Monthly Archives: June 2012

Aston Martin double at Le Mans

June 16, 2012   simon

As well as competing with the Vantage at this year’s Le Mans, Aston Martin is returning to the circuit with its 1959 Le Mans winning DBR1, as a tribute to its drivers Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori, who passed away in recent weeks.The world-famous DBR1 will travel to Le Mans this week where it will be on display outside Aston Martin’s hospitality suite at the Parc du Raccordement, near to the start of the pit straight.
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Dacia prepares to launch Duster SUV in the UK

June 15, 2012   simon

If you have never heard of Dacia, you soon will – it is to Renault what Skoda is to VW. The new low cost brand, which has been a big success in both emerging markets and the rest of Europe since 2005, will arrive in the UK at the end of June. Its main model will be the Duster SUV – think of a more basic, and far cheaper, version of the smash-hit Skoda Yeti. The new car officially goes on sale on June 28th.
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New Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT – 160 mph, £58,995

June 15, 2012   simon

Who would have thought it – a new Jeep that costs Range Rover money and has Porsche levels of performance (in a straight line at least)? The idea of being able to do over 150 mph in something as tall as a Grand Cherokee is a daunting idea, although the ability to get to 62 mph in 5.0 seconds while transporting the family pets is quite entertaining (if not for the pets).
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DVLA personal plates raise £4.7 million

June 15, 2012   simon

More records were set by the Olympic- and Jubilee-themed personal plate sale at London’s City Hall.Jubilee tie-ins PR11 NCE and HA12 RRY fetched a combined total of £21,700, while Olympic plates, REL 44Y and RUN 3R, fetched £730 and £2,548 respectively.With the European Championships just hours away, England supporter Brian Brody, aged 66, of St John’s Wood, London, bought EN61 AND for £19,800. However, that was surpassed by HO11 AND which was bought by businessman John Holland, as a gift for his daughter, Kelly, for little over £25,500.
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Ford Focus ST First Drive review

June 14, 2012   simon

What is it?This is the third generation of the ST, Ford’s hot Focus, and probably the sportiest version we are going to see (an RS version currently looks unlikely, alas).

This version gets the most powerful ST engine so far – 247 bhp, providing a top speed of 154 mph and a 0-62 mph time of 6.5 seconds. However, it is by no means the biggest at 2.0 litres and four cylinders, rather than the 2.5 litres and five cylinders of the previous generation. This one is more powerful and way more economical (CO2 output goes down from 225 g/km to 169 g/km, for a big tax saving), but enthusiasts may worry that it has lost the fabulous five-cylinder warble along with the dipsomaniac thirst.

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