Heikki Kovalainen, Team Lotus & Caterham at Duxford

Team Lotus Enterprise purchases Caterham Cars

Announced at Duxford, Team Lotus has purchased the sportscar company Caterham, presumably to replace the relationship that Tony Fernandes, the charismatic owner of the Team, had hoped to foster with Group Lotus.

Keen to enter the sportscar market, Fernandes is quick to defend the tradition behind the Caterham (and the "Seven") brand pointing out that "Caterham Cars has remained wholly faithful to Colin Chapman's philosophy that 'less is more', and the DNA of the original Seven can still be traced to the newest additions to Caterham's product offering."

Mirror, mirror on the door..

A quick tip for anyone experiencing 'Wobbly Mirror Syndrome" - double-sided carpet tape.

Yes, this miracle adhesive came to my rescue this week when the drivers' side door mirror glass decided to do its best to impersonate a jelly at any speed above walking pace.

Being something of a glass half-empty (if not indeed fully-drained) sort of chap,my first thoughts upon discovering my visual aid's new party trick involved the thought that lots of my pounds were going to have to be handed over to my friendly local Skoda dealer for a new mirror.

I based this prognosis on a number of factors -

1) Nothing cheap & easily fixable ever happens to me.

2) We're dealing with a complex VW Group part which is electrically manipulated, heated & incorporates an indicator-repeater assembly - ie, EXPENSIVE.

3) Sod's Law WILL apply.

So, after a drive up the A3 which involved a lot more over-the-shoulder checks (probably a good thing) than usual and the application at journey's end of a generous amount of gaffer tape I set about trying to minimise what seemed to be an inevitable outlay which would probably involve writing a cheque to 'Skoda GB Ltd' or, at least, one of their approved agents.

A quick phone around only deepened my gloom as it revealed that a complete replacement mirror assembly would set me back at least £80 & well over a hundred if painted.

Not ideal..

So, with worst-case scenario in place (well, it's best to know what to expect) I headed over to the ever-friendly & unceasingly-helpful forums at www.Briskoda.net

A quick search through the forums turned up the magic phrase "wobbly wing-mirror"

Bingo..

And, as I scrolled down and read through the post I felt my rounded shoulders become straightened once more, my bowed head regained something of an upward tilt and my wallet started to breathe a sigh of relief as I discovered that my worst fears were unfounded - VW Group were not after all going to be relieving me (or at least MINT/RBS Financial Services, initially) of a hefty wad of cash because all was going to be ok.

All I needed was a roll of carpet tape.

Heavy-duty, double-sided carpet tape.

Yes, according to the author of the post on the Skoda-owners' message boards it seems that oscillating door glass is quite a common problem amongst owners of cars made by VW or their subsidiaries (although one would hope that those lucky & incredibly well-heeled enough to have shelled out for a Veyron might be spared this inconvenience).

The problem arises due to the fact that the sticky pad used to mount the actual reflective glass onto the electrically-adjustable mechanism isn't, er, sticky enough.

After a couple of years the glass bit loses its grip - first becoming wobbly before falling off, leaving you with just a large expanse of white (formerly) sticky pad in your rear view and a bill for £14 plus to replace the bit of glass which is now in a thousand pieces in the outside lane a couple of hundred metres behind you..

However, with just the application of a few strips of the aforementioned carpet tape - available in most big DIY stores, carpet suppliers (natch) and Amazon (where mine came from) - you can restore your rearward view of the world in just a couple of minutes & proceed on your way, safe in the knowledge that you're less likely to pull into the path of a Hungarian-registered artic.

I have to admit to a bit of trepidation as I gently levered the mirror out of the housing the morning the postman brought the (very) sticky tape.

As I gingerly pulled and manouvered the glass & plastic backing plate off its motorised mounting I fully-expected to hear a loud and costly crack as the mirror shattered into a billion pieces - but no, as advised by my new best friend on the forum, it came off with the minimum of fuss and after carefully removing the two spade connectors which supply power to heat the glass I finally had in my hands the business end of a Skoda Octavia II door mirror.

Upon inspection on the dining table it became very evident why the thing had been flapping around so much as only a 2mm wide strip of mirror was still attached to the upper edge of the (no longer very) sticky pad.

"Probably a good thing I had the gaffer tape with me a couple of days ago" I nodded to myself in what I like to think of as a sage-like manner..

Anyway, sage or no (no, actually) I gave all the surfaces a good clean and reattached the glass using the mightily-sticky double-sided tape.

Upon applying this stuff, any lingering doubts I'd been harbouring about its ability to hold onto a piece of glass whilst being buffeted at motorway speeds were soon allayed as it grabbed onto the mirror like a limpet & I'm pretty confident it's not going to come off again in a hurry.

A quick reversal of the removal procedure & voila, one rock-solid rearward-facing police car/juggernaut/speeding Audi spotting device.

So far, 4 days after surgery the patient is seemingly fully-recovered and all vital signs are good.

Well, it hasn't started flapping around or fallen off..

And the moral of this informative if not exactly awe-inspiring tale of DIY automotive-fixery..?

Well, it's probably this - don't always assume it'll cost you an arm & a leg.

Whilst it's often a reasonable assumption in today's disposable culture that things will wear out and require expensive replacement there is still scope for fixing it yourself so long as you do your homework.

In my case, a bit of digging in the right place turned up an invaluable piece of information from a fellow temporarily-visually-impared Skodarist & also served to remind me what a helpful & friendly place a web forum can be, especially when you need help & advice.

So, if you find that your rearwards view of the world isn't quite as steady as you remember, it might just be worth your while getting hold of some miracle-cure carpet tape soonish before you end up decorating the dual carriageway with expensive silvered-glass..

Dave Wakefield

Can we fix it..?

..yes we can.. (to coin a phrase) Well, that's the idea if a new online service launched today is the success its creators hope it'll be.

Whilst we don't normally do too much in the way of plugging, this idea seemed a little different so we thought we'd bend the rules a bit.

Whocanfixmycar is the brainchild of the team behind makeandmodel.co.uk & will allow motorists to track down the ideal mechanic or service centre in their local area.

By posting their particular requirements online, customers will be able to get quotes from technicians and garages who have previously registered with the service & narrow down the search for their perfect spanner-wielding car doctor at the click of a mouse.

Once the customer has had the work carried out by their selected business, they leave the all important feedback - much as one might when ordering goods and services from say, Amazon or Ebay - which tells other potential clients just who's worth entrusting their precious wheels to and to whom they should possibly give a wide berth..

North East-based Ian Griffiths who's behind the new venture hopes to have the service available nationwide soon & believes that that it'll prove to be a great facility for both motorists and mechanics alike.

For more information, visit www.whocanfixmycar.com and see if you can find a perfect match for you and your motor.

David Wakefield

F1 Update on Robert Kubica

Slightly better news from Italy... Robert's general condition is much better today...

After spending the night under constant observation, he was briefly woken up by the doctors of the Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure) this morning. The Lotus Renault GP driver was then able to talk to his relatives. He was also able to move his fingers, which is encouraging for the rest of his recovery process.

Professor Mario Igor Rossello, Director for the Regional Centre of Hand Surgery at San Paolo Hospital in Savona, did not notice any swelling or infection on his right forearm, and this is another good sign, although it will be several days before it is known if the operation has been 100% successful.

In order to avoid any physical stress, Robert will be put under gentle medication in order to sleep for the next 24 hours at least. Meanwhile, the doctors will decide how they will treat his elbow and shoulder fractures. Robert may have to undergo surgery once again for this, but not for a few days.

Sometime soon, an accident investigation will try to establish how the car floor was pierced by a crash barrier.

Graham Benge

What now for Robert Kubica?

As we've previously reported, Lotus-Renault's likeable number one driver Robert Kubica is currently recovering in an Italian hospital following an horrific rallying accident yesterday when his Skoda Fabia left the road en route to a stage of the Ronde di Andora event.

Graham has already extended our best wishes to Robert & his family on behalf of us all at UKMT and I know that these sentiments are heartfelt as we all have a lot of time for the quietly-spoken Pole.

Whilst the reports following the extensive operation to stabilise Robert's condition are encouraging, and these are of course very early days, we do wonder whether he will ever again be fit for duty in the demanding world of Formula One, given the nature & extent of the injuries he sustained in his Super 2000 Fabia.

The top tier of open-wheeled motorsport is notoriously demanding on body & mind with even the comparatively-limited power and grip levels permitted under the current FIA regulations failing to slow the current crop of F1 cars by any huge margin. This may well prove to be problematic for Robert if he has been unfortunate enough to suffer a permanent impairment to his mobility levels, not to mention the requirement for drivers to be able to exit the cockpit of a stricken car within an FIA-mandated time in order to qualify for their Super Licence.

On the positive side though, F1 cars today do make life for their pilots somewhat less physically-demanding than those of even a few years ago with, for example, the standard fitment of paddle-operated gearshift & clutch as well as powered steering helping to alleviate some of the more arduous tasks drivers of yore had to contend with.

Add to this the example set by other drivers who have suffered terrible injuries in the past yet have been able to return to motor racing in the (helpfully modified) cockpit of a racing car & the outlook might not look quite so bleak..

Former F1 driver & Thoroughly Decent Chap (in our humble opinion) Alex Zanardi was amost killed whilst driving in CART in 2001 and lost both his lower legs following a huge accident at the Lausitzring in the September of that year.

Yet, whilst unable to resume his career in open-wheeled racing, following a long & painful period of rehabilitation Alex was able to return with no little success in Touring Cars before retiring from the sport in 2009.

Fellow Italian Sandro Nannini was another promising Formula One prospect whose career in the category was sadly ended following a helicopter crash which left him with a severed right arm in 1990. Encouragingly for Kubica who has also suffered partial severment of his right hand, surgery was successful enough to give Nannini back use of the arm and he went on to compete in both Touring Cars and the FIA GT Series as well as having an outing in the short-lived Grand Prix Masters as recently as 2007.

So, maybe some encouragement there for Robert and his team but of course the prime concern is that he makes as full and thorough a recovery from his devastating injuries as possible before even contemplating a return to any form of motorsport.

We shall of course be following his road to recovery with interest and will keep you posted with any further developments & thoughts that reach us here, especially in the short term regarding Robert's replacement for some, if not all of the 2011 F1 season - the name Senna on the side of a Lotus again..?

hmm..

Anyway, in the meantime, here's to a speedy recovery and many more years of doing what he does best for one of the sport's nicer characters, Robert Kubica.

Dave Wakefield

F1 - Robert Kubica out for the season after massive rally crash

Robert Kubica underwent a seven-hour operation at the Santa Corona Hospital in Pietra Ligure this afternoon.

The Lotus Renault GP driver had been diagnosed with multiple fractures to his right arm and leg following a high-speed accident at the Ronda de Andora rally this morning. He also suffered severe cuts to his forearm, which could have an impact on his right hand mobility. Doctors are reasonably satisfied with the way the operation went.

Tonight, Robert's condition remains stable but serious. He has been placed into an induced coma and could be woken up in the morning.

Professor Mario Igor Rossello, Director for the Regional Centre of Hand Surgery at San Paolo Hospital in Savona: "It has been a very important and difficult operation. Robert Kubica's right forearm was cut in two places, with significant lesions to the bones and the tendons. We did our best to rebuild the functions of the forearm. It took seven doctors, split into two teams and a total of seven hours to complete the operation. One team was the emergency task force from the hospital of San Paolo (Savona) that is normally appointed to treat this sort of injury, while the other team came from the orthopaedic department of the Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure). At the end of the operation, Robert's hand was well vascularised and warm, which is encouraging. Following the surgery, Robert Kubica will remain under permanent monitoring overnight because his condition remains serious."

Graham Benge

F1 Award for Tony Fernandes

Tony Fernandes has been awarded a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - 6th February 2011

Tony Fernandes, Team Lotus Team Principal, AirAsia Group CEO and Malaysia's iconic entrepreneur, has been awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire honour by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The citation says the award was conferred "for services to promote commercial and educational links" between the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

Congrats from all at UKMT!!

Graham Benge

F1 -Robert Kubica injured in rally car

UPDATE ON ROBERT KUBICA'S CONDITION

After undergoing extensive medical checks this morning, Robert Kubica has been diagnosed with multiple fractures to his right arm, leg and hand. He is currently undergoing surgery at the Santa Corona Hospital in Pietra Ligure. Robert suffered a high-speed accident this morning while competing in the Ronde di Andora Rally. All at UKMT wish the popular Robert a speedy recovery.

Graham Benge

F1 - wheels within wheels

So the launches and the first round of testing in less than sunny Valencia are ended and next week the circus gets down to more serious set up work in Jerez, the sunnier end of Spain. With the new McLaren the very last to appear - today - what do we know so far. The new cars are all longer - due to the need to add the packaging for the new KERS systems, taller due to the need to improve the airflow to the new driver adjustable rear wing and have more complex aerodynamics everywhere for the same reason, especially the "up periscope" sides on the McLaren.

Aside from the usual set up niggles for most of the teams, hydraulic failures, overheating, etc etc the new Pirelli tyres have so far been a major talking point the consensus view is that changes to the compounds may still be necessary, the super softs are barely lasting one lap, the softs are graining rapidly whereas the medium compound is both quick and durable and a useful baseline for the engineers and drivers.

The other major discussion - nay, grumble - among the drivers is how busy they are in the cockpit and how the new steering wheels are just too complex, take last years £30-40,000 wheel and add at least two more constantly monitored buttons for KERS and the rear wing and you hugely increase the drivers work rate. Some team bosses seem to be saying tough, get on with it, that's what we pay you for, some smarter managers might already realise the 2011 championship could just be won or lost on the ergonomics of the steering wheel.

Graham Benge

Further driving tips...

And here are a few more tips to help us all cope with the cold weather...

Clearing ice/frost off windows before you move off:- The Motor factors across the country would want you to spend thousands of pounds clearing all of your glass with their spray de-icers... Get a good quality ice scraper and a thick pair of gloves to scrape off the majority ice/frost. Use sparingly the De-icer and spray it over your wiper blades and make sure they lift off the windscreen before you move off and on the rear wiper if you have one. This saves burning-out expensive wiper motors, blowing wiper motor fuses and/or damaging wiper blades. Use again (sparingly) the De-icer spray it into the very top of your drivers and passengers side windows, should you need to open either of these windows you will again save on burning out expensive electric window motors and fuses. Also, spray some of that De-Icer onto your washer jets.

DO NOT pour hot water on any glass with ice or frost, the rapid change in temperature could cause the glass to crack.

On the move keeping the windscreen free of ice/frost/salt:- Whilst on the move and the first few miles behind another vehicle the screen has salt on it.......... the temptation is to operate the windscreen washers, but because the water in the bottle or at the jets has frozen to ice nothing happens... Well something does happen and the little item that protects all electrical circuits on the vehicle, i.e. the washer motor fuse, blows. It is worth identifying where this fuse is fitted on your vehicle, checking your handbook and purchasing a few spare fuses for the cold weather.

Expensive prestige vehicles have small heater elements in their washer bottles and quickly turn the ice back to water then switch off again when the water temp reaches a given point.

Less expensive vehicles have nothing but you can purchase these heater element kits and fit them yourself should you be that way inclined.

Another way to help prevent the water from freezing is to use a higher concentration of washer fluid with an antifreeze content but in extreme cold not even this works. Go to your local garden centre and purchase one of those pump action spray gun bottles, fill it with a high concentration of washer fluid, you will have to stop when you screen is covered with too much salt but at least you can spray it on the screen to see and be safe. Sadly until the water defrosts in your washer bottle you may have to stop a few times especially on a long journey but again you will be safe. The same spray gun can be used to clean off the salt from your rear and front lights and number plates, so that you stay safe and legal..!

Winter Driving Tips from UKMT's technical chaps....

We catch up with our technical chaps to see if they have any thoughts about driving in the current snow and ice..... and here's what they said!

Auto Transmissions:- Some have a Snow button function, in short the Autobox ECU forces the box to shift-up to a higher gear and will not allow a low gear like 1st or second to be selected when the "Snow Button" is pressed. The philosophy being that if you gradually move off by tickling the throttle in a high gear there will be less chance of wheel spinning and losing traction, more importantly you will begin to move forward slowly and safely.

ESP:- If your transmission does not have this function or you may have a manual transmission the "Traction Control" function of your ABS/ESP should kick in. What is this then..................modern vehicles have a number of ways of providing you with traction control "Wheel spin prevention in low traction conditions" How do you know it's working, when traction control kicks in the ESP light will flash on the dash board, you can press the throttle as hard as you want the system reduces engine power. There are many ways by which the transmission, ABS and engine ECU's prevent wheel spin, the most common are:- Cutting the fuel delivery to the injectors, ABS braking the wheels or a combination of these in very quick succession.

Diesel engines:- Modern HDI (High Pressure Direct injection) still have heater plugs but rarely use them due to their high combustion efficiency and ability to start in cold conditions. In recent years manufacturers have removed the heater plug light from the dash board therefore in very cold conditions like we are currently experiencing you will need the heater plugs but will not necessarily have an indication on the dashboard of their run or heat duration. Advice is with HDi engines in very cold weather switch on ignition for a few seconds before cranking the engine to allow heater plugs to run a cycle.

Old Diesel engines Direct or Indirect injection:- Will all have heater plugs and a dash light to indicate their run cycle, when the weather is very cold let them run for three cycles, i.e switch on ignition, let the plugs run a cycle, watch light on dash go out then repeat another two times. Do not use ether type sprays into the induction system, they wash critical oil off the piston rings for first time start and rapidly increase cylinder bore wear. This is like pouring salt in wound, the engine is already a poor starter due to piston ring & bore wear, diesel engines rely on the heat generated on the compression stroke to start. Spraying these ether aid starters into the induction system accelerates the wear process, which is why motorists say that an old diesel engine becomes addicted to these ether spray starting aids.

BBC News - De-icing cars taken outside Banstead and Caterham homes

Just spotted this article on Surrey pages of BBC website.... BBC News - De-icing cars taken outside Banstead and Caterham homes I imagine other car thieves around the country are no less imaginative...

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Blindingly simple - or so you'd think.

Well, once again the "season of mists of mellow fruitfulness...blah, blah.." lines are being trotted out as the mercury plummets below effing cold degrees C here in the UK and we road users find ourselves faced once more with that hardy old perennial; namely, foglight abuse.

Yes - as if they needed another excuse to push every single button with the wiggly-line headlight icon stamped on it, the Great British Public now has another tool in the box marked 'guaranteed to wind up my fellow motorist' - the box which of course contains such helpful, blood-pressure-raising delights as the badly-adjusted, retina-searing headlight, the billion-watt 'in-car' stereo system (see most 'enhanced' Saxo VTRs) & of course the magnetic front bumper (Audi/BMW).

It seems increasingly likely that there is some kind of national epidemic triggered by the arrival of the first fog of autumn - the symptoms being an itchy fog-light finger that feels compelled to operate the auxilliary lamps mounted at front & rear of the victim's vehicle upon the detection of even the slightest gentle mist wafting from a meadow or playing field to within, say a couple of feet of the road. These symptoms manifest themselves quickly, regardless of the severity of the mist/fog cloud & regardless too of the proximity of other road users who then find themselves afflicted with a burning sensation in the eyes caused by bright red or white lights in their field of vision. And, unfortunately, due to the apparent aberration within the sufferer's brain which causes the activation of what might be mistaken for a mobile tribute to Blackpool at Christmas time, he or she is apparently unable to switch these lights back off with the same haste when the fog recedes or another vehicle is clearly visible within say oh, half a mile.


Takes a breath, slurp of tea and one of those little pink pills the nice doctor said would reduce that twitching vein on the temple.


Suffice it to say then that the misuse of foglights is normally guaranteed to elicit a certain consternation here at Motortalk Towers - this particular outpuring of ire being triggered by the usual commute into West London this morning from the leafy Surrey/Hants countryside where many of the team are based.


The signs weren't good as the temperature fell like a stone last night and the mist started rolling in to the valley where we live early in the evening - and as I chiselled the ice off the car this morning with the temperature gauge bleating a bracing -2 deg C I just knew that we were in for a dazzling display of motoring ignorance all the way up the A3 & beyond..


And, we weren't to be disappointed as, joining a busy but flowing A3 south of Guildford there were more than a few vehicles within plain sight of each other with their foglights on front and rear for no apparent reason other than at some point their drivers had experienced fog and had switched them on.
Yes, it was quite foggy in places - particularly in & around the country lanes which link home to the main roads but honestly, not one of the people I found myself driving alongside on the roads this morning could justifiably have claimed that having these extra lights aglow on their vehicle was neccessary - apart, perhaps from the bloke in a Fiesta whose offside headlight had failed; we'll give him the benefit of the doubt..


Now, don't get us wrong. Used correctly, foglights are a very effective and worthwhile fitment in a country such as ours with its, er, changeable weather patterns, and an extra bright rear lamp can be a real confidence boost when stopped in fog on a blind bend or travelling slowly on a misty & poorly-lit dual carriageway where distance judgement can be tricky as visibility is dramatically reduced.

In fact, there's a growing acceptance of the use of - in particular - rear fog lamps in territories where they are not manadatory as they are here in the EU, indeed Mini owners in the 'States successfully lobbied BMW USA to make them optional on cars sold over there and web forums relating to other models not fitted with the feature as standard regularly feature 'how to' instructional posts for those keen to add the functionality to their vehicles.


So, on the whole then, they would seem to be A Good Thing if used correctly & not as an additional piece of posing equipment chosen from the options list (BMW 1 Series owners, you know who we're talking about here) or as a light-emitting cloak of invincibility which renders the user impervious to danger in foggy conditions.

To that end, perhaps it bears repeating that, according to none other an authority than The Highway Code (last read by approx 99% of drivers the day before they passed their driving test):

"You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves."


And 'seriously reduced' is usually taken to mean less than 100 metres, or 328 feet if you can't get to grips with that new-fangled decimal nonsense.

So, to all those who press every single lighting button on the dashboard, a plea.

Why not take the time to read two quite important pieces of literature?

1) Your vehicle handbook - it'll be that tatty thing stuffed under the seat, in the glove box or propping up the leg of the dining table which has never been the same since that incident with the gin & the hacksaw.

It'll tell you all about what those buttons which look like they switch the headlights on actually do & what the lights they're actually connected to are for.

2) The Highway Code - No. No, we've no idea either - probably long gone and unlikely it's ever been looked at since you ripped up the L plates - well, here you go, here's the bit you need:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069859

pretty much the first line on the page..

You're welcome.



Dave Wakefield

Drooling in Paris.

Paris Motor Show – Mondial De L’Automobile 2010

What better way to aquaint ourselves with the latest offerings from the World's car makers than a trip to Paris in a Maserati..?

Alex Wakefield reports..

This very nearly didn’t happen.

Three hours after leaving our hotel, a theoretical ten minute drive from the Paris Expo centre at Porte De Versailles, we are still circling the showground, desperately hunting for a parking space. It had made sense to travel by Maserati GranSport the night before, sailing down the empty Autoroutes into Paris but as we inched forward towards the already full car parks, the heat from the exhaust system started to find its way into the cabin and the CambioCorsa gearbox began to complain. A smell of clutch filled the air in our locale.

But then a break – a shortcut out of the city passing the very last car park and a quick word with the parking attendant revealed that there were four spaces left in the whole park. We got the last one and, revelling in our good fortune made our way into the show. Another five minutes and you would be reading about the Eiffel Tower.

It’s clear that the Parisians love their motor show. A bi-annual event, it draws crowds from far and wide including ourselves. Basically, it’s now our local motor show. It’s very hard to think of somewhere, in London certainly that has the space to host this size of event. That it can be done so close to the heart of Paris is quite remarkable. There are people everywhere.

This is the second weekend of the show and coming on a day like this was always going to be a bit of a mistake. It was a warm, sunny day too – adding to the crowds no doubt.

We made our way to Lamborghini’s stand first. These days, the only way you can do this is with an invite. For those lucky enough to have one, it’s fantastic. For those without, on a busy Saturday you will be lucky if you manage even to be able to take a decent photo of what’s there. From the stand, we have a fantastic opportunity to see what has been presented. There are two Gallardos, but the focus is the amazing Sesto Elemento concept.

About the same size as the Gallardo, there is a clear family resemblance but this car is all about future direction for Lamborghini. It also explains why there is no Murcielago present. Production stopped months ago, to clear the decks for an almost entirely new factory concentrating on the carbon fibre replacement for the old 12 cylinder, range-topping monster. Lamborghini have invested tens of millions of Euros into the future of their supercar and the Sesto Elemento hints at what is to come.

A carbon fibre tub and cladding reduce weight, the core of the car being very evident on squinting though the window. The potential of the car is mouth-watering but alas, this must remain a product for the show stands. At Geneva 2011, you can expect to see some of the features of this car on the long awaited Murcielago successor, which will share the concept’s weight reduction almost certainly to a significant advantage in performance, and manoeuvrability.

Expect to see the double bubble roof and certain stylistic features too. We are assured the new model will feature an enormous integral rear wing, something in the region of 700BHP and a superfast paddle shift gearbox as standard equipment. The new architecture will make the cabin a less claustrophobic place to be, although purists will be pleased to hear that the trademark scissor doors remain.

A short walk round to the Bentley stand and the environment changes from the intense to the serene. We are shown around by the company’s representative who tells us about the new Continental Coupe.

It is the first in a revised Continental line that will see convertible and Flying Spur models eventually revamped and at first it is difficult to see the difference. But a few rotations of the display model show the car to have a wider, lower and meaner stance. Attention has been paid to the front and rear lighting area to maintain the family appearance which has recently been bolstered by the presence in the range of the new Mulsanne. The interior features a new TFT screen and navigation system but retains the charm of the original without feeling overly retro. It’s an appealing place to spend time, very much like the car it replaces and it’s clear that the people at Bentley have thought long and hard about what their customers want. The outgoing car has been with us for about seven years now, which is the extent of the typical model cycle in 21st century Europe. The small amount of meddling with what has been an enormously successful model for Bentley makes it clear that if it isn’t broken, it shouldn’t be fixed.

Model cycles are something Bentley never used to be too concerned about - the now defunct Arnage being a case in point. That car could trace its ancestry back decades, beyond the Vickers era of combined Rolls Royce and Bentley ownership, and although it had a loyal following, all good things have to come to an end. It has been replaced by the Mulsanne, a four door saloon in the same mould but which manages to be even more imposing than even the mighty Arnage could manage. The car is enormous, pointing to its function as a car to be driven in but not forgetting that on some occasions, it will be driven by its owner. The ‘six and three quarter’ turbocharged petrol V8 remains, and this is a good thing as torque and effortless performance was never a problem for this powerhouse. In heavily-revised form, it now has cylinder deactivation and the ability to run on bio ethanol to decrease the car’s impact on the environment. A bit..

The biggest crowds are to be found around the Ferrari stand. This is nothing new at motor shows as Ferrari never disappoint with what they bring & at the Paris show they remain true to form. It’s a blessed relief to be admitted onto the stand to take a closer look at the 599 SA Aperta – the soft top version of the 599 Coupe which has been with us a few years now. It’s probably the only time we will see one, only eighty cars are to be made and all of them are sold. Featuring a light soft top roof, the car maintains the same distinctive appearance without managing to appear awkward as can often happen when decapitation is carried out some way into a car’s life.

A few changes have been made to reduce weight and ensure the driving experience is preserved. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to try the car out and see if they had met their objectives here, but we will assume that the way the car drives will be adequate to those lucky eighty.







Enjoying a drink and canapé in the behind the scenes bar, there are opportunities to review the rest of the range on the stand, including a beautiful black 458 Italia. It’s always exciting to see something like this in a colour other than the ubiquitous red.

The options for personalisation of your Ferrari are incredible and hidden away at the back of the stand is the Atelier section where examples of exterior body colours, leather options and bespoke trim are on display. Nevertheless, if it isn’t red, it won’t hold value as well, despite the theory that those in other colours are actually better looked after by owners who put more time and thought into their dream car. And dream cars are what this stand is all about, no manufacturer better expressed this desire than Ferrari and this is reflected in the number of people standing on each other’s shoulders, pushing and shoving just to get a shot of something on their phone camera.

A trip to Ferrari cannot be considered complete these days without stopping off at Maserati for a look. Clearly the crowds agree, as it takes some time to make our way onto the stand with Maserati key in hand as a way to ensure admission is granted. And surely it is. Maserati’s fortunes really changed with the launch of the 3200GT over ten years ago and this essentially reinvented what was an almost completely dead builder of cars with a fantastic heritage, but no future.

The Maserati brand clearly held its head above the doldrums of the 1980s and 1990s as many people old and young are flocking to the manufacturer despite a great many of them possibly not really understanding what the trident badge was all about, in the same way they might with Ferrari for example.

The beauty of these cars speaks for itself. The range comprises the Gran Turismo, a four seater coupe of staggering prettiness that has recently spawned a 2+2 convertible version, the Gran Cabrio.

These cars themselves owe a great deal to the Quattroporte saloon, surely the most attractive four door car currently (or possibly ever) on sale. Maserati launched a stripped out, super sports version of the Gran Turismo at Paris, the MC Stradale, with a more powerful version of the Ferrari-sourced V8 engine ensuring that performance is boosted in tandem with the low weight. This particular car has a more responsive gearchange and looks fit for the track, a remarkable achievement for what is actually a very large car of some considerable luxury.

Of the marques considered here, Bentley and Maserati have enjoyed a turnaround from neglected, borderline bankrupt companies to some of the most highly sought after brands on this earth. It’s something Aston Martin has also managed to achieve, and if their stand is anything to go by, something Lotus have extreme confidence in doing also. Taking up a massive section of one of the several halls used at the show, Lotus chose to unveil some new cars..

For any manufacturer to unveil more than one new model at a show is remarkable, but for Lotus, even more so. That the cars shown appear so close to being production realities, whilst at the same time being jaw droppingly, staggeringly good looking, leads to the strange feeling that we’ve just walked into a dream. The new Esprit, Elan, Elite, Eterne and Elise all share a common design language which takes the cars way beyond the current range.

Just the name Esprit manages to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, but seeing the car in the flesh is like seeing a long lost friend. There are so many references to the previous car whilst at the same time a new confident appearance is sported.

This is backed up by the powertrain on display, a V8 petrol engine sourced from Lexus which has the potential for supercharging and some limited hybrid capabilities, which will be bolted into the carbon fibre tub. This is a game-changing car for Lotus because it takes the fight squarely to Ferrari and McLaren. If the way the car drives is as good as it looks then this will be a genuine alternative to the 458 and MP4-12C and will give both competitors something to worry about.

The new Elan shares nothing with the previous, troubled model from 20 years ago. This will be a car to take on the likes of Porsche’s 911, using Lexus power and sharing other technologies with the Esprit. Again, if the engineering is right this is a car that will race out of showrooms on looks alone. Close up, like the Esprit, it is desperately pretty, perfectly proportioned and screams at you to drive it. It’s parked next to the Elite, a four seater coupe of different intention to the mid engine sports cars on the stand.

Again, it has nothing in common with its 1970s namesake and Lotus will be striving hard to make sure that the ownership experience is without equal, because this model and the Eterne four door are cars to move Lotus from manufacturer of relatively expensive track day sports cars of niche interest, to a company that can see eye to eye with the other companies whose stands we paid pilgrimage to. Clearly, this strategy is working because in all honesty, without these developments we would not have paid more than a cursory glance to Lotus at Paris two years previously.

The show is crowded and our access passes are not of much use on the mass market stands which are free for all. Our cameras are not of much use here either, the sheer number of people present makes it very difficult to get any decent photos but for old times sake we can’t help but spend a large amount of time at Fiat’s beautiful stand.

The star of the show for Fiat is the new Twin Air engine in the 500. It’s the first time since the demise of the old 126 and Citroen’s 2CV 20 years ago that a two cylinder engine has been offered by a major manufacturer. This particular motor features the Multiair technology now being rolled out across the petrol engine range with turbocharging and balance shafts to overcome the inherent lack of refinement a 900cc two cylinder engine will produce.

This is not a problem for the Abarth 500. Paris was the first opportunity we have had to inspect the Abarth 500 convertible, available with semi automatic paddle actuated gearshift. The show car is striking in flat grey with two tone contrasts and quad exhausts and appeals to me in a way I can’t describe, other than it being akin to the feeling I used to get opening Christmas presents. Abarth also had an ‘EsseEsse’ version of the Punto Abarth, again in flat grey and sporting white, rally style wheels.

Whilst the inevitable focus at a French show is on the expertise of Renault, Peugeot and Citroen in making the best hot hatches, Abarth should not be overlooked. It’s refreshing to see how this sports brand is developing , particularly by contrast to Renault whose Gordini range is seemingly nothing more than a paint job and stripes..

You would expect us to talk about other important cars at the show, and there were many. Mercedes’ new CLS, Peugeot’s 508, the Citroen C4 and DS4, new VW Passat, Nissan’s Leaf

and Honda’s Jazz Hybrid. They are all there and all worthy of note. However, we ran out of time and wanted to concentrate on the cars that really deserve the headlines.

A blast through the tunnels of the Peripherique in much faster moving traffic than on the way in and we’re soon on our way back to the Channel Tunnel, this time with no clutch smell.
For those missing the UK’s motor shows, attending Paris is something definitely worth considering. The crossing through the tunnel was only £60 return and if you are determined you can make it there and back in one day, although it’s no hardship to spend the night in a nearby hotel. You might be advised to stay within walking distance of the show however, or consider booking a parking space or (ironically) let the train take the strain.

Otherwise you might find yourself visiting the Eiffel Tower instead..

Alex Wakefield

Sir Stirling Moss - 'Mister Goodwood'

A man who's life & career has been inextricably linked with Goodwood over the years, Sir Stirling Moss is as much a fixture at the Festival of Speed & Revival events as the cars themselves.

He took time out of his traditionally hectic schedule to talk with Graham in the plush Drivers' Club here at Goodwood.

Comrade Stig

Following the controversy surrounding the BBC's white-suited tame racing driver, Graham encountered his Soviet -era cousin, 'The Mig'..

Martin Brundle and a 1950s classic (and an Austin A35)

Hopefully making as much of an impression on the competition as he does whilst usurping foreign TV reporters during his infamous grid walks, Martin Brundle took time to talk to Graham about his transport for the weekend, a race-prepared Austin A35.

Catching up with Christian Horner

It's a regular appointment for Graham at both Goodwood events - he'll head over to the Drivers' Club for a catch up with Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner.

With the climax of the 2010 F1 season rapidly approaching, we quizzed him on the current state of the field, his view of the new teams & how he put together the successful RBR team after Jaguar quit Formula 1 at the end of 2004.

Revival time again.

Is it really 12 months since we were last sat here in our tweeds & listening to the sounds of historic machinery going about its business?

Well, we're back in our traditional home just along from the assembly area and adjacent to Captain Mainwaring and his motley crew.

The sun's even out so our team are already at large capturing the sights, sounds & smells of this unique event on the historic motoring calendar.

Graham's just come back brandishing an interview with Red Bull's Christian Horner so we'll get that edited & uploaded - watch this space..