There has been a lot of criticism of space-saver spare wheels in some quarters. Much of it unjustified and ill-considered in my opinion. Space-savers are wheel/tyre combinations that are significantly narrower and slightly smaller in diameter than standard units. Their main reason for existing is to give more room in More
Had a long bus ride the other day and took a look at some of the habits of drivers with whom we were sharing the road. Some of the things I saw were truly horrifying. In particular the people you have to call ‘passengers in the driver’s seat’. Drivers who More
“It’s easy to spot the worst drivers on the road,” said the noisy bloke at the barbie, “They are the ones who always drive with two hands on the steering wheel.” I must admit this stunned me. Regular readers will be well aware that I am forever preaching, “Always keep More
I’ve written on more than one occasion about the endless compromises that rule the lives of all involved in car design. These poor guys and gals are forever juggling cost, weight, safety, ease of repair, environmental considerations and many other factors. Not to mention that old ogre of time, of More
I’m amazed by the number of people who ask my opinion about self-driving cars. Even friends and neighbours who have little or no interest in cars or driving often bring up the subject of autonomous cars. With the question, “When are they coming?” being asked pretty early in the conversation. More
Common sense saves lives, and no more so than on the roads of Australia. Let’s look at two very different drivers and a pair of driving situations. One is a 19-year-old bloke in a 22 year-old Toyota Corolla. So the car is older than he is – and it has More
Many automobile makers are trying their hardest to wring as much performance and fuel economy out of vehicles through force-fed ‘mini me’ motors with five, four, or even three cylinders. Then there are those companies that are run by old-school car enthusiasts who value performance and responsiveness courtesy of eight More
The Volkswagen Group emissions cheating scandal has again brought up the argument that emissions and fuel consumption testing should be done in the real world, not in laboratories. Which sounds good in principle and I can understand why the general public is calling out for it. However, there are far More
Traditionally, the top-end models from the big three Germans marques have taken a conservative route in their styling, leaving the smaller models in the lineups to experiment with new ideas. The just launched all-new BMW 7 Series has surprised everyone with its sleek, innovative shape. Take a look at the More
New model releases are proving a welcome diversion for Volkswagen Australia as the automotive giant counts the cost of the emissions scandal that continues to make headlines around the world. A couple of weeks ago, as the news of ‘Dieselgate’ broke, we attended the launch of the new Golf Alltrack. More
