Mad About Cars

The King Review of low-carbon cars, announced by Chancellor Gordon Brown in the Budget, today issued a call for evidence, inviting the views from all interested parties on how best to achieve substantial reductions in our road transport emissions over the next 25 years, as part of the Government’s strategy to tackle climate change.

Announcing the call for evidence, Professor Julia King said: “Road transport emissions account for approximately 20% of the UK’s CO2 emissions. Reduction of these emissions, in the UK and internationally, is likely to be one of the most significant challenges in meeting our environmental ambitions and tackling climate change.

This will be the next step in automobilia, and regenerating our emission levels will hopefully see drastic changes in environmental structure. This is long overdue and will be constructed and attempted globally.

“The Cossie” as it was nicknamed by boy racers, was a sports derivative of the Ford Escort. It was developed around the chassis of its predecessor, the ‘Sierra Cosworth Ghia’, and further modified to accommodate a larger Cosworth engine and transmission. The production line ran from 1992-1996 but produced limited numbers. It was an extremely unique car for its time, the main selling point being its YBT, highly tunable turbo-charged 2.0L engine which put out an impressive 227bhp as standard, with some models reaching upgrades of up to 1000bhp +.

With just 7,145 vehicles produced, the first 2,500 were “homologation Specials” for entry to The World Rally Championship. The second generation starting from late ‘94, were a much better model for usablity and everyday driving, boasting Garrett T25 turbochargers fitted to help reduce turbo lag, and given the option of a ‘whale tail’ spoiler, for airo-dynamics and added visual attraction. Upgrades were also made to the engine management system and it was given a permenant 4 wheel drive split, courtesy of an uprated 5 speed gear box.

The Ford Escort Cosworth has been a insight into the future of motorsport and the possibilities yet to come. Its accomplishments have been a well received worldwide success, and nothing beats the feeling of actually being behind the wheel!

The Escort Cosworth is a much loved car by all, and resides now in the history of all time Greats, a true collectors item!

There are all sorts of mods and accessories out there for your sports cars and other vehicle types. These modifications are what makes your vehicle unique to you, and helps you to stand out from the crowd! We are going to look at a few popular options that will help you boost your car’s image!

Exhausts……..
Exhausts range from add-on tail pipes to full stainless steel system big boar blowers. They can increase the power of your vehicle slightly and they certainly increase the noise level! Major market leaders in Exhausts are Mongoose, Scorpion, HKS and Piper. You could spend anything upto £800 for a top of the range example, but theres always the second hand option! Just as good!

Spoilers and Styling…….
Your car’s style says a lot. The selection of parts for modifying your motor to get the look you want are endless. From Body Kits to Caliper Paint, Spoilers to Lighting – whether it’s chrome, carbon or mesh you’re looking for, there’s something to suit all tastes and budgets. Top products from top brands is what you want – single wipers & kits from Storm, high quality angel eyes and Lexus style lights from Autoart, lambo doors from LSD and fuel caps from Mocal. There’s more available from E-Tech, Foliatec, Sparco and other leading brands.

Tints……..
Window Films have a unique implication when put on luxury sports vehicles. It gives an impression of authority, and also privacy. Some window films are very dark in which it is almost impossible to visualise anything in the vehicle, but they range from slight tints and half tints to full tints. Window films cannot be put on the front or rear windscreens by law but are fine for the surrounding side windows. The variants are Pre-cut Window Film, Securlux Safety Window Film or a Universal Window Film that fits most vehicle types.

Wheels……..
To offer one of the largest choices of alloy wheels to transform the look of your car, you need all the major wheel brands including TSW, TSR, Schmidt, Team Dynamics, OZ, Speedline, Fox, Kahn, Kei, Kato, Finichi, Momo, Rays, BBS, Borbet and Ronal to name but a few. To complement this range, carry a high performance tyre from Yokohama, Toyo and Falken. If you are modifying your track width or want alternative fitments then also carry a comprehensive range of wheel spacers, hub adapters, nuts and studs. For the finishing touches take a look at valves & accessories and wheel care sections.

Tuning……
There are a comprehensive range of Performance Tuning parts and accessories suitable for modifying most types of engines. Cams and cam kits from Piper, silicone hoses from Samco and SFS, dump valves from Bailey and Turbosmart, intercoolers from AHF, throttle body kits from Omex, engine remaps from Superchips, performance ignition systems from MSD ignition, cryongenic cooling systems from Cry02, and high performance lubricants from Motul, Castrol, Millers and Redline amongst others. For gearboxes, go for limited slip differentials from Quaife and Kaaz, and to couple the box with the engine, high performance flywheels from AP Racing and TTV Racing, and clutch systems from Helix, AP Racing and Alcon.

As workers at the Uk factory for the Giant Japanese Honda motor market attend their last day of work for approximately 4 months, they disclose their hopes and fears for the future and admit they fear it may be their very last shift – Paul Wiseman, 33, a general associate in the engine plant, said the mood on the factory floor was sombre. He said: “Everyone is feeling a bit down as we’re all facing four months off, and we’re all a bit worried that it might be more.” The 4,200 workers will receive their full basic pay for the first two months, reducing to 60% for the rest of the production shutdown.

Honda’s annual profit target has been slashed by an astonishing 90% in the last 3 months due to rising costs and falling sales in key markets. Senior directors have stressed the firm’s commitment to retaining its Swindon workforce until the autumn when the Jazz model is due to go into production, but for most staff like Mr Wiseman, for now, will just have to empathise with the decision to shut down production at the Swindon plant.

Almost a third of car sales for the month of January plummet as the effects of the economy hit hard. Leading Car Dealerships like Audi say they have suffered a 29% loss and up to 31% around Europe. Its a lack of consumer confidence and the record sales that hit last year that reflects this major decrease.

“This year wont be easy for anyone” said Peter Schwarzenbauer, an Audi board member, ” But our strategy remains expansive” he added….

On a positive note, in comparison with competitors, Audi’s attempt to target the younger market has been a well recieved success, with a younger based product range it has proven a growing market share.

And with bright spots such as Austrailia bringing up to a 6% increase in sales, there are certainly means for some action….