The Irish Times - Motors

Muscular Yeti packs a punch

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:38:19 GMT

Having surmounted the name,MICHAEL MCALEER, Motoring Editor, reckons this Skoda might become a more common sight on Irish roads

BMW hybrids only pale green

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:21 GMT

BMW has cautiously entered the hybrid market from the top, writesKYLE FORTUNE

Classic looks, modern drive

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:21 GMT

AMG builds its first complete car and, despite the retro looks, the SLS gives a 21st-century performance, writesKyle Fortune

Anyone for an Elgrand Horny or a Pantryboy Supreme?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:21 GMT

Naming cars can be a difficult task especially when sophistication may be lost in translation, writesKILIAN DOYLE

Muscular Yeti packs a punch

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:21 GMT

ROAD TEST:AS THIS IS awards season, we might as well get things rolling. Our prize for the most appropriately named car for 2009: the Skoda Yeti. Sightings of either the creature in question or new cars on Irish roads are both the stuff of legend, writesMICHAEL McALEER, Motoring Editor

Superb wins for young rally man with eye on world stage

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:21 GMT

Motorsport's rising star Craig Breen is truly one to watch, writesBOB MONTGOMERY

Keeping it simple

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:21 GMT

In the second of a two-part series on his motorbike tour of France,PETER MURTAGHis wined and dined in style

Dealers unlikely to abuse scrappage deal

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:21 GMT

HELPDESK:Answering all your motoring queries isMichael McAleer

Top Gear goes live in UK ahead of dates in Dublin

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:21 GMT

Amid Mad Max-style road wars and flaming rally cars,KILIAN DOYLEmeets the Top Gear team in Birmingham

Renault plugs into electric future

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:21 GMT

Renault Ireland boss Eric Bassett discusses his ideas for the brand withMICHAEL MCALEER, Motoring Editor

Classic looks, modern drive

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:02:52 GMT

FIRSTDRIVE MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG:AMG builds its first complete car and, despite the retro looks, the SLS gives a 21st-century performance, writesKYLE FORTUNE

Fall for the revamped Versys

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:56 GMT

BIKETEST KAWASAKI VERSYS:Easy steering, perfect balance and a keen pace made riding the new Kawasaki a joy, until Geoff Hill hit diesel

Lexus IS diesel fairs well in class

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:56 GMT

SecondHandSense:SALES OF ALL cars are pretty much determined by motor tax, which makes it tricky for those looking for a bigger second-hand diesel in particular.

Competition: the alternatives

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:56 GMT

Alternatives to the Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI

Motors Gadgets

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:56 GMT

A roundup of this week's Motors' Gadgets

Surtees drives Channel Tunnel in sports car

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:55 GMT

FORMER BRITISH motor sports star John Surtees became the first person to drive a sports car the length of the Channel Tunnel - but he said "speed was the last thing involved".

Land Rover tests new LRX concept

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:55 GMT

LAND ROVER'S bold new LRX concept is inching closer to production, as this image from Automedia shows. A disguised LRX was caught undergoing testing at Germany's famous Nürburgring.

Volvo to retain rights to licenced technologies after sale to Geely

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:55 GMT

SWEDISH CAR brand Volvo, put up for sale by its parent company Ford and likely to be bought by a Chinese bidder Geely, will retain the rights for its licenced technologies.

BMW hybrids only pale green

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:55 GMT

Hybrids. They're green, right? That's the thinking at least. But I'm trying to get my head around an electrically assisted BMW X6 which, along with two battery-powered motors, has a 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 petrol engine.

Citroen yet to replace Gallic

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:55 GMT

HARD SHOULDER:A FORTNIGHT since the closure of Citroen's Irish importer Gallic Distributors, the French brand has yet to appoint a replacement.

Motors quiz

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:55 GMT

This week's quiz

Hard shoulder

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:54 GMT

Today's other stories in brief

Volkwagen's greens could put you in the red

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:53 GMT

FIRSTDRIVE VOLKSWAGEN BLUEMOTION MODELS:SELLING THE virtues of clean, green technology is not easy at the best of times. Conjure up frugal, economical driving and people might just doze off. Economical motoring is the beige corduroy of the car world. So marketing minds come up with exotic names to make us feel as if we should be excited about frugality, such as Efficient Dynamics, Bluetec and BlueMotion.

Toyota to join growing list of brands to cut prices

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:50 GMT

TOYOTA IS expected to announce price reductions to several models within its range as it prepares for what looks set to be a difficult 2010 in the motor industry. This follows an announcement from Land Rover that its new model range will come in at less than the outgoing models.

Early completion for M4/M6

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:49 GMT

THE FIRST of the State's new inter-urban motorways, the 194km M4/M6 route from Dublin to Galway, has been completed six months ahead of deadline and is on schedule to open before the end of the year.

Goverment delays biker training

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:31:48 GMT

COMPULSORY BASIC training for motorcyclists will not be introduced this year despite a promise in the Government's Road Safety Strategy that all learner bikers would have to undergo formal, basic training by the end of 2008.

Free lessons are a no-brainer

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:03:42 GMT

BIKE TEST:Get On campaign's one-hour sessions are an enticing way to market biking, writesGEOFF HILL

Blessed are the bikers, especially those who attend church in the village of Sainte-Anne d'Auray

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:03:42 GMT

In the first of a two-part series on a motorbike jaunt in France,PETER MURTAGHwrites about how he and his companion stumble on an important ceremony

Driving force behind drink laws could accelerate career

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:03:42 GMT

EMISSIONS:Noel Dempsey should write a letter to the Taoiseach to rev up his career following drink-driving success, writesKILIAN DOYLE

Full-frontal assault as Audi A5 Sportback offers smart alternative to a saloon

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:03:42 GMT

That the A5 Sportback could fit into three segments without complaint illustrates how Audi is set to become the top dog in premium cars, writesMICHAEL McALEER

Peugeot's renaissance

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:03:42 GMT

FIRST DRIVE:Peugeot is getting better and cheaper, and its new 5008 stays true to that, saysPADDY COMYN

Biofuel - it's all a question of energy

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:03:42 GMT

HELPDESK:Motoring EditorMICHAEL McALEERanswers your motoring queries...

Motor racing mourns the loss of one of its champions

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:03:42 GMT

PAST IMPERFECT:Tom Wheatcroft made the Grand Prix at Donington Park, England, possible writesBOB MONTGOMERY

Sundown for Formula One?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:03:42 GMT

A flurry of sponsor exits raises grave questions for F1, writesJUSTIN HYNES

Lamborghini has unleashed a beast

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:03:42 GMT

It's the ultimate compliment to Lamborghini's test driver: his own model.NICK HALLtakes it for a test

Renault makes moves to compensate for Scenic II dashboard display fault

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:03:42 GMT

RENAULT HAS again moved to reassure its customers that the company is addressing a dashboard fault that occurs in certain Scenic II models afterThe Irish Timesreceived complaints from owners unhappy with the way the company has dealt with the matter.

Scrappage scheme defended

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:08:41 GMT

THE SOCIETY of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) has defended its proposed scrappage scheme for cars 10 years or older after criticism from Green Party Transport spokesman Ciarán Cuffe, who described it as neither economically sound nor environmentally friendly.

Second Hand Sense

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:45:45 GMT

AFTER THE dull and boring Xsara, Citroen returned to doing what it does best in 2004 - designing unique and interesting cars. The C4 had an immediate appeal with a distinctive profile and features such as the LCD dashboard display and a fixed-hub steering wheel in which only the outer rim rotated, not the whole wheel.

Motors gadgets

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:45:45 GMT

PADDY COMYNbrings you the motoring gadgets of the week

Fiat Auto not to be listed

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:45:45 GMT

FIAT BOSS Sergio Marchionne has ruled out listing Fiat Auto on the US stock market, an option that Fiat considered earlier this year when it was hoping to take over carmaker Opel.

Renault plans to rival Nano

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:45:44 GMT

CARLOS GHOSN, Renault and Nissan chief executive, yesterday pledged that a low-cost car the group is planning to make with an Indian partner would be more economical to produce than the Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car.

Motors quiz

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:45:43 GMT

The motoring quiz for the week...

Hard Shoulder

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:45:43 GMT

The other motoring news of the day...

BMW unveils details of new 3 Series

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:45:43 GMT

BMW'S NEXT generation 3 Series, which will be launched in 2012, has broken cover. While the details have been very sketchy up to this point, BMW decided to satisfy public curiosity by releasing some general information.

GM sets Europe plans in train

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:45:42 GMT

GENERAL MOTORS chief executive Fritz Henderson has promised Opel greater autonomy in Europe after appointing British-born GM executive Nick Reilly to oversee restructuring of the company's European operations.

Tachograph penalty points not part of new Bill

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:45:42 GMT

THE ROAD SAFETY Authority (RSA) has failed to have penalty points introduced for a number of haulage-related road traffic offences in new road traffic legislation.

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