Motoring

As part of Road Safety week, An Garda Síochána will be conducting a national targeted tyre safety operation for a 24 -hour period from 7am on this Thursday until 7am on Friday. Many drivers are increasing the risk of a collision for themselves and others by failing to replace excessively worn, defective or damaged tyres, a senior garda cautioned. Assistant Commissioner John Twomey, head of the Traffic Corps, said, “Although the minimum legal tyre tread depth is 1.6mm for cars and 1mm for motorcycles, the simple fact is the more tread depth you have, the more grip you have on the road. Considering we are moving into wetter weather, this fact is all the more relevant. We appeal to all drivers and riders to specifically check the tread depth and condition of their tyres, and if necessary arrange for them to be changed. In support of this initiative, the Irish Tyre Industry Association are inviting motorists to drop in to …

A newly updated version of the best-selling Ford Focus will be here in November and will start from €20,295. Engine choices include the familiar 1.6 litre diesels in 95 bhp and 115 bhp forms and a 2.0 litre 150 bhp diesel will also be offered. Petrol options consist of the 1.0 litre Ecoboost engine, which can be had with either 100 or 125 bhp. This is a cracking little engine and has been voted International Engine of the Year three years in a row. It could be a canny choice for anyone not doing enough miles to justify a diesel. An entry level Focus will be offered and the range also includes Style, Zetec and Titanium trims, all familiar to Ford buyers. Bodystyles include a five door hatchback, four door saloon and five door estate. All Focus models come with ESP with Hill Launch Assist, MyKey Gen 2, body colour bumpers and spoiler, electric front windows, tyre pressure monitoring, power …

Jaguar revealed their brand new XE sports saloon at a spectacular launch event at Earl’s Court, London, this evening. The scene was more akin to a West End Show than the usual exhibitions normally seen at the venue. The 90 minute spectacular was narrated by actor, John Hannah and featured performances from Emili Sandé, The Kaiser Chiefs, Eliza Doolittle and what appeared to be half the actors currently appearing on the West End. The story brought us through scenes from Jaguar’s illustrious history as a 16 year old boy, aided by a time traveller, attempted to create a new Jaguar for 2015, distilling the ethos of the brand in the process before the final, spectacular reveal. It was certainly an enjoyable, at times breath-taking performance and really brought home how important the success of the XE is to Jaguar. I’m sure there were many celebrities attending, but I don’t write for Hello and I didn’t recognise any faces, beyond Sir …

Details of Volkswagen’s highly anticipated new Passat have just been released in advance of the model’s introduction in time for the 151 sales rush. Preorders are being taken now and a National Roadshow will showcase the car in November. Two petrol and three diesel engines will be offered initially, with a starting price of €27,295 for the 1.4 litre TSI petrol model, which produces 125 bhp. A 1.6 diesel with 120 bhp starts at €28,940. Estate models will also be available from the start, attracting a premium of around €2,000. The other petrol engine is also a 1.4, but produces 150 bhp and also employs Active Cylinder Technology to shut off two cylinders when the car is under light loads. It’s amazing technology. In the Golf, I’ve often cruised at motorway speeds on two cylinders and you genuinely can’t tell the difference. This version will start from €35,145 in Highline trim. Two 2.0 litre diesel engines join the 1.6, developing …

I agreed to do the cycle before I even thought it through. A 60km cycle less than two weeks away was going to be a tall order, given that I haven’t done much on a bike for years. The To the Moon and Back cycle was in aid of Ian’s Trust, a charity set up to help children with acquired brain injuries, so I felt honour bound to give it a go. In the intervening fortnight, I managed to do a few 10km runs but I felt in no way properly prepared when I lined out in Kilkee last Saturday for the jaunt to Loop Head and back. I didn’t feel any better when I saw what surrounded me. Lycra-clad bodies on carbon fibre bikes were everywhere and I felt distinctly out of place on my vintage, 20 year old Raleigh racer, with its steel frame and only 12 gears. The day was dry and fortunately, not too warm. The …

Alfa Romeo chose Mondello Park to launch three new models this week. The reason for the venue chosen is that one of these cars is very, very special. We’ve been waiting a long time for the arrival of the 4C, a car that has tantalised us at various motor shows seemingly for years. With styling robbed from the exotic 8C Competizione, the 4C could be described as the ultimate modern sportscar, with its emphasis on performance through light weight. With a kerb weight of only 895 kg, it’s lighter than most superminis. How did they achieve that? By building it from carbon fibre, the first time this material has been used in a car anywhere near this price point. Some may lament that the 4C isn’t powered by a sonorous V6, but to keep weight down, a 1750cc turbo four cylinder is used instead. Producing 240 bhp, it’s an engine with a very high specific output and it’s mated as …

… and Shelly too On our holiday to Devon and Cornwall two years ago, we were struck by how dog-friendly everywhere was, so we made up our minds that we’d come back some day with Daisy, our West Highland Terrier. Some day turned out to be last month, as we sailed again to the South of England. Ford provided an S-Max this time, a fine choice, with extra space and plenty of comfort. Not only had we all of Daisy’s stuff to bring, but my wife, Shelly, is by no means a light packer, so even starting off, we were fairly well loaded. [doptg id=”29″] We chose to travel with Irish Ferries on their Swift Service, as it involves a journey time of just two hours. Daisy would have to travel in a kennel on the car deck, so we wanted to minimise the journey time. It was terrible having to put her into the kennel and lock the door …

Last week, we had a rare opportunity to try the entire Volkswagen Group range of cars both on track at Mondello Park and on the roads outside. Not only Volkswagen models were well represented, we also had Audi, Seat and Skoda to choose from – all the latest models. When I arrived though, I couldn’t resist starting with the oldest car there, a 1977 Mk1 Golf, resplendent in lime green. Somehow the colour was very appropriate given the period of the car. As I took it gingerly out onto the road, I was struck by how noisy it was. The car was far from concourse condition but the noise coming from the front end was more akin to an air cooled engine. It really sounded strange. The second shock was the almost total lack of brakes. Polos of that period in right hand drive versions came without brake servos and I think it must be the same story for the …