“Jeremy Clarkson Ruined My BMW”
Not content with ruining faces, Clarkson has also been ruining cars in 2015.
Although the celebrity motor critic is well known for rubbing people up the wrong way, only two people have had real reason to take proper umbrage with him this year: A producer with a funny name, and a BMW owner who says that Clarkson ruined his 50K BMW.
Soon after Rob Willis purchased the BMW M3 in question, he noticed that it had a few issues with the steering and braking.
Then he discovered that Clarkson had already briskly put the car through the ringer on Top Gear.
27-year-old Willis explained that when he bought the car, he was only told that it was an ex-demo. “One of the managers had been driving it.
“The brakes were constantly squeaking and the steering wheel made a clunking noise every time I came off the motorway.”
Four weeks later, Rob and his fiancé were watching Top Gear when she pointed out to him that the BMW Clarkson was whizzing around the track like there was no tomorrow had the exact same number plate as his.
It’s claimed that Clarkson was impressed with the car – but Willis was not.
“It’s outrageous,” he said. “I have an eight-year-old daughter and three nephews whose lives have been risked.
“The dealers told me it was a mistake and the car should never have been sold as it was unfit for the road.”
Rob’s car has since been replaced with a 330d. No blame can realistically be attached to Jeremy, as he was presumably unaware a dealership would go on to flog it.
Aggressive Drivers Cause Others To Be Aggressive
According to a new survey by Goodyear and the London School of Economics and Political Science, road rage is contagious.
More than half of the drivers who took part in the survey admitted to acting aggressive with other drivers after they themselves had been subjected to aggression from another maniac behind the wheel.
Basically, other drivers can bring out our inner psycho.
The survey, which was composed of focus groups and driver interviews here in the UK and Italy, as well as an online survey that was carried out in fifteen other countries, found that the choices we make on the road can effect others, triggering what is known as a ripple effect.
This means that aggressive behaviour behind the wheel of your knackered Proton can initiate similar psychotic behaviour from a normally refined driver behind the wheel of a suave Bentley. Anger, it seems, doesn’t discriminate.
Naturally, the opposite is true, too; if you behave well on the road, others are likely to follow suit.
Chris Tennant of the LSE said: “Road etiquette matters to drivers. Reviewing video scenes of interactions on the road, the majority of surveyed drivers all affirmed the importance of gestures of thanks, with fewer than 10% typically denying the importance of such acknowledgements.”
If, for example, a driver doesn’t get a thank you after letting someone in, they are more likely to vent their bottled-up anger at other drivers as they continue along their journey.
One driver we spoke to in Essex told us how he seethed when he didn’t get a thank you after letting a car pull out during rush hour. “I went home and threw the cat on the fire.”
Goodyear vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa said: “We urge drivers to remember what strong effect their own behaviour has on the behaviour of others.
“Our study suggests that aggressive and combative driving behaviour by one driver can initiate a chain of reactions between other drivers and eventually cause a dangerous situation.”
The theory that this chain of reactions created ISIS is being investigated by the government.
Almost 90% Of Drivers Do Not Know The Drink-Drive Limit
Christmas is around the corner, which means there’s gonna be lots of xmas parties, boozing, regrettable kissing episodes, and designated drivers.
Which is awesome because we all know when we’ve had a bit too much and need to jump in a taxi.
Actually, we worryingly don’t know when it’s time to stay away from the steering wheel after a night on the sauce.
According to research by Accident Advice, 88% of British drivers have no idea what the drink-drive limit actually is.
Of the drivers surveyed, only 12% were able to identify that it’s not okay to get behind the wheel after a few too many sherbets.
Staggeringly, one in seven of us think we’re in great shape to drive after a Long Island Ice Tea.
We’re pissed and we don’t give a shit.
Still, 44% of us want to see a zero tolerance policy introduced (even though it will mean 88% of us will be penalised), while 29% of us want the drink drive limit to be lowered.
This despite us still not getting our heads around the current one. Us Brits like to confuse matters!
Men are better at recognising when they’re over the limit than women, with only 9% of females correctly identifying when they’re not legally fit to drive.
“I’m fine to pick me kids up!… You want a fight?!” one woman asked us in The Hare and Hounds, Croydon.
According to David Carter of Accident Advice Helpline, more education is needed: “Motorists find it hard to know what 80mg of alcohol for every 100ml of blood actually is.”
“There seems to be a worrying misunderstanding among UK motorists of what the actual drink drive alcohol limit is.”
42% of those surveyed didn’t think gender influences a person’s limit.
Volkswagen Ready To Unveil Brand New Microbus
Volkswagen’s classic camper van will make an all-electric return at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, it has been announced.
The van, which will showcase the brand’s vision for autonomous connectivity, safety and tech, is the tonic VW need after months spent shrouded in controversy.
The Microbus is a preview of the planned production version, which won’t be produced until 2017.
The van will rely on VW’s newest lithium-ion battery technology that is currently in use by the Audio Q6 E-Tron Quattro. The battery can provide a range of up to 500km, dependent on driving conditions, of course.
VW are looking to rebuild their bruised reputation, and will unveil the Microbus during a keynote speech by their head of passenger cars.
Herbert Diese will use the speech to reveal his company’s vision for electric sustainability.
Alongside the all-electric Microbus will be petrol and diesel variants, which will be a tad smaller.
Earlier this year, Volkswagen revealed their plans for their new camper van to be powered by a small electric motor that drives the front wheels while a battery pack is neatly tucked away underneath the floor.
And because the look of the original camper van is so iconic, VW knew they had to make sure that 3 essential design cues were kept in tack: “First the wide, solid, D-pillar; second, the boxy design of the centre section, and thirdly the front end must have a very short overhang.”
All that’s left now is for the new series of Scooby Doo to embrace it. That’s if the gang have forgiven VW for fixing their emissions figures.
Porsche Break 200,000 Annual Sales Barrier For First Time
Are people getting richer? Our socio-economic situations must be changing a little, as high-performance sports car manufacture Porsche sold over 200,000 in a single year for the first time ever.
By November, the German brand had already surpassed the milestone, with worldwide sales reaching 209,894. This represents a massive increase of 24% compared to the previous year.
All in all, Porsche shifted 189,849 units in 2014.
One of the biggest reasons for their unprecedented success is the Porsche Cayenne, a popular SUV that has seen sales increase by a whopping 39% since last year.
The best market for the company is China, where 54,302 vehicles were sold in 2015, representing a boost of 34%.
The second best market is the U.S., with sales there totalling 47,891. Meanwhile, Europe collectively experienced a 30% increase in sales.
Detlev von Platen of Porsche said: “With more than 200,000 Porsche models delivered, we have reached a milestone of our Strategy 2018 well ahead of schedule.”
On a cloudier note, the V6 3.0 litre TDI engine sold in the U.S. has attracted suspicion recently that it could be involved in the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal.
Porsche aren’t allowing it to get them down though, and are ready to send the brand new Porsche Mission E into production.
Meanwhile, 2016 will see the release of the exciting 718 Cayman and the 718 Boxster.
