The Irish Times - Motors

Resurrecting the eco bike

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:36:03 GMT

BIKETEST MISSION ONE ELECTRIC BIKE: The eco bike was all but forgotten when we woke up to our electric future and embraced its return, writesGeoff Hill

Hybrids go head to head

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:36:03 GMT

Green Twin Test: For those who want to wear their green credentials on their sleeves, both Honda and Toyota have models worth considering, writesPaddy Comyn

Volvo for Chinese owner?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:36:03 GMT

VOLVO PURCHASE: China’s Geely group is the preferred bidder for Volvo, writesClifford Coonan, in Beijing

Has diesel had its day?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:36:03 GMT

Will Europe’s love affair with diesel continue until the electric car’s mooted takeover – or will petrol strike back, asksShane O’Donoghue

Surprise carbon offenders

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:36:03 GMT

An Irish study that compares emissions per person across modes of transport shows not even cycling is completely benign, writesPaddy Comyn

Smarter, more careful driving can take you far

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:36:03 GMT

At a training centre in Germany, BMW cars were being put through their paces.Paddy Comyneased his foot off the pedals, and the results were astonishing

Warp speed ahead

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:36:03 GMT

FIRSTDRIVE TESLA ROADSTER SPORT:Tesla’s Roadster made green motoring sexy – the Sport, writesBen Oliver, makes it irresistible

Zero-emission Suzuki scooter

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:38 GMT

Bike news: SUZUKI UNVEILED a new zero-emission Burgman scooter at last week’s Tokyo motorcycle show.

Sick of being a four-wheeled cash cow? It was ever thus

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:38 GMT

EMISSIONS: The past offers little comfort in the search for parking solutions

A Smart choice for city driving

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:38 GMT

Second Hand Sense: THE SMART car was ahead of its time, at least in Ireland. Ten years ago, those in crowded European capitals were embracing the tiny, chic car that was a joint venture between watch company, Smart, and Mercedes-Benz.

The competition: alternatives

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:38 GMT

Four other vehicles to consider when choosing a hybrid car

Motors gadgets

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:37 GMT

New devices of interest to motorists

Mitsubishi Ireland turns 25

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:37 GMT

DESPITE THE light commercial vehicle market being in even worse shape than the new car market – down 70 per cent on last year – Honda is introducing its first vehicle into this segment of the Irish market with the CR-V commercial.

BMW third-quarter profits fall 86 per cent

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:37 GMT

BMW GAVE a tepid markets outlook after third-quarter operating profit before interest and tax shrank 86 per cent amid a global economic slump. Its car business lost €76 million before interest and tax in the quarter.

Asian brands on top in sustainable value, new study shows

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:37 GMT

ASIAN CAR manufacturers are outperforming American and many European competitors in terms of environmental, economic and social sustainability, according to a major study of 17 leading motor companies.

Motors quiz

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:37 GMT

1What was the the winner of the 2010 Semperit Irish Car of the Year?

Stalling problems with a VW Passat

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:37 GMT

HELPDESK: Answering all your motoring queries

The most interesting cars

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:37 GMT

PAST IMPERFECT: You may never get a chance to drive one, but here’s a chance to explore the best of the world’s motoring

Green terminology

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:37 GMT

Hybrid car: Uses a mixture of power sources; at present, petrol engine and electric motor in parallel if not qualified. Example: Toyota Prius.

Savvy six tips to reduce your CO2 emissions

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:37 GMT

The secret to cutting CO2 emissions is to help reduce the amount of work your engine has to do: the greater the workload, the more fuel is burned – so the higher the CO2 emissions.

Green mile

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:36 GMT

Motors looks at the future of eco-friendly motoring

European car shortlist out

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:36 GMT

Hard Shoulder: The shortlist for this year’s European Car of the Year title has been announced.

VRT tax take down €739m

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:36 GMT

VEHICLE Registration Tax (VRT) income has fallen by €739 million for the first 10 months of the year. The VRT revenue raised to the end of October was €357 million, down from €1.09 billion for the same period last year.

RSA fears fatalities could rise

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:36 GMT

THE ROAD safety authority has said a reduction in its budget and the failure of the Government to introduce speed cameras means the recent positive trend of falling road deaths is under threat.

A beast of a simple premise

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:28:02 GMT

BIKETEST TRIUMPH ROCKET III ROADSTER: With the Rocket III Roadster, Triumph succeeded in creating the muscle bike to end all muscle bikes, writesGeoff Hill

Making the leap from also-ran to handsome model and serious contender

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:39:32 GMT

Can the all-new Mazda3 find its home in a struggling market such as our own, particularly when it's pitted against the class-leading Ford Focus, asks PADDY COMYN

An estate of grace

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:39:32 GMT

FIRST DRIVE MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE: Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class estate might sell in small numbers but it is an ideal alternative to the much maligned SUV, writesPaddy Comyn

A battery of personal mobility devices is being rolled out over next two years

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:39:32 GMT

THE NEW SUPERMINIS: Are you for iReal? Are these truly an alternative to old-fashioned walking, asksMichael McAleer

In the game for the best price

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:39:32 GMT

Using a simple game theory technique, you can save a sizeable sum when buying a car, writesPaul O’Doherty

Electric energy saves the show

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:39:32 GMT

TOKYO MOTOR SHOW: The locals carry enormous clout, writesMichael McAleer, Motoring editor, from the Tokyo motor show

Rock, roll and '2.5 tons of hand-built sex'

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:39:32 GMT

Brian Johnson truly is a car lover first and rock star second, as his collection attests, writesRonan McGreevy

First stretch of UK's M1 opened 50 years ago

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:47:00 GMT

Hard shoulderNEXT WEDNESDAY, November 4th, marks the 50th anniversary of the opening in Britain of the first stretch of the M1 motorway.

Yamaha releases two new scooters

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:57 GMT

BIKE NEWS: YAMAHA HAS just released two new X-Max scooters.

A minor dispute plus a shotgun equals a no-brainer

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:57 GMT

EMISSIONS:The suburban parking war has the capacity to divide families, and there is no end in sight

Second Hand Sense

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:57 GMT

LIKE A lot of other things, Land Rover sales came to an abrupt halt last year. Having been the vehicle of choice for many affluent and often ostentatious customers, the brand suddenly lost its fan base thanks to the fact that many Land Rovers are expensive four wheel drive vehicles for people who don’t actually need four wheel drive.

Motorsgadgets

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:57 GMT

A round-up of this week's must haves

Demand to soar for lithium - the Holy Grail of the electric vehicle

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:57 GMT

DEMAND FOR lithium should ramp up over the next decade to produce the lithium-ion batteries needed to power the next generation of electric and electric hybrid vehicles.

Fisker set to buy closed GM plant in the US to build plug-in hybrid cars

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:57 GMT

FISKER, THE electrical sports car firm is reportedly set to purchase a closed General Motors production plant in Delaware in the US to build its plug-in hybrid cars. The move is backed by a $528.7 million loan from the US government.

Honda leads in profits owing to motorcycle and small car sales

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:57 GMT

HONDA SURPRISED investors with a near tripling of its annual profit forecasts yesterday, bumping it further ahead of Japanese rivals thanks to a dominant motorcycle business and line-up heavy in small cars.

Fiat 500's wayward sister

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:57 GMT

BRIEF DRIVE:FIAT 500 ABARTH

Motors quiz

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:57 GMT

1The Ford Capri was launched in 1969; for how many years was it produced?

A stock car legend remembered for his bold driving style

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:57 GMT

PAST IMPERFECT: Dale Earnhardt is famous not for the championships he won – but for the way he won them

What about electric cars' battery life?

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:57 GMT

HELPDESK: Answering all your motoring queries

Gloomy outlook on recovery

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:56 GMT

Hard shoulder: EUROPEAN CAR firms and suppliers are bracing themselves for a bumpy road to recovery, which could last until 2011 and beyond, according to a survey of 300 executives.

RSA concern at rest stop cuts

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:56 GMT

THE ROAD Safety Authority (RSA) has expressed concern for motorist safety following the suspension of nine out of 12 proposed motorway service areas.

ESB charge points set for year end

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:15:56 GMT

THE ESB hopes to have the first on-street charging points for electric cars in place in Dublin by the end of this year. It will be quickly followed by points in place from Dublin to Cork. Twenty charging points will be rolled out initially, with 10 in the capital, six in Cork and four in other locations on the route.

The Duchess is very sick. Long live the Duchess

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:37:15 GMT

EMISSIONS:My love for the Duchess borders on religious zeal, and I will not let her die, writesKILIAN DOYLE

Skoda has the last laugh

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:37:15 GMT

FIRSTDRIVE SKODA SUPERB ESTATE:With its huge new premium estate, Skoda is no longer the butt of jokes, writesMARK NICHOL

Shedding some light on the art of motor racing

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:37:15 GMT

PAST IMPERFECT:THE SON of a Jaguar employee, Barry Rowe grew up sketching Jaguar XK120s and, by the time he was 13, his latent talent had been recognised by the award of a scholarship to Coventry Art School, writesBOB MONTGOMERY

Oh, the Triumph of a real French find

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:37:15 GMT

HELPDESK:Answering all your motoring queries, withPADDY COMYN

No real shock as Nissan turns new Leaf in business of car manufacturing

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:37:15 GMT

FOUR BILLION euro. That’s the number spinning around my head as I get into a Nissan Tiida. It’s the amount of money that Nissan is sinking into its electric vehicle plans and this innocuous-looking car represents the spearhead of that investment. Underneath the familiar – if somewhat odd painted black and white – body is the makings of Nissan’s Leaf, writesKYLE FORTUNE

Lexus's supercar bolts from the stable

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:37:15 GMT

THE BMW M3 is hardly a common sight, so when the driver of a track-ready version stops in the middle of the road and holds up traffic outside the Nürburgring circuit in Germany to have a long look at the prototype we’re driving, you know the new LFA is something special, writesSHANE O'DONOGHUE

Prices cut across entire BMW range

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:37:15 GMT

BMW GROUP Ireland has reduced the price of its entire model range, including the newly released X1 and 5-Series GT models. The new pricing structure puts an end to the brand’s Sterling Collection, which were cars imported from the UK market, with prices set by the individual dealer, writesPADDY COMYN

Volvo's cuts prices

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:37:15 GMT

VOLVO HAS reduced the prices of many of its models, including the C30, S80, V70 and XC90. Savings range from €2,240 on the price of the 1.6-litre C30 to €11,000 on the XC90 D5 AWD 7-Seater, writesPADDY COMYN

Dealers bank on own finance houses

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:37:15 GMT

Customers are finding it difficult to obtain car finance, the Irish motor dealers complain.PADDY COMYNReports

Bike news

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:34:02 GMT

A roundup of today's other bike news in brief

Good vibrations at a price

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:34:02 GMT

BIKETEST KTM 690 DUKE:RIDING a Royal Enfield from Delhi to Belfast, as I once did, gives you plenty of time to contemplate the stillness at the centre of your being.

Small, but deceptively spacious

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:34:01 GMT

SecondHandSense:IT IS often easy to overlook just how small some small cars actually are. Designers are clever about stretching and squeezing the maximum from what they have, but there is, ultimately, only so much they can do.

The competition: alternatives

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:34:01 GMT

The alternatives to the Volkswagen Polo

Golf-like glory: a Volkswagen Polo that gives more metal for your money

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:34:01 GMT

WITH EVEN Government ministers prepared to cut their ample budgets, we must be in a right monetary mess. It’s at times like this, with a punitive Budget seemingly inevitable, that Ireland is indeed ready to cut its cloth to better suit these chastened times. Downsizing is no longer simply a buzzword for management consultants and HR directors afraid to mention the word “redundancy”. Every part of daily life has to justify the outlay on it, and motoring is no different.

Motors gadgets

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:34:01 GMT

PADDY COMYNreviews the latest gadgets

Solid contender with edge in design

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:34:01 GMT

WITH THE bias of new car sales now firmly established in favour of diesel engines, the car that will attract the most attention in the new Mazda 3 line-up, being launched this week, is the 1.6 diesel.

Motors Quiz

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:34:01 GMT

1 The predecessor model for the Opel Astra first appeared in 1936; what was it called?

Hard shoulder

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:34:01 GMT

A motoring round-up

General Motors on track for IPO despite difficulties

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:34:01 GMT

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) is fighting a war on several fronts as it labours to sell its Opel unit in Germany, repay debts to the US government and persuade consumers to buy its cars, but it remains on track for an initial public offering in the second half of 2010.

US report: electric cars no greener

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:33:59 GMT

ELECTRIC CARS will not be dramatically cleaner than those powered by fossil fuels until they rely less on electricity produced from conventional coal-fired plants, say US scientists.

VW to offer 6.75% hire purchase deals

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:33:59 GMT

VOLKSWAGEN GROUP Ireland is set to offer 6.75 per cent hire purchase deals on a number of its brands and will trial a personal contract lease deal on the new Polo model.

Garda calls for safety on roads

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:33:59 GMT

GARDAÍ WILL this weekend appeal to families of drivers in a bid to reduce the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on roads over the October bank holiday.

The three-pointed star in the ascendent

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:48:04 GMT

Mercedes' newest model marks a return to glory for the German luxury marque, and is more eco-friendly than ever, writes MICHAEL McALEER, Motoring Editor

Style - but missing substance

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:48:04 GMT

FIRSTDRIVE SAAB 9-3X: Saab’s lifestyle crossover should fit KYLE FORTUNE’slife perfectly, but after a few days with it he’s not convinced

Sleek and sprinty? Surely you mean Lamborghini . . .

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:48:04 GMT

Ford are pitching their Fiesta at young, fashion-conscious drivers. ROSEMARY MACCABEsteps sceptically inside to see if the image stands up to all the talk

From Irish streets to on-screen action

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:48:04 GMT

Microsoft’s new driving game, ‘Forza Motorsport 3’, was largely developed in Ireland. Due for release this month, PADDY COMYNtook it for a test drive

New Astra's premium appeal

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:48:04 GMT

FIRSTDRIVE OPEL ASTRA:Opel has cast off its woes and produced a car that’s a credit to its engineers, writes, MICHAEL MCALEERMotoring editor

Bacon reports dealer network 'unsustainable'

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:48:03 GMT

Peter Bacon’s economic report of the motor sector gives little comfort to those working in the industry, reports MICHAEL MCALEER, Motoring editor

New Mercedes B-class to take on hatchback sector

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:15:49 GMT

THIS IS the all-new Mercedes B-class, expected to hit showrooms in autumn 2011.