- Features RSS Feed

One for the Road: A car that'll take care of itself

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT

Samuel Ball wants an economical replacement for his ageing Volvo S60 automatic. He has around £12,000 to spend.

Sir Torquil Norman has designed a flat-pack OX truck for the developing world

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

He can't remember for sure but Sir Torquil Norman says it's quite likely he came up with his latest invention in the bath, the crucible of many of his best ideas. It was there, while part-submerged, that he decided to buy the Roundhouse, for example. The venue, round the corner from his home in Camden in North London, was shut when Norman bought it on a whim in 1996, rescuing it from likely ruin.

Sir Torquil Norman designs flat-pack OX truck for the developing world

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

The flat-pack truck with big ambitions

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

spare parts

One for the road: A luxury car that's easy to get into

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 23:00:00 GMT

Seb Horncastle is selling his Mercedes S-Class and wants something that is easier to get into as he claims to be getting old. He has £15,000 to £25,000 to spend.

One for the Road: A sporty diesel that won't break the bank

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:00:25 GMT

Max Hateley wants to sell his first car, a Corsa, to help finance his second. With £5,000 to spend, including his car as part-exchange, he's looking for a small, sporty diesel.

One for the Road: A small off-roader that won't balk at the snow

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 23:00:00 GMT

Tony Simmonds has a couple of BMW Tourings, which haven't been brilliant in the snow. He thinks the latest Fiat Panda 4x4 is too expensive at £15,000.

One for the road: An upgrade for an old Audi A4 diesel

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Robert Howes is looking to change his Audi A4 diesel and is looking for something similar from the same manufacturer. He would be happy with a two-year-old model.

The 50 Best cars

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:00:19 GMT

Luxury:

Porsche Panamera

porsche.com/uk, from £60,272

Porsche toyed with the idea of a four-door car for years before coming up with the Panamera. Those looks take a bit of getting used to but it’s roomy and there’s even a diesel version available.

RealRider app: When all else fails for motorcyclists, this smartphone app could be your last hope

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:36:04 GMT

Every once in a while, an idea comes along that's so smart yet so simple that it's hard to believe it's not been done already. The best of these are often not new technologies, just a new way of using things we have already.

Classic 1300E: in praise of the executive Ford Escort

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:35:29 GMT

In early 1973 Ford dealers were treated to a new film narrated by King of the Voiceover Patrick Allen.

Thinking of buying a new car? All hail the class of 2013: the pick of the best motors

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:27:05 GMT

For visitors to the Geneva Motor Show, there have been so many glittering new cars on display that it's been hard knowing where to look. Flying the flag for British production - we'll forget for the moment that the firm is German-owned - is the magnificent, 616bhp, 200mph Bentley Flying Spur, the firm's fastest four-door model ever, and expected to cost a cool £140,900.

All hail the class of 2013: the pick of the best new cars most likely to make a splash

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:27:05 GMT

Robot Car UK set to rival Google's driverless-car project

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:00:00 GMT

Sitting in the passenger seat as your driver lifts his arms away from the wheel and gleefully says "look, no hands" should be an unsettling experience. My driver is Mark Sheehan, 26, but he isn't a reckless hooligan or boy racer, and he assures me I'm safe. He's a researcher at Robot Car UK and is demonstrating the latest in British driverless-car technology. It has been developed by a 22-strong team from the department of engineering science at Oxford University and I'm one of the first people to get a ride in the country's first road-going autonomous vehicles.

One For The Road: A reliable, lively car that'll tow a caravan

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Brian Liden needs to tow his 1,600kg caravan and wants a combination of lively performance with decent fuel economy. He has £15,000 to spend.

One For The Road: A high-performance car on an unlimited budget

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Thomas Peters needs to replace his VW V6 4-motion estate, which is no longer made. He needs a high-performance, ultra-reliable, four-wheel-drive car and money is no object.

Are self-stopping, speed-limited and driverless cars the near-future of motoring?

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:00:00 GMT

It sounds like a boy racer's worst nightmare but from speed-limiting keys to automatic braking, a host of new safety technologies are set to make our roads safer, slower and more predictable. The latest figures show that 883 driver and their passengers, 453 pedestrians and 107 cyclists died on Britain's roads in 2011 as a result of road-traffic accidents.

One For The Road: A practical small car that's cheap to insure

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Brian Gill needs to buy a car for his daughter Monica, which must be cheap to insure and run, as he wants to use it, too. He has around £5,000 to spend.

One For The Road: A first car with room for two bikes inside

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Toby Smith is 35 and a keen cyclist, but now needs a driving licence and car for his new job. He has up to £1,500 available for an economical first car.

Aston Martin celebrates 100 years

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:56:30 GMT

It’s as British as a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit, will forever be associated with James Bond and next week Aston Martin will be 100 year.

One For The Road: A cheap car that will be easy to upgrade soon

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Stephen Le Roux needs to share a car with his wife that they can part-exchange in a few years for a more family-friendly model. They have £10,000 to spend.

A desert storm: A team of injured servicemen is preparing to take on the Dakar Rally

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:30:00 GMT

This Saturday a small team of British and American drivers and navigators will set out in a fleet of Land Rover Defender-based QT Wildcat off-roaders to compete in the Dakar Rally, the world's most gruelling long-distance race. It's a deadly serious affair that has claimed more than 50 lives since 1978, cuts across three countries in 15 days and has become a symbol of full-throttle adventure. But not any of this seems to worry the Race2Recovery team, made up of six former soldiers who lost limbs or suffered serious injury while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One For The Road: A funky upgrade on a less-than-hot hatch

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Graham Harrison's Nissan Note has been spacious and reliable ferrying guitars and grandchildren without complaint. He now wants something "funkier" and has a budget of £12,000.

One For The Road: A local car for local journeys (with dog in tow)

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Joanna Williams covers around 2,000 miles a year on mainly short local journeys, sometimes with her lurcher dog in tow, but the car should not be sluggish. She has £10,000 to spend.

Fiat Punto TwinAir

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Price: £12,100
Engine capacity: 875cc turbo-charged petrol
Power output (bhp @ rpm): 83 @ 6,000-5,500
Top speed (mph): 107
0-62 mph (seconds): 12.7
Fuel economy (mpg): 67.3
C02 emissions (g/km): 98