TOMTOM GO LIVE 800 SERIES
I have had the new TomTom® GoLive 820 on test for the last couple of weeks. Now this is not your run of the mill TomTom, this is the one with the sardonic Mr. Clarkson treating you to some of his more acerbic remarks as well as getting you to your destination in double quick time.
Due to a cock up by the BBC involving something called their editorial guidelines, presenters are not allowed to endorse products or services which ‘could’ be covered in the programmes on which they work. So after days of recording, considerable publicity and a lot of public expectation, the corporation’s editorial policy advisors pulled the plug on the commercial arm. However, despite the tail wagging the dog, over 54,000 of the units have been made and will be delivered to branches of Halfords in time for Christmas, but that will be the lot. So if you don’t want to pay a hefty premium on eBay, buy one now.
The GoLive 820 gives locations of speed cameras both visually and with a warning bleep, it updates you with the traffic situation en-route and even gives a reasonable guide as to the weather at your destination if you just can’t wait till you get there.
The GoLive has a 4.3” touch screen with one of the best windscreen mounts I have tried on a satnav, unlike my Japanese job which constantly falls off. The Stig, and we shall never know which one, appears on the screen the moment it is turned on. The default voice is of course Jeremy Clarkson, with the alternative Stig mode being complete silence. For the motor sport enthusiasts, all the race tracks around the country are listed which should come in handy when trying to find a back road to avoid the Silverstone nightmare. Top Gear’s test track at Dunsfold is also listed in case you decide to participate in one of the programmes.
We set off from Twickenham for a dinner party in Raynes Park, thankful that we could avoid the usual blazing row while reading an A-to-Z in the dark. Clarkson’s first instruction to turn left, ‘that’s your left, not mine as I’m facing backwards for some reason’ raised the first smile of the evening. However, he did try to take us through Richmond Park which closes at dusk so I had to follow my instinct and take an alternative direction despite being barked at to get back onto his route, ‘do a U turn because I know best’ was ignored. However, he soon grasped the situation and we got back onto a new course. The route was good and I learnt about a couple of neat shortcuts through Kingston.
Next, we travelled up to Berkhamstead for a weekend and again, Jeremy got us there without any hitches, despite telling me ‘your driving is making me feel sick’ and one or two other smart Alec remarks such as ‘take the third turning on the right, that’s one, two, three. It’s not that difficult.’
This 800 Series TomTom is vastly superior to my Sony satnav which frankly has all the navigating skills of a lost Japanese tourist. It is easy to put in the destination postcode without first having to choose a country, or put in a space between the inbound and outbound part. 
The screen is extremely clear, and the whole kit is so simple to use that the temptation to throw away all my maps is rather worrying me. It really is obvious why TomTom are the world leaders in satellite navigation.
So if you want to buy your loved one a Clarkson TomTom for Christmas, rush to your local Halfords clasping £180 to your chest.
And you can listen to a few samples of Clarkson’s directions on YouTube by clicking this:
BMW 6 SERIES COUPÉ
NOW in its third generation, the new ‘Bahn’ storming BMW 6 Series Coupé takes the luxury 2+2 concept a step further with considerably improved comfort, elegant design and towering performance. At last the BMW 6 Series Coupé features a true sweeping coupé roofline dispensing with the awkward looking boot of its predecessor. The long sweeping bonnet reminiscent of a great white, short over-hangs, set-back passenger compartment with its Hofmeister kink, a longer wheelbase and flat waistline make a bold statement that this is THE BMW coupé.
Inspired by the movement of water, the fluid lines of the car combine with the subtly powerful curves to create a look of athletic elegance, which with the 74mm increase in length and 5mm lower height creates a powerful attacking stance.
Longer, lower and wider, the new car is larger in every dimension than its predecessor except height, where it now stands half a centimetre closer to the ground. The new model is 74mm longer, while the wheelbase has stretched to 2,855mm. The car has also grown 39mm in width, and now measures 1,894mm across, while 5mm have been shaved off its height.
Despite its lower height, the new 2+2 BMW 6 Series Coupé offers greater headroom in both the front and the back with individual rear seats providing passengers with additional shoulder and elbow room. Despite having lost the ugly humped boot from the previous model, it can accommodate 460 litres of luggage, equivalent to three 46inch golf bags or two medium hard-shell cases and a flight case.
The new BMW 6 Series Coupé is available with two petrol engines, a turbo charged 3 litre six, a 4.4 litre twin turbo V8 and a twin turbo 3 litre diesel. The diesel is no slouch, pulling this heavy coupé to 62mph in just over 5 seconds while giving an amazing combined fuel consumption of 51.4mpg.
An eight-speed Sport automatic gearbox is standard on all three models, and its wide range of ratios offer a perfect balance of muscular power rush, refined high speed cruising and low speed efficiency.
MODEL Coupé |
POWER |
TORQUE NM |
0-62MPH SECONDS |
TOP SPEED MPH |
COMBINED MPG |
CO2 EMISSIONS G/KM |
BMW 650i |
407 |
600 |
4.9 |
155* |
26.6 |
246 |
BMW 640i |
320 |
450 |
5.4 |
155* |
36.2 |
181 |
BMW 640d |
313 |
630 |
5.5 |
155* |
51.4 |
145 |
* Electronically limited |
||||||
PRICING (UK £) |
|
650i SE |
£67,340 |
MINI COOPER S COUPÉ
WITH its three brands – BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce – the BMW Group is the world’s most successful premium manufacturer.
The amazing iconic MINI has gone from strength to strength. The latest and fifth addition to the family is the Coupé, with the ‘S’ version now equipped with a real BMW engine, a four-cylinder petrol with twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection. The 184hp 1.6 litre in this pocket rocket means beaming grin fun all the way up to 143 mph. You will even squeeze a miserly 48.7 mpg out of it on the combined cycle.
The electric power steering gives the MINI Coupé exceptional directional control, soaking up the bumps and potholes of appalling roads. The power steering is speed dependent which means finger tip manoeuvres at parking while firming up at speed to let you really feel the road surface under those chunky tyres on 16” alloys.
While the overall length and width are almost identical to the dimensions of the MINI Hatch, the Coupé is 29 millimetres lower. Visually, this and the stepped rear end give the car a more aggressive, forward-thrusting profile. The lower roofline does not come at the expense of driver and passenger comfort though. Oval recesses in the headlining (a touch of M Sport design cues) provide extra headroom. The most striking view is the muscly profile, with horizontal layering of the car into three separate tiers – the body, the wrap-around glass and the uniquely striking roof design. This car has pecs! The A-pillars and windscreen are sharply raked by 13˚ compared to the MINI Hatch, resulting in a smaller frontal area, while air flow is optimised by both the integrated spoiler at the rear of the roof, and by an active rear spoiler hidden in the boot lid, deploying automatically when the car reaches 50mph – and retracting again at 37mph.
Behind is a generous 280-litre luggage area - 20 litres larger than the MINI Clubman. The large, high-opening tailgate makes for simple loading, and the car has clutter free carrying options. The one thing that I have never liked about the face lifted interior is the absurd Mickey Mouse central speedometer. The only way to forgive this taste disaster is to opt for the optional sat nav which means that the speedo and rev counter then sit neatly just ahead of the steering wheel. All the other trademark MINI interior features remain including the great toggle switches.
The four Coupé models go on sale from the 1st October. For £20,000 you get a fast, comfortable eye catching two seater, with a load of boot space that will do the local town runs and still blast up Alpine passes and down the autoroute.
CAR FACTS |
|
Engine: |
1.6 l Four cylinder with twin scroll turbo charger & direct injection |
THE NEW SLK 55 AMG
THE third-generation SLK launched in March, is now joined by the new top-of-the range AMG. The SLK 55’s muscle rippling 5.5 litre V8 is shoehorned into the compact roadster with its distinctive AMG light-alloy wheels, spoiler lip and two chrome-plated twin tailpipes showing people at a glance that when this little powerhouse hunkers down, you’re not going to see it for dust.
The AMG sports suspension with Direct-Steer system and Torque Vectoring Brakes mean that this Merc can sprint and jinks through the field. A bit like Johnny Wilkinson perhaps?
AMG’s brand claim of "Driving Performance" cleverly combines 422 hp with a startling fuel consumption of 33.6 mpg on the combined cycle and an impressively low CO2 emissions of 195 grams per kilometre.
CAR FACTS |
|
Displacement: 5461 cc |
Engine weight (dry): 187 kg |
SCOTLAND RUGBY STARS TRY FORD
TWO of Scotland’s rugby stars chosen for the 30 man squad going to New Zealand, flanker John Barclay and prop Geoff Cross, collected their Ford Focus and Ford Kuga models as their sponsored cars for this season.
They gave a spirited demonstration of spin passing through the open doors rear doors at their local Ford dealership in Edinburgh. To add a little spice to the occasion, Miss Scotland, Jennifer Reoch, was in the back seat while they passed to each other across her lap. No prizes here for a silly caption please!
Anthony Ireson, marketing director, Ford of Britain, said: "As we celebrate our centenary, it is only appropriate that Ford should continue our relationship with the game of rugby. We are delighted to extend our contract with Scottish Rugby and to provide these rugby stars with models from Ford's product range – the Ford Kuga and all-new Ford Focus."
by Mike Tremlett
BRITISH DRIVERS ARE CLUELESS!!!
BRITISH motorists have shown themselves to be clueless in the findings of new research, which has exposed an unprecedented gap in UK drivers' knowledge with thousands of car drivers admitting that they unable to identify basic road signs or follow instructions that are commonplace on Britain's highways.
The findings have led to calls for a compulsory Driving Theory Test to be applied to all existing license holders.
The research, carried out in the UK by Korean manufacturer Kia Motors reveals that while 83% of drivers classify themselves as good drivers and road users, just half (52%) claim to understand all of the signs on UK roads.
Of those questioned, 56% had held a driving license for more than 15 years, meaning they would never have sat the official Driving Theory Test, which was introduced in 1996.
The research found that:
- Only 59% of drivers could correctly identify the sign for 'no motor vehicles.' In fact, one in five (21%) thought that the sign means 'motor vehicles only'.
- Just half (52%) recognise the sign for a clearway, with 20% thinking that it means 'no entry'.
- While two-thirds (66%) understand the 'dual carriage way ends' sign, 31% mistook it to mean 'road narrows on both sides'.
- Yellow diversion route signs confuse motorists the most; more than a quarter (26%) mistook it as directions to a campsite and 30% thought it meant 'hazard ahead'.
- Although 87% of drivers correctly named the black striped 'national speed limit applies' road sign, many remain unclear about the speed it denotes. A third (34%) of drivers did not know that a standard motorcar is limited to 60mph on a single carriageway and 70mph on dual carriageways and motorways.
- 58% of motorists confused the 'risk of grounding' road sign with the symbol for a humpback bridge.
With a poor grasp of basic highway theory, it seems that the number of motorists relying on road signs for information is in steep decline. Only 61% of drivers claim to find road signs useful and more than three-quarters (78%) say they feel bombarded by too many signs on Britain's roads.
A growing dependence on technology has lead 73% of drivers to state that satellite navigations systems are more useful for conveying journey information than traditional road signs, while only one in four motorists (25%) keep a UK road atlas in their car. A further 39% branded road signs 'useless'.
Steve Kitson, communications director at Kia Motors UK said: 'The research findings clearly show that a driver's experience behind the wheel doesn't necessarily correlate with their knowledge of the road.
“No matter how many years you've been driving, it is always a good idea, as a responsible road user, to familiarise yourself with the Highway Code and mug-up on any road signs or signals if in doubt.”
THE TOP 10 ROADSIGNS THAT MOTORISTS CAN'T READ
1. Diversion route
2. Clearway/no stopping
3. Migratory toad crossing
4. Risk of grounding
5. No motor vehicles
6. Dual carriageway ends
7. Hidden dip
8. Two-way traffic crosses one way road
9. National speed limit applies
10. No overtaking
