Bedford Driving Lessons » Amazing

Authorities not sure what a pothole is…..

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:54:35 +0000

The recent government potholes reports that “There is no national standard definition of a pothole, only guidance based on best practice including risk assessment and defect thresholds.” Apparently there is a manual on keeping the highways well maintained, but this provides limited advice on the hole discovered. Various organisations have their own definition of sizes for a potential pothole.

Road users pay a lot to use the roads, through various taxes attributed to motoring, so seeing the roads in such a poor state is annoying in the least. Time and money must be wasted in officials travelling to view potential holes, then reporting. More mobile units could be more use in repairs holes when spotted by themselves, or reported by the public or other officials.

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462mph record for pensioners in non-jet powered car!

admin — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:25:30 +0000

Two pensioners have taken the world record for the fastest piston driven car in the world by reaching a staggering 462mph. Ron Main, and George Poteet’s amazing ‘Speed Demon’ car uses a five-litre 2,200 horsepower V8 engine that propels the car faster than some jet aircraft. But despite breaking record Mr Main and driver Mr Poteet said they want to push the car even further, setting their new target at 500mph. Mr Main and his team worked on the project in their Californian workshop before Mr Poteet took the Speed Demon to the incredible limit. The team have spent over 25 years achieving their goal, with previous incarnations using an antique 1932 engine that reached a 200mph. More

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Italian Job Mini’s restored to former glory!

admin — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:35:52 +0000

The car chase from 1969 movie The Italian Job is probably one of the most famous ever made – and now three of the original Minis used in the shoot have gone on public display for the first time. After bidding £6,000 for three boxes of bits from the original cars in 2006, 42-year-old David Morton from Newcastle has lovingly restored the cars to their exact original film specification. Displaying his three cars at MiniFest in Uttoxeter Staffordshire today the Italian Job and Mini fanatic said: ‘Michael Caine and the film’s chief stunt driver, Remy Julienne, helped advise me on how to get the cars back to their original conditions. They used 16 cars in the film but they were all scraped and left in Italy. ‘Only these three boxes came back to England. There wasn’t much in them except for the lamp bars, bonnet straps and lots of small bits. But most importantly the original number plates and log books were there. ‘I’ve had many parts specially made – it’s been lots of hard work but I’m thrilled at how they look now. They’re each insured for £55,000 now and are now known as the official Italian Job Minis. ‘The cars are each registered on the road using their original registration numbers.’ More

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Pensioner lifts car off crushed man!

admin — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:20:51 +0000

A retired farmer has defied age and gravity to lift a car off his crushed neighbour near Nelson. David Costley, 68, knew Pete Milne was tinkering with his Ford station wagon at Mapua Leisure Park on Saturday afternoon when he heard strange noises. He immediately guessed Milne had been trapped under the car and sprinted 25 metres to his neighbour’s aid. “He was trying to call out, but he had the weight of the car on his chest and he couldn’t make much noise at all,” Costley said. Both men are spending the winter in their caravans at the camping ground. Costley could not see Milne as he was completely under his car, which had been jacked up and had the front right wheel off. It appeared that both jacks had collapsed and Milne was being crushed under the full weight of the car. “I knew I’d have to do something in a bit of a hurry,” said Costley, so he backed himself into the wheel arch and lifted. He was able to lift the car enough to take its weight off Milne. Mapua Volunteer Fire Brigade station officer Aaron Thawley, who was among the emergency crews called to the accident, said it showed what “adrenalin can do”. More

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Stowaway cat stranded after ordeal in BMW!

£10m Ferrari prototype becomes most expensive car ever sold!

admin — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:40:27 +0000

When it comes to developing cars which balance speed and style, few manufacturers have ever been able to match Ferrari. And the Italians were truly on form when they developed the iconic Testa Rossa, now regarded as one of history’s greatest-ever racing cars. Proof of the Ferrari legacy came today when one of the 22 prototypes built in 1956 became the most expensive car ever sold. The vehicle fetched nearly £10million – despite nearly being destroyed twice. The classic Ferrari was severely damaged in a Le Mans race in 1958 and later wrecked by a garage fire, but has since been professionally restored to its former glory. More

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Snake slithers across windscreen while family driving at 65mph!

admin — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:14:09 +0000

It’s a miracle the driver managed not to crash – let alone keep in a straight line. A snake terrified a young mother when it suddenly appeared on her SUV’s windscreen after slithering out of the engine as she drove along an expressway into Memphis, Tennessee. Rachel Fisher said she’s not usually scared by snakes but she ‘was clenching everything’ as she drove at 65mph with the unusual hitchhiker on board – and her three young children in the back. As she screamed and giggled hysterically, her husband recorded the incident on his camera phone and then posted the video on YouTube, where it has gone viral in just three days. It happened last week as Mrs Fisher drove her husband, Tony, and their three children Elizabeth, three, Judah, two and Rivers, four months, back to Memphis after visiting her parents in Cordova. More

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100 and still driving!

admin — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:05:38 +0000

She might have earned herself the nickname ‘Top Dear’, but 100-year-old motorist Peggy Hovell shows no signs of slowing down. The centenarian is still driving and has clocked up an impressive 85 years behind the wheel – despite never having taken a driving test. Incredibly, Peggy – whose car has the numberplate HO0RAH – has never had an accident and the sprightly pensioner, who is a keen motoring Peggy was taught to drive by her grandfather H.J.Dowsing, who himself was a keen early motorist and invented the electric self-starter engine in 1896. The widow learned how to drive in 1925, 10 years before compulsory tests were introduced, and she even drove herself to school at the tender age of 15. In fact, the only time she has ever been officially assessed was when her insurance rocketed to £700 at the age of 98 and the pensioner demanded a test to prove she was a capable driver. When she passed with flying colours, Peggy got £200 knocked off her premiums. More

Self-driving cars given go ahead in Nevada!

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:12:00 +0000

Self-driving cars designed by Google will soon be a reality on the roads of Nevada. State legislators have passed a bill that requires the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles to draw up rules for driver-less vehicles. Assembly Bill No 511 paves the way for Google’s automated Toyota Priuses and Audi TT to be operated legally in the Silver State. The hybrid vehicles use laser range finders and video cameras to detect traffic, and detailed maps to find their way from point to point. ‘Drivers’ simply set their destination and the car calculates the route and drives itself there. The first amendment, which was passed last week, relates to an electric-vehicle bill providing for the licensing and testing of autonomous vehicles. The second amendment, which has yet to be passed, is for an exemption that would permit sending a text message while ‘behind the wheel’. Google had hired Las Vegas-based lobbysit David Goldwater to promote its proposed legislation. In April, Mr Goldwater told lawmakers that the self-driving cars are safer than those driven by humans and are more fuel efficient. Google ran into controversy last year after it emerged staff had been testing the driver-less car on California’s roads. The vehicles logged more than 140,000 miles around the state – almost all of them on auto-pilot. While staff were in the car, their hands were not on the steering wheel. More

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Guy removes tyre and checks brakes with his feet!

admin — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:50:22 +0000

Proving determination can overcome the most debilitating handicaps is a 28-year-old born without arms who can still be a big help around the place. Matt Stutzman an Olympic-standard archer, who can turn his toes to anything – even intricate jobs such as changing the tyres on his car. Most people would simply take their vehicle to the garage to be checked but Matt refuses and uses his feet to do the job himself in just nine minutes. In the Iowa resident’s own home video he does every part of the job starting by carefully raising the car using a jack before loosening the wheel’s nuts one by one with a tool held between his toes. Then removing the wheel, he deftly takes apart the brake and checks it before putting it all back together without any help. The car-lover, who is one of very few children born without limbs each year, was desperate to drive at 16 like all his friends but his local public school system refused to cooperate. More

Dads and the time spent ferrying kids around!

admin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:46:13 +0000

By the time his children are 18, the average Dad has spent the equivalent of a whole working year Taxi-ing his children around. In fact modern Dads spend more time ferrying kids than almost anything else they do – apart from work and sleep. That’s more time than they spend in the garden, on DIY and even in the pub. Dads clock up an average 25 miles a week on 2.33 journeys, taking their youngsters to school, sports and social events – or 2hrs 16mins driving. A fith (20%) of dads, however, admitted to undertaking a journey of over 100 miles and 7% over 200 miles. Halfords Autocentre’s poll of 1000 Dads showed they drive 23,400 miles – the equivalent of a trip around the earth – in the 18 years before their children leave home. More

Futuristic car that can drive on most surfaces!

admin — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:17:55 +0000

An inventor has come up with a new design for a car that will drive on roads, sand, ice – and even water. The all-terrain vehicle, which has a top speed of 62mph and works like a hovercraft, can move seamlessly between different surfaces. Female designer Zhang Yuhan, 21, created the amazing machine – called the Volkswagen Aqua – for a competition sponsored by the German car manufacturer. The vehicle’s sleek sportscar-like design incorporates four high-powered fans and integrated airbags that inflate to lift it from the ground. A large windscreen stretches above the front seats to give a panoramic view of the landscape ahead. You enter and exit the car from a hatch at the rear of the car. More

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Electric Beetle does 0-60 in 1.6 seconds!

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 01:17:30 +0000

Two brothers are celebrating after setting a world speed record in an electric car – made from a Beetle and a milk float. Sam and Olly Young, who are sponsored by their local pub in Hungerford, Berkshire, set out to prove you can have zero emissions and the thrill of super-fast travel too. They built a ‘green’ mean machine out of a milk float and a 1965 Volkswagen Beetle, which they have named Black Current. Now it has set the world record for being the first electric-powered car to go a quarter of a mile in under ten seconds, managing 0-60mph in just 1.6 seconds. One of the complaints about electric cars is that, while they’re obviously good for the environment with their minimal carbon footprint, they’re not exactly the fastest thing on four wheels. More

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Quest to drive at 1000mph!

admin — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:20:44 +0000

THIS summer Daniel Jubb will perform the equivalent of lighting the blue touch paper and standing clear. The 27-year-old will undertake the first full test firing of a hybrid rocket which he has designed to help a British team set a new land-speed record by driving at 1,000mph (1,609kph). Mr Jubb’s rocket, however, will also need the assistance of a powerful EJ200 jet engine from a Typhoon fighter aircraft and a Cosworth Formula 1 racing engine if Bloodhound SSC (supersonic car) is to become the fastest thing on wheels. Combining a rocket, a jet and a racing-car engine into one vehicle is engineering of an extreme sort, but record-breaking often demands that new problems be solved. Mr Jubb’s task was to build a rocket that could be used safely in a car, but was also controllable and could be switched off quickly in the event of an emergency. More

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How clean is your steering wheel?

admin — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:00:15 +0000

Keep this in mind next time you make a pit stop at a fast-food drive-through – the steering wheel of your car harbours nine times more germs than a public toilet seat. Research has found that while 80 bacteria lurk on each square inch of toilet, around 700 harmful bugs inhabit the car’s interior. The study also revealed that 42 per cent of motorists regularly dine while driving. Only a third cleaned the inside of the car once a year, while ten per cent said they never bothered to wipe down surfaces or vacuum. More

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New rules let you do 86mph and not get fined!

admin — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:25:20 +0000

Motorists will be able to do up to 86mph but still escape fines and penalty points under a new police framework for speeding. Although the official limit on major roads remains at 70, drivers caught exceeding it by as much as 16mph will be allowed to keep a clean licence by agreeing to go on a speed awareness course which costs them around £100. The money raised will be used to fund more speed cameras or reactivate decommissioned ones. Thirty-seven out of 44 police forces have signed up to the scheme so far, and last week Oxfordshire became the first county to put it into action. But critics say the framework is simply creating a new speed cash-cow industry and allowing motorists to break the law. Until now, speeding drivers have been given the option of attending courses up to certain limits, but now these are being raised. More

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Teens quoted £24,000 and £32,000 to insure their cars!

admin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:47:23 +0000

When Daniel Grey was told it would cost £24,000 to insure his 12-year-old Volvo, he assumed it was the highest quote in the country. But stunned teenager Jake Redshaw’s dream of driving has now also stalled, after he was quoted more than £32,000 to cover his second-hand hatchback. Both quotes came from the AA. Jake, 17, bought a six-year-old Vauxhall Corsa for £3,000 after he passed his test earlier this month. The student, from Salford, Greater Manchester, said he expected online insurance quotes to reach a couple of thousand pounds. Instead he received a headline figure of £32,819 from the AA. Jake’s cheapest fully-comprehensive quote was almost £6,000, twice the car’s value. The second most expensive quote was £21,000. Jake is studying IT and works part-time in a warehouse at Salford-based telecoms distributor Nimans. He lives with his parents in Eccles, Greater Manchester. He said: ‘I thought passing my test would be the hardest part about getting my own wheels. ‘It’s not as if I was trying to insure a high-powered sports car. I was gobsmacked.’ More

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You can now have a conversation with your car!

admin — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 23:15:14 +0000

It’s unlikely to be the most entertaining conversation you’ve ever had. But talking to your car – and having it answer straight back – could soon become as commonplace as pressing a button or consulting a map. A system that promises to be the world’s most advanced in-car voice communication will arrive in Britain next year. It has echoes of KIT, the car made famous by David Hasselhof’s 1980s TV series. And far from being confined to exclusive, top-of-the-range models, it will be available in one of the country’s biggest-selling cars, the Ford Focus. Makers of the system – called Sync – claim drivers will be able to use it to ask such age-old questions as ‘Where’s the nearest petrol station?’, ‘Can I go to the toilet?’ – or even that constant refrain of generations of children, ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ In all, Ford says its voice-operated technology will be able to master 10,000 commands in 19 languages, allowing motorists to control audio, telephone and satnav systems as well as accessing information about the surrounding area. But while the company claims it will be able to cope with Geordie and other regional accents, critics are asking whether the sheer range of different ways in which we speak will defeat it – or whether the extra distraction of trying to master it will lead to more accidents. A version of Sync with 100 words has been available in the U.S. for three years and is fitted to three million Fords. Users can choose from a range of options – some have claimed the female voice sounds like ‘a robotic Cher’. More

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Edinburgh garage for sale at £150,000!

admin — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:03:05 +0000

A garage has gone on the market in Edinburgh for over the cost of many flats in the city. The 18ft by 18ft building in NE Thistle Street Lane is up for sale for £150,000. The parking spot, which lies between George Street and Queen Street in Edinburgh’s New Town, has space to accommodate two cars. According to selling agents Fraser Brooks & Co, it is a “superior spacious two-car garage in a prime city centre location”. The property is advertised at a fixed price, and is described as being in an “excellent condition throughout”. Kenneth Cameron, a partner at the firm, said the garage could prove convenient for people living and working in the centre of the Scottish capital. He said: “Edinburgh’s got a vibrant city centre and it is very residential compared to, say, Glasgow or London. “The New Town, in particular, is becoming increasingly residential and parking is of course a major problem. More

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Green car crosses Australia using the wind!

admin — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:49:39 +0000

Every now and then pioneering science offers up a solution to one of the world’s many intractable problems that is as elegant and unexpected as it is brilliantly bonkers. The Wind Explorer is a perfect example. Earlier this month, extreme eco sportsmen Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer drove – or rather sailed or possibly even piloted – their unique wind-powered vehicle into Sydney. Eighteen days earlier the two Germans had left Albany in the southwestern corner of Australia with the intention of breezing along the 3,000 mile route using nothing more than the power of the wind. Their purpose-built 200kg convertible is part kite-surfer, part wind turbine and part electric car, and is the first wind-powered vehicle ever to cross the continent (it isn’t recorded how many others have attempted the feat). As Simmerer remarked at the finish: “This journey was resource-efficient and had virtually no impact on the climate.” His co-pilot Gion, clearly the more romantic of the two, added: “A dream has come true.” The basic premise of the Wind Explorer is simple enough. It is a car with a sail. It’s a grown-up version of the land yachts that careen along the flat sands of Weston-super-Mare. However, even the most optimistic advocate of green transport is going to realise that there will be a few irritating issues confronting the motorist who plans to drag himself along the M40 with a spinnaker attached to the front of his Mondeo. Bridges, power lines, traffic jams, 18-wheel juggernauts will all make for a frustrating – even fatally catastrophic – journey. But the wide open spaces of Australia’s outback aren’t bogged down by such mundanities, and Gion and Simmerer were able to deploy their kite sail and reach speeds of up to 80kmh (50mph). More

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Auto breaking installed into Volvo’s!

admin — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:41:10 +0000

After decades of residential speeding campaigns, one car manufacturer has finally pulled out all the stops. Volvo has developed a pedestrian detection system that automatically brakes a car to a halt whenever someone steps out in front of it. Designed to save lives on urban streets, the ‘support function’ kicks in at speeds of up to 22mph, although the technology ‘is active at all speeds’. It works by using radar and camera technology to watch out for other vehicles and pedestrians ahead of the car. Should a collision be imminent, an audible warning is made to alert the driver, and if there is no response the car is immediately brought to an emergency stop. Report

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Is a flying car closer than we think?

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:02:31 +0000

It sounds like something out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or even Back to the Future – but one inventor claims to made the flying car a reality. While it could well help solve the issue of traffic gridlock which plagues many cities, an airborn version of the converted hatchback looks to be some time away from the production line. Made out of an seemingly-ordinary 800cc Maruti car, it has rotor blades affixed to the roof with extended wheelarches creating a ‘vacuum section’, and has been one of the star attractions at the Aero India 2011 air show in Bangalore. The Maruti was India’s first small car, built in the 1980s by Suzuki, and has formed the basis of inventor A.K. Vishwanath’s dream. The 52-year-old has spent 16 years working on the ‘flying Maruti’, and claims it has vertical lift-off and he has tested a scale version tested in a wind tunnel. So far, he has garnered 40 patents, and told reporters his inspiration came from many sources, including the flying ability of bees. Other engineers are also working on the project. More

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Dirty cars waste £95m in fuel a year!

admin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:19:05 +0000

Failing to keep cars clean is costing motorists up to £95 million a year in wasted fuel and adding to global warming. A new study by Halfords shows filthy cars carry around as much as an extra 5 kilos of dirt (11 lbs) on them in winter, as mud and road grime piles up on wheels, wheel arches and the underchassis. Even vehicles that are washed every fortnight and driven on town streets carry at least 300 grams (10 oz) of dirt in between hose downs, research by the car accessories retailer has revealed. The additional weight caused by failing to wash a car regularly means cars are running inefficiently and are wasting fuel. While the individual cost in added running costs is relatively small, UK motorists could be paying out as much as £95 million a year topping up with superfluous unleaded and diesel. With the price of fuel soaring, currently an all time high average of 128.9p a litre, this will rise further. The extra petrol and diesel used contributes a further 170,000 tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere, the equivalent annual emission from a small town with a population of 11,000. Overall the extra weight caused by winter grime means an extra 40,000 tonnes is being carried on roads, the weight of an entire fleet of supermarket lorries. Halfords Car Cleaning Expert David Howells said: “The old adage that a clean car runs better has some basis in truth. There is a small benefit in the aerodynamics of a clean body, but the biggest gain is from the less weight you are hauling around. “Keeping the bodywork and wheels clean and using a pressure washer on the wheel arches and undercarriage periodically will help with fuel economy. “A build up of mud, tar and road grime can add significant weight to the car. It’s not just for looks that we should keep our cars clean.” More

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Dog survives 20 miles stuck in grille of car!

admin — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:57:23 +0000

A MIRACLE mutt survived a terror road trip after becoming trapped on the front of a moving car — for 30 MINUTES. Donald, a 14-year-old Jack Russell cross, got wedged into the grille of a Honda Civic after being accidently hit by the car. He was then carried 20 MILES down a dual carriageway at speeds of more than 60MPH. The petrified pooch only managed to get the driver’s attention — as he slowed down near his home in Silverdale, Staffs — by frantically barking. Donald is believed to have been blown into the path of the car by a huge gust of wind as the driver headed on to the A50 in Uttoxeter. The motorist, who refused to be named, thought he had hit a fox and only realised what had happened half an hour later. He immediately rang firefighters who cut Donald out of the car and the pet has now been reunited with his doting owners Ann Armett and her son Robert. Robert, 25, who has grown up with the family’s pet, said: “It’s absolutely incredible really. “You would have thought the driver would have been going 60mph-plus on the A50. “It’s amazing he wasn’t more seriously hurt.” Donald disappeared on Friday morning sparking a massive search by his owners. But after the driver phoned the bizarre incident in the police reunited the family with their pet the next day. And Donald has been dubbed a “miracle mongrel” by the vets who checked him over after he survived without any lasting injuries. Ann, 55, said: “Amazingly he has only suffered a few scratches and is eating and drinking like his normal, old self again.” More

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Meet the 7 year old monster truck driver!

admin — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:20:53 +0000

He can barely see over the steering wheel but at just seven years old, Kaid Olson-Weston is the toast of the monster truck world. Working his way through an arena tour of America, Kaid, or KJ, as he is better known to his fans and family, handles his 2,500-pound, seven-foot tall truck called Monster Bear like a pro. KJ’s only been driving for a year but has amazed the monster truck circuit with his talent for maneouvring the massive vehicles around dirt tracks and obstacles. ‘I wanted to be a monster truck driver when I was three,’ the youthful motorist explains. ‘I thought it would be cool to drive a monster truck because you jump cars.’ KJ’s father Tod, also his crew chief and manager, says that though other drivers didn’t take him seriously at first, KJ’s dedication proves that he’s in it for the right reasons. ‘After his first probably half a dozen shows, he has displayed an incredible talent to drive and took it seriously and is very safety conscious and so they began to respect what he could do,’ he said. ‘When they saw him acting accordingly and professionally, they gave him a tremendous amount of respect.’ More

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New hybrid car achieves 313 mph!

admin — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:01:39 +0000

VW’s diesel-electric hybrid two-seater that can do 313mpg to enter limited production in UK and Germany in 2013. Amid the clamour for electric propulsion, on Tuesday Volkswagen launched the latest fight back by the conventional combustion engine, its XL1 two-seater plug-in diesel/electric hybrid, capable of 313mpg. This remarkable car is the result of 12 years of research by the Volkswagen Group which started with the “One Litre Car”, a tandem two-seater driven by outgoing VW boss Dr Ferdinand Piëch in 2002 from VW’s HQ in Wolfsburg to the VW shareholders’ meeting in Hamburg at an average of 317·4mpg at an average 43·5mph. The latest version of the car, which has staggered side-by-side seating for two adults and is capable of a top speed of 99mph, 0-62mph in 11.9sec and more than 300mpg, is slated for limited production in 2013 in the UK and Germany. More and Video

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1965 military tank goes on sale!

admin — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:40:21 +0000

A fully road legal, 1965 armoured personnel carrier is expected to fetch up to £8,000 when it goes on sale in Northamptonshire next week. According to JP Humbert Auctioneers, the 14-tonne FV432 type vehicle, called Caerphilly, can carry 14 people and has a top speed of 25mph. It is fully serviced, and as well as featuring in a number of action movies, the vehicle has apparently also been driven by the likes of Jenson Button and Jeremy Clarkson. Auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said: “Quite a few celebrities have driven it, including Jeremy Clarkson and Jenson Button and we think it’s also been in a few action films. “It’s got a price tag of £6,000-£8,000, and really is a perfect gift for the person who has everything – and you would never have any problem parking in the town centre. More

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Edinburgh garage for sale at £150,000!

Solar powered car hits 54 mph!

admin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 22:29:44 +0000

A car that runs on the same power used by a toaster has broken the world record for the fastest solar-powered motor. Guinness Book of Records adjudicators were on hand to witness the £175,000 vehicle race to glory on an Australian navy base airstrip in Nowra, New South Wales. Sunswift IVy, driven by professional racers Barton Mawer and Craig Davis of electric car firm Tesla, took the 23-year-old record by 5mph. More

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£80,000 BMW made totally out of bricks!

admin — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:33:14 +0000

A Chinese artist wants £80,000 for a BMW car that handles like a brick… as it’s made out of hundreds of them. Dai Geng spent more than a year cementing the brick blocks together which he then carved into a model of a sporty BMW Z4, which can exceed speeds of 150mph. Except for the windows, everything is made from brick, even the hinges that allow the door to open and close just like metal ones. Mr Dai even managed to make brick hinges so the doors can open and close. The car has been on display at Shenzheng, in Guangdong province, in southeastern China, and has now has been put up for sale. Mr Dai said: ‘Only the windows are not made of bricks. Everything else including the tyres, the steering wheel, the exhaust pipe and trimmings are made of brick.’ More & Pictures

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Small customised mini kept in boot of motor home!

admin — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 22:08:09 +0000

The Mini is known for its pint-sized proportions – but one retired mechanic has taken tiny to the next dimension by shrinking the British classic to fit INSIDE his motor home. The cherry red version of the 1964 Mini 850, has been shortened from 10ft long to just 7ft 10ins so owner Lester Atherfold, 67, could transport the car in his AEC Reliance coach. Mr Atherfold, from Napier, New Zealand, bought the Mini for £203 in 1988 and spent three months customising the British heritage motorcar into a ‘mini-mini.’ Despite its size, the car still manages to reach speeds of 75mph with its 1100cc motor and weighs about 600 kilograms. The Mini Mini has a length of 7ft 10in with a wheel base of 4ft 8in as opposed to the original manufactured length of 10ft. The retired mechanic said: ‘The Mini was the only car in the world that would fit in the motor home, all the others were too big and tall. ‘The car gives us our freedom from the motor home when we are away on holiday. It allows us to see and do things which we would otherwise not be able to do if we just had the motor home.’ More

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Car gets wedged between two houses!

admin — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 22:34:21 +0000

A car went airborne and wound up wedged between two homes, 8 feet off the ground, in an early morning crash Sunday in San Pedro, police said. The odd accident in the 1400 block of West 17th Street caused significant damage to one of the homes, which was unoccupied at the time. The home had apparently sold just a few days ago, officials said. Residents in the other home were awakened by the 1:05 a.m. crash, but were unharmed, said Officer Midian Koons of the Los Angeles Police Department South Traffic Division. The crash occurred at a T-intersection at West 17th Street and South Weymouth Avenue near Averill Park. The driver, who was allegedly drunk, was headed west on 17th and never stopped, authorities said. “He launched right over the curb,” Koons said. “The driver never stepped on the brakes.” The two homes are about 10 feet apart and 10 feet below street level. The black Ford Fusion was lodged between them at a slight angle, with the front and rear of the car stuck in the walls of the homes. The rear of the car wound up in the living room of one home, and the front of the car was lodged in the kitchen of the second home, the most significantly damaged. More

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CCTV show baby born on dual carriageway traffic jam!

admin — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:28:54 +0000

As birth videos go, it is mercifully short on close ups … but high on drama. The car immediately behind the Land Rover (ringed) is carrying Helen Osborne, who was being rushed to hospital in the latter stages of labour by her partner Richard Sullivan. The couple were convinced they could make the five-minute drive to Leicester Royal Infirmary in time for the arrival … until they ran into a good old British traffic jam on the city’s inner ring road on a busy Saturday afternoon. Mr Sullivan stayed cool and, with a little help from a passing motorist, managed to deliver his daughter in the passenger seat. What he didn’t realise was that his moment of triumph was being captured on CCTV cameras set up to monitor traffic. He is seen pulling over in the couple’s Peugeot and running around the car looking flustered. Miss Osborne, 29, a nursery nurse, gave birth to 8lb 2oz Rosie and the family were then given a police escort to the hospital. CCTV operators who watched the drama unfold were so fascinated by the spectacle that they tracked down the couple to give them a copy of the footage as a souvenir. More

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Lollipop guy without a stick who is not allowed to cross the road!

admin — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:20:57 +0000

You could be forgiven for assuming a lollipop was a crucial piece of equipment for a lollipop man. But one council thinks otherwise and has ordered one of its lollipop men simply to press the button to stop traffic at a pelican crossing. Not only has Ron Warrick found himself without his traditional tool of the trade but he is also banned from crossing the road – for health and safety reasons. The Essex County Council employee was not available yesterday to discuss the bizarre policy but mothers at St Mary’s Primary School in Shenfield, Brentwood, had plenty to say. One, who asked not to be named, said: ‘It’s absolutely bonkers. Whoever heard of a lollipop man who cannot go into the road? It’s like the punchline to some ridiculous joke.’ Mr Warrick was drafted in last year following concerns about a busy junction which the council felt was discouraging children from walking to school. It spent £30,000 improving safety, including installing traffic detecting cameras which give children an extra two seconds to cross. But officials then decided it was ‘unsafe’ for Mr Warrick to step into the road in case the numbers crossing prevented him from returning to the pavement before the lights changed again. Chris Beazley, the headteacher at the 400-pupil school, added in a letter to parents: ‘Essex County Council says Ron has to educate parents to stop when the red man appears.’ The TaxPayers’ Alliance described the situation as ‘health and safety gone mad’. More

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Wooden car to be auctioned off!

admin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:20:57 +0000

The Talbot began life as an ordinary saloon car, created by the Clement Talbot factory in west London nearly 80 years ago. But it took on its nautical flavour 30 years later when boat-builder Peter Lawrence of Cranleigh, Surrey, was commissioned to design and craft a new stem-to-stem wooden body that still adorns the car today. It was entirely handbuilt, constructed from three-inch by 1/4-inch planks of finest Honduran mahogany, laid fore and aft and contoured to the classic boat tail configuration. The bonnet and doors were then cut out and expertly fabricated, with the whole body finished to the highest standards. The interior is finished in black leather with art deco detailing, reflecting the era in which the car was built. Ingeniously, so as not to interrupt the elegant mahogany lines when travelling without rear passengers, it features a removable wooden hatch, in true boat tradition, beneath which is a bench seat. More

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Rare Bugatti is world most expensive car at £20m!

Winston Churchill’s campaign car for sale!

admin — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 11:26:21 +0000

The Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupé was one of the most advanced cars of its day. When most drivers were still laboriously double-declutching, the owner of a DB18 simply pre-selected the gear he wanted, then dabbed the ‘change pedal’ to enact the shift. Who invented this elegant system? Major WG Wilson, co-inventor of the tank and hero of World War I. The portents must have seemed good to Winston Churchill, who used one for his 1944 and 1949 election campaigns. His DB18 was a rare survivor: the outbreak of war in 1939 ceased production when only eight had been made, and of these five were destroyed in the Blitz. Of the three that theoretically remain, this is the only one to have been found. The car has a top speed of 76mph, coachwork by the Carlton Carriage Company and instruments by Jaeger. It is currently on display at the Brooklands Museum in Surrey, ahead of an auction next Saturday in which it is expected to fetch up to £250,000. It’s been owned by Englishmen, Americans and even an Iranian prince, but its painstaking £120,000 restoration was carried out in Germany. Pictures

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Students complete epic electric car journey!

admin — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:19:24 +0000

A project planned to prove a new electric car has stamina has been completed successfully by a group of London students. The journey from Alaska to Argentina was made over the course of five months, longer than the planned three, in the SRZero car, which has no pollution or carbon dioxide emissions. With two engines powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries, the car can reach 60mph in seven seconds, and has a top speed of 124mph. The project took two years of careful planning by The Racing Green Endurance Project team at London Imperial College, and Dr David Howey told Sky News Online: “There was a lot of scepticism, so we’re all very pleased that the cynics will now have to eat their words”. Despite the £750,000 price tag of the trip, the group saved a fortune on petrol, making the full distance with just a £3 charge along the way, according to the Metro. More

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Workman still driving same van 40 years later!

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:22:21 +0000

A retired electricity meter inspector is still driving his Austin 35 van more than 40 years after getting behind the wheel. Former Midland Electricity Board worker John Hughes, 75, couldn’t bear to be separated from his beloved 1968 work van so he bought it at auction – and has since used it as his family runaround. He’d spent five years driving from job to job in his faithful motor and couldn’t face saying goodbye to it when the firm replaced it with a more modern model in 1973 so the father of two decided to bid for it. John from Wolverhampton, paid just £123 for the van, and has clocked up over 97,000 miles in it through work and with his family. He said: ‘They replaced the company fleet with Vauxhall Vivas, which were technically more advanced but not as well-made. ‘I just didn’t like the idea of it being sold to someone who was going to use it for 12 months and run it into the ground. ‘The chief engineer tipped me off when and where it was being auctioned off and I made sure I was there.’ Mr Hughes bought the van at British Car Auctions, Birmingham, paying 10 per cent VAT and a £2.20 handling fee on top, making a grand total of £123.20. As a van, it was not the most practical choice of family motor but Mr Hughes said it was used more as a back-up vehicle when there was luggage and other bulky items to move. More

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American lady drives wrong way along motorway!

admin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 23:36:33 +0000

An elderly woman caused four accidents and countless near heart attacks by speeding the wrong way down a motorway. A motorist travelling in the same direction – but on the correct side of the road – pulled alongside the daredevil granny and filmed her astounding journey. Cars can be seen weaving out of the way, trying desperately to avoid a head on collision. Amazingly, the 84-year-old woman avoided being hit, but police said four other cars were involved in accidents after the incident in Pennsylvania. Despite other motorists flashing their lights and sounding their horns, the woman continued driving the wrong way for several miles until stopping and miraculously crossing lanes of oncoming traffic to take an exit. Shocked motorist Tim Fleming shot footage of the woman on his mobile phone as he pulled alongside her while she drove at least 50mph on the I-95 motorway. He said he tried to attract her attention by sounding his horn and waving his arm at her. But he said the woman,who has not yet been been named, waved at him to leave her alone and continued on her journey. Police later traced the woman to her home in Delaware after her daughter saw the footage of the incident on TV and recognised the car. The elderly woman told officers she was on her way to a dentist appointment and was not aware of doing anything wrong. More and video

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Mobility scooter reaches 69mph!

admin — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 22:24:47 +0000

For anyone who’s had to leap out of the way of a passing mobility scooter, it’s the stuff of nightmares. Colin Furze has adapted a conventional electric model into a petrol-engined speedster which has reached an astonishing 69mph. ‘You hear people complaining about scooters going slowly around supermarkets and blocking aisles so I thought it would be a laugh to make a really fast one,’ said Mr Furze, 31, a plumber from Stamford, Lincolnshire. Guinness World Records said he would be considered for the first mobility scooter speed record if he could hit 100kph – 61.4mph. He is now planning a time trial at the Santa Pod Raceway in Northamptonshire to claim his place in the record books, and says: ‘My aim is to hit 70mph.’ More

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Cars that drive themselves ‘on motorways in 10 years’!

admin — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:45:15 +0000

Researchers from Berlin’s Free University said self-driven cars could be used in controlled environments such as airports as soon as 2016. They said that removing the steering wheel from in front of unpredictable humans would cut accidents and help the environment. Professor Raul Rojas, who led the research, foretold: “In the future it will be forbidden for safety reasons for people to drive cars. “The cars of today are the horses of yesterday. In five to 10 years the technology could be applied in private areas like airports, factories or warehouses. “On motorways, in 10 to 20 years. In cities, the obstacles could be removed in 20-30 years.” To prove Prof Rojas’ point, the team unveiled the fruits of their work on the “Made in Germany (MIG)” vehicle, which uses cameras, lasers, heat sensors and satellite navigation – even while inside tunnels – to “see” other vehicles and pedestrians and respond to traffic lights. The researchers claimed that removing the need for a driver will mean people will use vehicles more like taxis or pool cars. More

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Google testing the self driving car!

admin — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:54:10 +0000

Internet giant Google has tested a self-driving car on the streets near its Californian headquarters – including taking a spin across San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge. The cars use video cameras, radar sensors and a laser range finder to “see” other traffic on the road, and also rely on detailed maps collected earlier with manually driven cars. On the test drives, a trained safety driver sat in the cars ready to take control if anything went wrong. In an official Google blog, Engineer Sebastian Thrun wrote: “Larry and Sergey founded Google because they wanted to help solve really big problems using technology. “And one of the big problems we’re working on today is car safety and efficiency. Our goal is to help prevent traffic accidents, free up people’s time and reduce carbon emissions by fundamentally changing car use.” More

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Pensioner drives 75 yards along railway platform!

admin — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:19:57 +0000

A confused pensioner drove his car the full length of a train platform after taking a wrong turn, leaving rail passengers to scramble out of the way. Dozens of stunned passengers waiting for trains fled as the 80-year-old drove along the platform in his Saab, with his wife in the passenger seat. He travelled 75 yards along the London-bound platform at Esher Station in Surrey, teetering dangerously close to the edge, shortly after 4pm on Saturday afternoon. Panicking onlookers dialled 999 and three police cars and an ambulance rushed to the scene. Witnesses said the man looked ‘mortified’ when he realised his blunder. But it was several hours before police officers managed to have his blue Saab Vector towed away. The 8.03pm train from Woking to London Waterloo was unable to stop at the station while the car was being removed. Housewife Suzan Baker, 47, of Esher, said that she had never seen anything like it. She said: ‘I was absolutely amazed when I saw the car on the platform. It was not what you expect to see. ‘Everyone was doing a double take and wondering what on earth the car was doing there. ‘When I got to the platform, the car was parked and the man was standing outside. ‘He looked so mortified and embarrassed. His wife was in the passenger seat. ‘He had driven the entire length of the platform, bless him, then reached the point where he could not go any further forward. ‘There were around 40 passengers on the platform, who must have had to leap out of the way of the car. ‘He went back into the car and covered his face. More

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Record set for travelling 1,526 miles on a single tank!

admin — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 21:31:45 +0000

AA Drive Smart eco-driving tuition helped a motoring journalist from The Sunday Times set a new world record for the longest distance travelled by a production car on a single tank of fuel. The record of 1,526.63 miles broke the previous one by more than 67 miles and was set in a standard Volkswagen Passat Bluemotion 1.6 diesel, which has a 70 litre fuel tank. Drive Smart was established by the AA’s charity to give at-risk new drivers a refresher in road safety and eco-driving. Before the challenge, AA Drive Smart instructor Chris Watkinson coached journalist Gavin Conway on how to improve his fuel economy, achieving a 25% gain after just one test run. Chris says: “Although Gavin is a very experienced driver, I was able to remind him of a few simple techniques – such as block changing the gears, for example from first to third; keeping to less than 2,000 revs; and removing excess weight – that anyone could benefit from. “While it’s true that the Passat has a big fuel tank, it’s still a large, fairly heavy vehicle, so it really is some achievement to get most of the way round France on a single tank. To put it in perspective, a normal diesel car gets around 45 miles per gallon on average, and they managed to double that to 90mpg.” More

Amazing escape from trashed Lotus!

admin — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 21:24:41 +0000

A SPORTS car driver walked away from an accident involving a bin wagon in which his car was written off. The 33-year-old man was driving a convertible Lotus Elise in Yarm, near Stockton, when the accident, involving the lorry travelling in the opposite direction, happened at about 8.20am yesterday. The driver suffered ruptured tendons in his right shoulder, cuts and bruises and whiplash and was taken to hospital. Witness Paul Pearson said: “Just before the roundabout at Conyers School the lorry suddenly veered right and smashed into a Lotus sports car coming the other way. “It looked like the lorry then clipped a bus shelter and carried on across a grass verge before coming to rest. More

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Wrong way driver crashes head on into lorry!

0-60 in 3.5 seconds for the new £205,000 electric Jag!

admin — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:55:06 +0000

A sexy new 205mph Jaguar supercar that blends sporting looks and performance with the latest ‘green’ technology is set to rock the prestigious Paris Motor Show when it is officially unveiled today. The new two-seater Jaguar C-X75 is a £200,000 electric hybrid vehicle uses hi-tech jet-turbine know-how from the aviation industry to sprint from rest to 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds and up to 100mph in just 5.5 seconds. It was already being dubbed last night ‘The E-Type for the 21st Century’ and is set to be pored over by a Government minister on a trade mission to the Paris show today. The new two-seater is a £200,000 electric hybrid vehicle uses hi-tech jet-turbine know-how from the aviation industry to sprint from rest to 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds The new Jaguar dispenses with a conventional internal combustion engine. Instead, powered by a lithium ion battery charged from the domestic mains, the new Jaguar can run with zero-emissions for up to 68 miles on four electric motors – one of which drives each of four wheels. Then it can harness two rear-mounted super-efficient gas-turbines to generate the extra electric power it needs to give it an extended range of 560miles – enough to get it from London to Berlin on a single 60 litre tank-full. And that is with minimal emissions of just 28g/km of carbon dioxide – the greenhouse gas blamed for global warning and against which all UK cars are now taxed. The car featured at the Paris show has the electric hybrid and gas turbine generator as its power source. But Jaguar say it could also run on a conventional petrol engine. The new Jaguar supercar that blends sporting looks and performance with the latest ‘green’ technology Jaguar said: ‘It demonstrates that it is possible to retain Jaguar¿s core values of performance, design, and luxury using technology that will make environmentally responsible’ A Jaguar spokesman said:’A six-hour plug-in charge of the lithium-ion batteries allows an electric-only range of 68 miles. ‘But the innovative twin-turbines can either charge the car’s batteries, allowing the supercar to travel 560 miles between fill-ups. Or it can automatically provide supplementary power directly to the electric motors to allow the car to top 205mph.’ More

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Volvo developing car with electric battery body!

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:05:28 +0000

It is one of the biggest problems facing the manufacturers of hybrid and electric cars: heavy batteries add weight and bulk to the vehicle’s design. But now Volvo is developing a car which deals with the problem using its whole body to act as a rechargeable battery. The futuristic car would be able to store braking energy while it was being driven and also store energy when it was plugged in overnight to recharge. The three-year project to develop the vehicle was launched earlier this year between Volvo, Imperial College in London and seven other European institutes. Imperial College is working on a composite blend of carbon fibres and polymer resin is that can store and charge more energy faster than conventional batteries. The material is extremely strong and pliant, which means it can be shaped for use in building the car’s body panels. Volvo claims that the car’s weight could be cut by as much as 15 percent if steel body panels were replaced with the new material. Scientists are developing the composite material so it can store more energy and on studying ways of producing the material. More

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Automated car parking in Birmingham!

admin — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 23:07:32 +0000

A new car park in Birmingham has a sophisticated £2m robotic system that enables cars to park themselves. The car park is 20m (65ft) below canal-side office and apartment development the Cube and access is hampered by nearby shops and bars, bosses said. Instead, motorists drive into a lift and their vehicle is taken down, spun around and placed in an empty bay. It is thought to be one of only two systems like it in the world that uses the same technology. Key fobs identify each car and a screen shows which level they are on when drivers swipe them. More and video

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Car park ticket machine lectures you in German!

Collection of pristine classic cars unearthed!

admin — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:38:43 +0000

A TIME capsule collection of vintage motors worth £350,000 has been found in a 1930s-style replica garage following the death of a motoring nut. Dedicated Phil Lomax, 78, left behind 16 rare cars and 30 motorcycles including a £60,000 Aston Martin DB2/4, three Morgan three wheelers, an Austin 7 and a host of Douglas bikes. He even built a garage in the style of a 1930s petrol station to store the cars – complete with roadside petrol pump and sign. The collection remained hidden away at his home in Yate, near Bristol until he died in the summer and his widow Joan, 81, announced she was auctioning the cars. Richard Edmonds, of the Auction Rooms in Chippenham, Wilts., said he was “astounded” when he first entered the garage. He said: “I knew the collection would be good from the descriptions on the phone but the amount of cars, motorbikes and automobilia that has come with it is astounding. More

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Bearded Devon man waves at passing cars!

admin — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 21:21:15 +0000

The man – who calls himself Moses-Peter – has spent years perched on a chair between Torquay and Paignton in Devon. Every day he dons beads and a headband and sits on a portable chair on the A3022 waving at passers-by for hours at a time. Motorists have now set up a Facebook site called “Strange Old Man Who Sits On A Bench On The Road Between Torquay And Paignton”. The site has attracted more than 5,000 followers from around the UK – many of whom have seen him while they were on holiday. Estate agent Keith Bowden said he often sees the man – who never seems to tire of waving and is always smiling. He said: ”He seems to be one of life’s eccentrics but he seems publicity shy. No-one knows a thing about him but most people wave back, and drivers beep their horns.” Fan Kelly Child said: ”It gives me an overwhelming sense of happiness when he waves at me. This man is, somehow, magical.’ More

US trials 3D images as speed reducing measures!

admin — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:29:12 +0000

Today, West Vancouver officials will roll out a new way to keep drivers alert and slow them down: a little girl speed bump. A trompe-l’œil, the apparently 3D girl located near the École Pauline Johnson Elementary School is actually a 2D pavement painting, similar to the one shown here. In what sounds like a terrifying experience, the girl’s elongated form appears to rise from the ground as cars approach, reaching 3D realism at around 100 feet, and then returning to 2D distortion once cars pass that ideal viewing distance. Its designers created the image to give drivers who travel at the street’s recommended 18 miles per hour (30 km per hour) enough time to stop before hitting Pavement Patty–acknowledging the spectacle before they continue to safely roll over her. More

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Is this the fastest table in the world?

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:57:35 +0000

A car fanatic and inventor hopes to have set a world speed record for the fastest piece of furniture. Perry Watkins, 47, from Wingrave near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, carried out two runs on a 500m track at Santa Pod in Northamptonshire on Sunday. The Queen Anne table laid out for a silver service dinner achieved an average speed of 113.8mph, although it hit 130mph at one point. Guinness must ratify the achievement to oust a 92mph record by a sofa in 2007. Mr Watkins called the table, which was built in his garage at home in just over a year, Fast Food. A 1994 Reliant Scimitar Sabre is the base of the table but it was modified with a nitrous oxide kit. Mr Watkins said: “It was actually worse than I thought it would be. It felt like 200mph. “The tablecloth was flapping away and I was trying to spot the finish line. It was quite difficult.’ More

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