Road trip this summer?

Alarmingly, only 50% of drivers planning a trip abroad say that they will check driving rules and regulations before they leave. 1 in 10 believe the driving laws are the same in every country*.

Kate Rock, PR & Corporate Communications Manager at Goodyear Tyres, comments: “Several changes have been made to driving laws across Europe over the past few years, so it’s essential for motorists who are planning on driving abroad to ensure they have all the compulsory or recommended equipment.

“In France, for example, drivers are required to carry a self-test breathalyser and it’s illegal to drive with a satnav that shows the whereabouts of speed cameras.

“Before drivers head off, we advise they familiarise themselves with the rules of the road and ensure they have all the correct documents, including insurance and European breakdown cover.

“To help avoid a breakdown abroad, we would advise drivers to check their car before they leave – tyre pressure and tread depth, oil levels, windscreen wash, breaks etc.”

For additional advice on driving in Europe this year, motorists can visit Goodyear’s blog at Hug the Roads: www.hugtheroads.com/road-ready-europe

*Data gleaned from a 2015 GoCompare survey of 1,820 randomly selected British adults.

VISION NEXT 100 - An Evening with Rolls-Royce video

VISION NEXT 100 - An Evening with Rolls-Royce

It’s not every day that you get invited to travel into the future with Rolls-Royce, and yesterday evening proved to be quite an occasion.

The last chance to catch a glimpse of the 103EX, Rolls-Royce’s vision of our driving (not too distant) future, before it sets off on a round-the-world tour, it also gave R-R a chance to reaffirm their commitment to manufacturing vehicles at the Goodwood plant.

Hot weather warning: Dogs die in hot cars

Just read this very important article warning of the dangers of leaving pets in your car on hot sunny days. Quite an eye opener.

Visit the Ignitionline site for more details.

Friday F1 Fun!

Someone at Formula1sBlog has kindly put together a selection of the funny and daft things that F1 drivers are required to do for their sponsors…

And where would we be on a Friday afternoon without them!!

Pierre Gasly–Reserve Driver Red Bull Racing

What happens when Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing get together..?

The AM-RB 001 hypercar, that’s what!

Driven by a new V12, naturally aspirated engine, the AM-RB 001 is a mid-engined, two seated, carbon fibre constructed road-legal vehicle… and with Adrian Newey behind it, it achieves unprecedented levels of downforce through radical underfloor aerodynamics.

Of the project, Adrian Newey says, “I’ve long harboured the desire to design a road car. The formation of Red Bull Advanced Technologies brought me a step closer to realising that ambition, but I believed we should work with an automotive manufacturer. Aston Martin was at the top of my list. The synergy between Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin is clear. I knew Red Bull Racing had the ability to handle the pure performance aspects, but Aston Martin’s experience of making beautiful, fast and comfortable GT cars is of great benefit to the project. I’ve always been adamant that the AM-RB 001 should be a true road car that’s also capable of extreme performance on track, and this means it really has to be a car of two characters. That’s the secret we’re trying to put into this car - the technology that allows it to be docile and comfortable, but with immense outright capabilities.”

Through Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing’s on-going “Innovation Partnership”, the engineering behind the car will be shared, with production at Aston Martin’s Gaydon base. With delivery of the first cars expected in 2018, the total production is expected to be between 99 and 150 road cars, and 25 track only versions.

Get your name down now!

Congrats to Sebastien Buemi–Formula E World Champion

Congratulations to Sebastien Buemi and the Renault e.dams team for winning this year’s Formula E titles following a weekend of dramatic races in London’s Battersea Park.

Here’s hoping next weekend at Silverstone is as good….