club Racer as an everyday drive but you would need an osteopath by the end of it.

However, you would die of pain with a smile on your face because despite the rock hard seats, the minimalist interior and impracticalities, it’s bloody great fun!

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Friday – Fisherman’s Friend

cropped-img_1743.jpgGreg French’s 1991 Holden is a terrible car. He’d be the first to admit that the rust and pale bluehatchback has seen better times. In fact, when he turned up to collect me at Launceston Airport – that’s Launceston Tasmania, not Cornwall – I thought he must have been collecting somebody else.

Nope, my fishing guide for two days was there to collect me and the horrible Holden was going to transport me across the island to a remote location on the even more remote central plateau. After 38 hours of flying without sleep, I can’t say I was that impressed.

Soon the tarmac road ran out, then the gravel track, until finally we were crashing along over a rocky lane through the woods, miles from anywhere.

The Holden has covered 250,000 miles and cost around £1400. Greg expects to get 400,000 miles out of it but that doesn’t stop him bundling along at 45mph over a road that would frighten a Range Rover owner.

Greg believes in using his cars to the full, regardless of the consequences. So while everybody else drives a rufty tufty 4×4, we bottomed out on boulders and roots with alarming regularity.

After 40 miles of rough stuff, I had relaxed my grip on the melted dashboard and realised the Holden was tougher than it looked. Greg told me he prefers to spend his money on travelling rather than cars. I expect he will still be driving the same car when I return in a few years time…

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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…