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The 10 Best car gadgets

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

1. Prestigio Car Video Recorder

The 10 best car gadgets

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

1. Prestigio Car Video Recorder

One for the road: An automatic with more room than a Civic 2.2

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Mark Tennant wants to change his Honda Civic 2.2, ideally for an automatic petrol car with more room and better fuel consumption. He has £10,000 to spend.

1.0-litre Ecoboost: Smaller, faster, stronger

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Essex is Ford country. Park at the company's technical centre in Dunton and you'll see just about every model the American giant produces. Don't breathe too deeply though; it's 28 miles from London's diesel-guzzling black cabs, belching red buses and thirsty Chelsea tractors and only six miles along the busy A127 to the gyratory of gridlock that is the M25. It's no wonder that down the road the once-gleaming Basildon town sign (erected in the style of its more famous Hollywood rival) has taken on a slightly grey hue. For Essex, like the rest of the county, shows little sign of falling out of love with the car as new sales, and particularly sales of diesels, defy the recession and grow.

Are electric cars about to make a surge at last?

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Last year, riding high on a promise to be the greenest government ever, the Department for Transport hailed 2011 as the "year of the electric car". Subsidies were offered and councils were told to plan for an electric future. The long-promised revolution in the way we drive was finally here, it seemed.

One For The Road: A GP doing the rounds (as well as the dog park)

Sat, 12 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Christianne Harris has a 2006 Prius, which suits her duties as a GP, but her Bernese Mountain Dog is finding life cramped in the back. Her budget is around £20,000 to £30,000.

On two wheels

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Deciding whether or not to start riding is easy, even if you've been mulling it over for a while. It's a yes or no answer, there's no one to convince except yourself. But unless your attitude towards others is utterly cavalier, you might also have to persuade the people who care about your wellbeing that you're not borderline suicidal. You'll be facing down the fact that anything on two, motorised wheels has a bit of an image problem – one that's been carelessly cultivated for generations. For some it's part of the attraction, for everyone else, it's a bit more complicated. Once you've announced your intentions, you'll probably meet a response more appropriate to saying you felt like wearing a suit fashioned after Lady Gaga's meat dress and going for a stroll through the nearest safari park.

Our pick of the best convertibles for summer

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

What sums up the ideal British summer better than the smell of freshly mown grass, the clink of ice cubes on glass, the thwack of leather on willow.... and getting to finally push the "open" button on the lid of your convertible car?

How to develop an engine fit for superheroes

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

In the 1960s, there was always a sense of deep frustration from reading in the World Car Yearbook about tantalising vehicles that stood little or no chance of ever being officially sold in the UK. In May 1967, a time when an Austin A60 Cambridge could still be yours for less than £900, Mazda began to produce a diminutive and stunningly elegant coupe powered by a twin rotor engine – the first such production car in the world.

Good things come in compact packages

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Once, there was little choice if you wanted to move your family around in a degree of space and comfort. You either bought an estate car – maybe with an extra row of rearward-facing seats if you had more than three kids – or went a little left-field and chose something like a VW camper van.

Five decades later, the 911 still turns our heads

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Going out and buying a Porsche 911 is right up there with the Harley Davidson and hair transplant as the most clichéd of mid-life crisis statements. Some of you may remember from my earlier articles that I'm now referring to my own 911 purchase. Although that was for an investigation into avoiding depreciation and had nothing at all to do with my arrival at a point in life where the hairline and waistline join forces to gently mock you, it does mean I have some small claim to insight into the enduring attraction of the car.

So what is the Lotus position?

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

At the International Auto Show in Bejiing this week, one of the flashiest beasts on show is the Lotus Evora GTE, a supercar with a 3.5-litre engine that fires out 444 horsepower. It's the most powerful Lotus road-going model ever and, because the Chinese went so mad about it at the Frankfurt show last year, Lotus adapted it especially for their market; little things like changing the chassis for Chinese roads, and more leather and carbon fibre to make the cars as luxurious and comfy as can be.

So what is the Lotus position?

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The Ideas Factory: Move over, Prius owners, there's a new hybrid in town

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

It was the car that carried Enzo Ferrari's name and pushed the limits of road-car performance and technology, but only 400 Ferrari Enzos were ever built and production ended in 2004.

One For The Road: An estate to cope with the worst of the weather

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Deborah Elliot and her partner Neville need a car to cope with their daily commute, sometimes in adverse weather conditions; ideally an estate big enough for teenage children and camping trips.

One For The Road: A car to match a very active pensioner's lifestyle

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Tom Ireland and his wife are active pensioners, going camping, cycling and boating. They drive 6,000 miles a year and have £5,000 to spend on a vehicle with an automatic gearbox.

The fast show: Italy's Enzo Ferrari Museum is a fitting memorial to its maverick creator

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Jan Kaplicky knew how to fail, brilliantly, better than any other architect in the 21st century. The practice that he and Amanda Levete ran in London's swish Holland Park was called Future Systems, and it became famous for losing architectural competitions with building designs that ranged from gleaming amoebas to towering, ribbed condoms. Even so, they delivered two of Britain's most extrovert buildings, the periscopic Lord's Media Centre, and the glittering supersized basque known as Birmingham's Selfridges.

One For The Road: A smaller car that offers a pillar of support

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Jill Davies needs to replace a Vauxhall Zafira, bought when her children were at home. She wants a smaller car with good back support. She has £8,000 to spend.

The 50 Best cars

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:00:00 GMT

1. Citroën DS3

The DS3 has been joined by the larger DS4 and DS5 but Citroën's Mini rival still stands out. If you want to stamp your identity on your car, the DS3 offers a vast range of options.

Where: citroen.co.uk

How much: from £12,600

Is group buying the way forward to cut-price cars?

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Group buying sites are now a common weapon in the armoury of savvy shoppers looking to grab huge discounts on everything from theatre tickets to pottery classes. The concept is simple – the sites secure savings from companies on the proviso they will get bulk orders – but can it stretch to big-ticket items such as cars?

One For The Road: A reliable upgrade on a nine-year-old Golf

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:01 GMT

Mike Cole currently owns a nine-year old Golf Mark 4 TDI and drives 8,000 miles a year. He'd like to upgrade to a newer model and has £6,000 to £7,000 to spend.

Roads to riches – or highways to hell?

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:01 GMT

When Margaret Thatcher cut the ribbon on the final section of the M25 in 1986 she had little time for those who thought the new London orbital and its already notorious jams anything but a success.

At home with Enzo in Italy's Motor Valley

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:00:01 GMT

Winter hit Modena hard in 1898. This small university town, straddling the ancient Via Emilia, was choked with snow the day Enzo Ferrari was born, 18 February. His parents had to wait two days before they could walk to the county hall to register his birth. It was an inauspicious start for the man who would bring more fame and wealth to Modena than anyone before or after (though Luciano Pavarotti did his bit, as did the inventor of balsamic vinegar, though history doesn't record his name).

And the winner is: John Simister reveals the part he played in selecting the Car of the Year

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:00:01 GMT

For the 59 judges from across Europe, six of them from the UK (including me), this was shaping up to be a close contest. Last Monday, the European Car of the Year (COTY) winner was to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show for the first time. Could Volkswagen's Up mini-car beat Vauxhall's electric-petrol Ampera? Or would high technology rule, as it did in 2011 when the electric Nissan Leaf won?

One For The Road: A fully kitted-out five-door hatchback

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:00:01 GMT

Carol Berry wants a well-equipped five-door hatchback, mainly for town use, which must be able to accommodate two grandchildren and a pushchair. The budget is around £15,000.