Here’s another installment from the Institute of Advanced Motorists’ Drive & Survive series, this time helping you both drive and survive on the roads of the countryside. We’ll let the IAM’s expert, Simon Elstow, do the talking, as usual:
Monthly Archives: April 2012
country driving Tips from the experts
Here’s another installment from the Institute of Advanced Motorists’ Drive & Survive series, this time helping you both drive and survive on the roads of the countryside. We’ll let the IAM’s expert, Simon Elstow, do the talking, as usual:
Lotus has astonishing press release meltdown
At about 5pm yesterday, amid rumours of a company in crisis, Lotus sent out a flabbergasting press release that instantly sent Twitter loopy. The company also posted it to the Facebooks, because Lotus listens to rap music and hangs out with celebrities these days, so it’s cool enough to do social networking LOL. (The rumour it’s about to close its Facebook account and start a Myspace page is, we’re told, totes a lie and that.)The press release was written in direct response to a Photoshop job on satirical motoring website Sniff Petrol.But, as it turns out, Sniff was just the straw that broke the Elise’s roof – Lotus has all manner of axes to grind…Winding Lotus right up are reports that its CEO has left, and the company is about to go into administration. Now, it’s not unusual for a company to rebuff claims that it’s in trouble, be it for tactical or genuine reasons. However, it’s the rambling, unguarded, highly non-corporate nature of Lotus’s denial that’s so unbelievable. Someone get Lotus a cheeseburger, quick!Ever since the 2010 Paris Motor Show, when Lotus officially went mental, the company has seemed fixated on becoming the Charlie Sheen of the automotive industry.
New Volvo V40 prices announced
Volvo has announced more details of its new V40, which is aimed squarely at the new Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series. Prices start at £19,745 for the ES 115bhp diesel, rising to just under £27,000 for the 180bhp SE Lux (petrol and diesel have the same power and price). In a sign of the times, there is no entry-level petrol model: it’s the 150bhp turbocharged 1.6 litre from the Ford Focus Ecoboost or nothing.
Ferrari F40 prototype for sale
A prototype of arguably Ferrari’s most iconic road car, the F40, will come up for sale next month at a Monaco auction.The race liveried F40 is one of eight F40 prototypes thought to have been made by Ferrari before the production version was released. It has been upgraded to F40 GT racing specification by Italian company Michelotto, and will be sold with a full documented history of work.
Lotus denies threat of administration
A statement released by Lotus has gone some way to allay any fears that Proton’s parent company were preparing to pull the plug on the group, as well as confirming the position of CEO Dany Bahar in the firm.
“Despite various rumours in the media to the contrary, at no point has DRB-Hicom indicated to Group Lotus that they intend to put the company into administration and we welcome the opportunity to put that rumour along with incorrect speculation that production has stopped, that Dany Bahar is no longer CEO and that we are no longer involved in F1 to bed.
