Owner: wheelspin URL:http://wheelspin83.blogspot.com Join Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2007 13:24:00 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: An Irish perspective on cars, driving and motorsport. Site statistics:Click here
Guest blogging on CarDomain 2007-07-14 07:00:00 My new 'employers'So, as and from today, I'm a guest blogger on CarDomain. Check out my first post here. It's not the end of wheelspin though, so keep coming back! If you've never heard of the CarDomain site, it's definitely worth a look around. Best way to describe it is 'Bebo for cars.' Read more:Guest
, Guest blogging
Japfest details announced 2007-07-13 11:42:00 Time Attack is on the bill for JapfestDetails of Japfest, 'Ireland's first Japanese car show,' have been announced today. The event will take place at Mondello on the 9th of September and is tipped to include drifting, Time Attack, drag racing and track sessions as well as club and trade stands in the paddock area. It sounds like a great package, but great things were expected of SLAM in Punchestown last year and it failed to deliver, with a below-par static section and very little atmosphere between the drift runs. Hopefully the full range of on-track activities planned for Japfest will mean a busy timetable for the whole day, with little or no waiting around for the action to begin. Read more:details
Murray back on track; McNamara back in action 2007-07-13 11:17:00 Eoin Murray
's Alfa 156Dubliner Eoin Murray is back in action in the BTCC this weekend at Donington Park after an engine blowup at Croft forced him to miss the Oulton Park round a fortnight ago. "I am determined to turn things around and finish with some strong results, it’s not too late to sneak a few surprises!" he said.Elsewhere, Darren McNamara will be returning to drift action in America at Round 4 of the Formula Drift series in Monroe, Washington. Best of luck to both of them!
500 fever 2007-07-13 10:30:00 Small car, big potentialExcitement over the imminent release of the all-new Fiat 500 is growing. What was initially viewed as a novelty retro concept is now being hailed as the potential saviour of the troubled Italian giant. Press reports have been glowing and high-performance Abarth versions have been spied testing on the Nurburgring. Fiat were already on the right track with the Panda, particularly the 100bhp version, and the new 500 is based on the mechanicals of that car.The Times says the new 500 is a 'delight' to drive: "Suspension strikes an excellent balance between comfort and handling, the car feels superbly well built, steering is just right and the gear-change light," says Stuart Birch.The 500 is set to be competitively priced and will offer a compelling alternative to the somewhat utilitarian microcar offereings from Toyota (Aygo), Peugeot (107) and Citroen (C1). In its various forms, it should appeal to car enthusiast and general consumer alike - a true 'modern classi
YouTube Clip of the Week: Mmmm... Fabia... *drool* 2007-07-11 17:00:00 You may have seen this fantastic Skoda Fabia
ad by now. Check out the Daily Mail's story on the 'making of' (or should that be 'baking of'?) the fully edible car. (Also, funny how the Mail is still stuck using the 'butt of cruel jokes' reference when it comes to Skoda. Come on guys, they've been making quality cars (and witty adverts) for a good few years now!) Read more:YouTube
In the papers... 2007-07-11 16:47:00 A new breakdown service for the M50 should reduce the severity of delays caused by broken-down vehicles at rush hour. [Times]We can all relate to this - a survey from BMW shows many drivers form an 'emotional connection' with their cars. Awww. [Times]The NRA has decided to reduce the charge for using the port tunnel at weekends and bank holidays down to three euro. Just be careful though - it remains fully monitored by cameras and constantly patrolled by motorcycle Gardai. [Independent]Also from the Indo, this refreshing 'ode to the car' opinion piece. [Independent] Read more:papers
More madness from C&Y 2007-07-11 16:30:00 Silvia'd Sunny pickupLooks like Import Tuner are gonna keep churning out the features on wildly improbable engine swaps carried out by C&Y Sports Garage for the next while. This time, it's a 1988 Nissan Sunny pickup, of all things, with the familiar SR20 engine from the Silvia. Built primarily for drag racing, it's running a nitrous setup for added power as well as heap of one-off custom-built engine and body parts. According to the man who built it, it took two years and far too much money to complete. It's definitely cool and unusual, but for once I can't help but think there are better ways he could have spent so much time and money.
Raikkonen wins... in the pits 2007-07-10 13:37:00 Raikkonen's victory on Sunday was typical of modern F1'Formula One sucks' says Tom Ford in his blog on the Top Gear website. He makes an excellent case as to why the rough-and-tumble of touring cars and wild unpredictability of rallying should be preferred to the overly clinical, stage-managed show that is modern F1. Last Sunday's British Grand Prix was a good example. Clearly faster than Hamilton in the opening stages, Raikkonen had no need to make any wild passing maneouvres on the young Brit - just wait until he pitted and then bang in a few fast laps in clear air, emerging comfortably in front of him after his own stop several laps later. It was a scenario that had no doubt been cooked up in the Ferrari motorhome the night before, not in the heat of the moment out on the track. Alonso's brief charge to the front of the field was conducted in a similar manner. And all this on one of the few modern F1 tracks that's actually conducive to passing. Just ask Rubens Barrichello, cir
Sargent buys his Greenmobile 2007-07-10 13:24:00 The previous owner, Galway mayor Niall O'BrolchainJunior minister and outgoing Green Party leader Trevor Sargent bought a secondhand car from party comrade Niall O'Brolchain yesterday. The 2006 Toyota Prius has been used as the official Galway mayoral car for the past year and will now be pressed into service in support of Sargent's role as Minister of State for Food and Horticulture. Cheaper to buy and cheaper to run than your typical (and much-villified) 'Ministerial Merc', Sargent should score some brownie points for prudent use of taxpayer's money.
100+ posts... how am I doing? 2007-07-09 16:01:00 I've just passed the 100 posts
milestone and I reckon it's time for some feedback. According to ClustrMaps and Irishblogs.info, there's a fair few unique hits headed this way every day. However, comments remain thin on the ground. So let's hear you! Comment on this post, let me know who you are, where you are, how long you've been reading and what you think of the blog in general. Also, if you've only started reading recently, feel free to browse the archives (further down in the right-hand panel) and comment on anything that piques your interest. Don't be shy! Read more:doing
New helpine to keep road rage in check 2007-07-09 15:54:00 Help is just a call awayAA and Vivas have set up a new counselling helpline for stressed motorists in an effort to curb 'road rage', it was reported today. The move is part of a new health insurance plan aimed specifically at motorists, which also allows people to claim back the cost of various car safety equipment off their policy. Irish drivers are a notoriously aggressive and impatient lot, but also very slow to recognise poor behaviour in themselves. I can't help but feel that the type of people who really need this counselling are not going to be reaching for their mobiles instead of their horns anytime soon.
German performance for the Guards 2007-07-08 16:28:00 The luxurious four-wheel-drive arm of the lawIt's a far cry from Mondeos and Corollas. The Independent reveals today that the Gardai are taking a leaf out of the Japanese police's book with the purchase of a fleet of new high-performance motors for the Emergency Response, Special Detective and National Drugs units. Criminals will soon be on the run from Gardai behind the wheels of Volvo S60s and S80s, BMW 3- and 5-series as well as Audi A6s and BMW X5 SUVs. Read more:German
Top Gear in trouble again 2007-07-08 16:11:00 Quad bikes + salt flats = bad?Jeremy Clarkson has drawn criticism from environmentalists for filming a segment for the upcoming series of Top Gear
which involves driving across the Makgadikgadi salt flats in Botswana in a fleet of quad bikes and 4x4s. It's claimed that permanent damage has been caused to the unique landscape by this activity. However, as the article above repors, a local helicopter pilot says that numerous tourists drive across the flats every day. That's not to say damage isn't being caused, but isn't it funny how the eco-warriors only take notice when Top Gear is involved?
Terenure Classic & Vintage Show 2007-07-08 13:42:00 Today saw the 16th annual running of the Irish Classic
& Vintage
Show in the grounds of Terenure College in South Dublin. Always the biggest and best-attended show in the country, intermittent heavy rain put something of a dampener on proceedings his year, but there was a fine turnout nonetheless. Here's some highlights, for the full collection of photos, click here.Jaguar XK150 coupeShow organisers the Irish Jaguar & Daimler Club were out in force as usual. One of their nicest offerings was this deep green XK150 with black, rather than the usual silver, multispoke wheels.1987 DeTomaso PanteraThere was also a strong complement of Italian sports cars on show, including several examples of the muscular-looking Fiat 131 Abarth. Also there, and boasting possibly the coolest name for a car ever thought up, was this 1987 example of the Ford-engined DeTomaso Pantera. Always the poor relative to Ferrari and Lamboghini, the Pantera is a rare sight indeed and retains a unique charm of its own.V
Carzone Pick of the Week: Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution 2007-07-08 13:31:00 Off-road Evo!This weeks' Carzone find is a good example of the completely bonkers Mitsubishi
Pajero Evolution
, the road-going version of the multiple Dakar-winning rally raid car. The 3.5-litre Mivec-equipped DOHC V6 engine is not going to win you any friends among the Live Earth crowd, but it's certain to be heaps of fun!
Two of a kind 2007-07-07 08:29:00 Car modifying is all about being different. So it's no surpise that an oft-repeated criticism of the tuning scene is the amount of similar cars such as Civics, Corolla Levins and Integras doing the rounds. On the one hand, you can't blame people for buying proven, reliable cars that there's a wide range of affordable aftermarket parts available for - it's just common sense. At the same time though, when an indivudual or company puts in the time, money and effort required to create something truly different, it's great to see. Here's two slightly left-of-field creations as featured in the American publications Modified Mag and Import Tuner.Mean-looking minivanFirst off is this awesome-looking Honda Odyssey MPV, the latest demo car from Japanese tuners Takero's. Turbo'd and nitrous'd, this creation puts out around 300hp from its 2.4l VTEC engine through the stock automatic transmission. It's frequently taken to the track and to that end boasts extensive suspension and brake mod
Tokyo Police Club 2007-07-06 18:58:00 Top-bottom: NSX, GTO (and Skyline just visible), RX-8Pics of some awesome Japanese police cars from TeamTokyo
@GTChannel. No word on whether these are actual patrol cars or just promotional/publicity tools like the recent Ferrari 599 squad car in the UK. Anyone know for sure? Rumour has it our own Gardai are getting in on the JDM action with at least one unmarked Toyota Aristo (!) doing the rounds alongside a host of 3- and 5-series BMWs. Read more:Police
, Tokyo Police Club
Lewis taking his eyes off the track? 2007-07-06 18:15:00 Hamilton has made a lot of new friends since becoming a Grand Prix winnerThe British Grand Prix is this weekend, and for the first time in over a decade the home fans will have a genuine contender to cheer for instead of making do with feeling sorry for unlucky nearly-man Jenson Button as they've done for the past couple of years. Both Hamilton and his McLaren teammate Alonso have made sure to distance themselves from the ongoing espionage controversy. However, this isn't the only distraction Hamilton is having to deal with at the moment - he's fast becoming a household name in the UK, as his first appearance in the Sun's celebrity pages attests.This is undoubtedly great news for Formula 1 - It's a sure sign that its days as a niche sport under the shadow of Schumacher's dominance are coming to an end and a return to the 'trendy' status it enjoyed in the mid-90s could be on the cards. Fair-weather fans are annoying, yes, but lots and lots of them means lots and lots more sponso Read more:Lewis
Don't give them an inch 2007-07-06 17:16:00 Shop before you signThe car insurance issue just will not go away. Fine Gael's enterprise spokesman Phil Hogan spoke out against insurance company profiteering today and the figures are hard to disagree with. A report from the financial regulator reased in August 2006 illustrated how insurance premiums had fallen by just 1.8% in 2005, while in the same year insurance company profits rose by 26% to €418 million.In a seperate story, the Independent illustrates just how much insurance companies rely on customer inertia to continue charging inflated prices. A simple query saw €100 lopped off the price of a premium with no arguement and no questions asked, proof, the article says, that the initial price quoted is often a grossly inflated one and that the companies can afford to give big discounts without making a fuss and still make a profit. It seems you should buy your insurance like you buy your car: shop around and keep bargaining hard until they'll give nothing more.
YouTube Clip of the Week: Silvia Slice 'N Dice 2007-07-05 18:01:00 Gordon Ramsay would be proudAnother new feature today - YouTube
Clip of the Week. Each week, I'll pick out a cool or interesting car-related video from YouTube. This week, a neat piece of precision drifting from Japan. Read more:Slice
Honda named most reliable as Japanese makes dominate consumer poll 2007-07-05 13:51:00 A jazzed-up Honda
Jazz. The Japanese
supermini was named
most reliable car in a Which? surveyHondas are the most reliable, Toyotas are the greenest and safest and Lexus offers the best ownership experience. That's according to the latest Which? consumer survey in the UK. The little Honda Jazz scored a 96% reliability rating, the best of any individual model. The top six manufacturers for reliability were Honda (86%) follwed by Ireland's best-selling make Toyota (85%), then Daihatsu, Lexus, Mazda, Subaru and Suzuki, which all scored 82%.As the Independent points out though, many Irish people are buying the makes
that came bottom of the Which? survey - Renault and Fiat. Are Irish car buyers being savvy enough or do family connections, brand loyalty and simple sticker price discounts outweigh quality concerns when it comes to buying a car? The figures suggest that manufacturers of lesser quality cars are not being punished enough for their poor performance.
Time to get rid of VRT 2007-07-05 13:42:00 Imports of used cars from the UK have now hit 50,000 a year according to latest figures from the Revenue Commissioners. The actual figure is probably even larger, as this number only counts UK car that have been re-registered with Irish plates and not cars brought in by dealers that remain unsold and unregistered for now. It seems Irish consumers have had enough of the prices of new cars here being distorted by VRT and are willing to settle for a nearly-new UK example instead.The government should abolish VRT and road tax at the earliest possible opportunity and replace it with a duty on petrol, which would be a far more progressive system as people would be charged for exactly how much they drive (and how much they pollute). This will be easier said than done however as abolishing VRT overnight would instantly wipe thousands off the value of many recently purchased new cars. A staged withdrawal over the next few years seems the only sensible option.
In the papers... 2007-07-05 13:05:00 Dublin City Council seeks to impose tighter controls on roadworks. [Times]Car running costs have increased by 7% this year. [Times]Hibernian set to link driving lessons to insurance premiums. [Times]Looks like the RSA have decided to use sex in their road safety ads after all. [Independent]Biggest petrol station in the country set to be built at the entrance to the Port Tunnel. [Independent] Read more:papers
Intrigue in the F1 paddock 2007-07-03 17:46:00 Nigel Stepney (left), with Ross Brawn in happier times2007 is shaping up to be the best F1 season for quite some time. Ferrari's resurgence in France raised hopes of a tight scrap for the title as we enter the second half of the season. But all the action on track could be overshadowed by a serious sabotage/espionage controversy brewing at McLaren and Ferrari, the two teams fighting for the title.It all started a few months back when British Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney revealed to the press that he was unhappy at the team and looking to take a sabbatical or move elsewhere. In a series of shocking revelations since then, he was suspended (and now dismissed) from the team after a foreign substance was found in the Ferrari race cars' fuel tanks prior to the Monaco Grand Prix. Stepney continues to deny accusations of sabotage but an investigation by the Modena district attorney continues.A new twist in the tale has emerged today with the revelation that McLaren chief designer Mike Cou
Podium finish! 2007-07-16 18:20:00 Wheelspin is the #3 sports blog on irishblogs.info! Long way to go before matching the daily hit rate of those damned football sites though!
Flying the flag 2007-07-16 17:56:00 Michael Devaney continues to improveIrish drivers competing abroad last weekend had a decent run of results. In British Formula 3, Niall Breen finished sixth and fifth in the two championship rounds held at Brands Hatch while Michael Devaney showed just how far his Mygale car has come on since the start of the season with fantastic runs to seventh and fourth in the same races.Elsewhere, BTCC racer Eoin Murray was less fortunate with only a single eleventh place finish from the weekend's three race starts to show for his efforts.Across the pond, Darren McNamara qualified for the Top 16 of the fourth round of Formula Drift in Seattle, but was knocked out in his first twin battle by his nemesis from the round two final, Chris Forsberg. The Cork drifter now lies eighth in the overall standings. Read more:Flying
The OTHER hybrid Toyota... 2007-07-16 17:28:00 Mean green machineA hybrid Toyota
Supra racecar has won the Tokachi 24hrs endurance race in Japan. The adapted former Super GT machine boasts a 480bhp V8 augmented by electric motors and regenerative braking technology. If I was a Green Party cabinet minister, this would be my official car.
The rise and fall of the WRC 2007-07-18 19:52:00 WRC - deliberately derailed?An interesting article in today's Irish Times Motors supplement posits the theory that the FIA deliberately 'sabotaged' the WRC for fear that its popularity was beginning to threaten Formula 1.By approving the inclusion of two expensive far-away rallies (Japan and Mexico), the theory goes, the FIA upped costs and drove four manufacturers (Peugeot, Hyundai, Skoda and Mitsubishi) out of competition.It's a bit of a far-fetched idea to say the least. But other ideas must be forthcoming if the championship is to return to its glory days of only a few years ago. While Rally Ireland in November will still be great - WRC cars are just as spectacular whether they're being run by works or private teams - in the long-term, the championship faces a slide into obscurity if the big-name car companies cannot be tempted back.
Are we running out of petrol stations? 2007-07-18 19:40:00 This is becoming a familiar sight around the countryThese days, motorists are not only being squeezed by ever-rising petrol prices, they're now having to travel further and queue for longer to get it, as more than 200 Irish filling stations closed down between 2003 and 2004.While the property boom is frequently cited as the cause of this - a former filling station on the Merrion Road sold for €8 million recently - it's also noticeable that the above closures took place around the time Tesco entered the fuel market and began sharply undercutting existing retailers. The UK retail giant will have to greatly expand its network of filling stations in the country to make up for this shortfall. Read more:running
Two million of the little buggers... 2007-07-18 19:12:00 The Fit/Jazz is proving a winner for HondaHonda has just announced the production of its two million
th Fit (or Jazz as it's known here in Europe). The popularity of the diminutive Japanese supermini is not surprising - it was recently named the most reliable car on the road and its frugality is an appealing characteristic in these environmentally-conscious times. A new model is expected to debut at next year's Tokyo Motor Show.As the Civic becomes progressively larger and more expensive with each new model, the Jazz seems to be becoming what its older brother was 20 years ago. Tuners in America and Japan have embraced the little
frogeyed car and a plethora of aftermarket parts and accessories are now available. I have to admit that when I first saw the Jazz, I immediately thought 'granny car' and didn't think of it in terms of modifying at all. But then I realised that's probably what people said about the Civic 20 years ago.So what do people think? Will the Jazz usurp the Civic
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