Roshaizul who blogs at autolure recently sent me some pics of a Nissan Cefiro converted to the Skyline R34 by a young Malaysian car Modifier.
More about the car on the blog post "Nissan Cefiro Skyline R34".
Thanks for the pics Roshaizul.
Nissan conversion
The new BMW Z4
The new BMW Z4 is out. In case you are wondering what's new. Well, it's the first BMW with a retractable Hard-Top roof. I wonder why it took them so long. The Mercedes SLK has had retractable hardroofs for a long time.
Anyway, the two-piece, electro-hydraulically operated Retractable Hard-Top roof can be raised or lowered in 20 seconds.
There is a choice of three six-cylinder engines. Their flagship model features the International Engine of the Year winning 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged engine. It produces 306hp at 5,800rpm, and the car goes from zero to 62mph in 5.2 seconds (5.1 seconds for a Double Clutch Transmission-equipped car) and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph.
The new BMW Z4 is slightly larger than its predecessor measuring 148mm longer at 4,239mm and 9mm wider at 1,790mm, and according to their news release, means "greater interior space and luggage capacity". Apprently, this means that the boot is large enough to stow a full set of golf clubs. As for driving comfort, bigger drivers can feel less cramped as there is more head and elbow room.
The new roadster is also offered with Adaptive M Suspension. Electronically controlled dampers allow for three different configurations and can lower the ride height by up to 10mm for a more dynamic drive.
Other new features include their latest generation of the iDrive - BMW Professional Multimedia Navigation system.
Prices of the new Z4 start from £28,645 (OTR ) for the sDrive23i.
Jaguar's Used car locator
Jaguar has launched a brand new Used Car Locator to find approved used Jaguar cars. With great features including personalised content, high quality images and links to fully interactive e-brochures among others.
According to them, all the used cars undergo extensive warranty and vehicle checks.
So if you are looking for a Used Jaguar, do check out their Approved Used Car Locator.
SAIPA unveils all-Iranian car: Miniator
Iran’s SAIPA has unveiled its new car, the Miniator, which is fully designed and manufactured by the company’s engineers using only domestically built parts.
See 
See 
See Iran To Produce Busses For Syria
Syrian Industry Minister Fouad Issa al Juyi in his visit to Iran Khodro Company said the company can produce buses that meet European standards.
Iraq To Resume Auto Industry
Swedish heavy vehicle maker Scania has signed an agreement in principle with the government of Iraq to reopen an assembly plant next year.
See 
See Samand, the throne of Persia
Every production and merchant which goes from a country to another, in fact, is an ambassador of peace and friendship between that two nations, carrying the message that the states still share common interests and support each other financially.
See The Nissan Z tour
The Nissan Z has developed quite a following and as a warm up to the upcoming launch of the all new 370Z, Nissan is having a rally across the US. You can Follow the Z North American Rally which is currently in Washington D.C.. This will be followed by a stop in Gaithersburg, Maryland on December 11th.
Check out the new Z promo video clip:
National Tyres and Autocare Spon End
Contrary to what some people might believe, I don't have anything against National Tyres and Autocare. If I have a good experience as a customer with any business, I will write about it and vice versa. In case you are wondering what I am talking about read my review "Experience with National Tyres and Autocare". It was about my experience with their branch at Gosford Street, Coventry.
I wanted to make sure that it was just one branch and not all branches cheating customers. This time I decided to try out their branch at Spon End, Coventry. However, I called them first to make sure whether their wheel alignment was only £12.50 as advertised. When I received an answer in the affirmative, I drove down to their workshop.
They checked my Volvo and I found out that I had to change one of the Tyres. This cost me £44 for a Tigar Prima (one of the cheapest). The final cost came to £62/
I was quite surprised when I found out that they had given me a further discount of £5/ which was quite welcome. Of course, this was before the reductions in VAT was announced.
More info about the branch is given below:
National Tyres and Autocare
70 Spon End, Coventry, CV1 3HA
Phone: 02476674206
Monday - Friday: 8.30am - 6.00pm
Saturday: 8.30am - 5.00pm
Sunday: 10am-4pm
UK Car Industry in Trouble
Just last month, Tata the new owners of Jaguar and Land Rover announced that 850 workers could lose their jobs. This was following a meeting with Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary and attended by 17 senior representatives from the troubled motor industry. The representatives wanted a rescue package.
Today, the latest figures show that sales of new cars in the UK have fallen tremendously. The annual fall was the biggest since June 1980 - that's in 28 years. Read the BBC report: 'New car sales fall by one-third'.
Euro NCAP test results
Euro NCAP recently released the results of the test on 12 of Europe’s best-selling cars. These were for cars in the following categories: Supermini, Small Family, Large Family, Small Off-Roader, Pick up and Large MPV.
Apparently this is the last time the present rating system will be used. The new rating system will be launched in February 2009.
The cars which received the top score of five stars for adult occupant protection were the Alfa Romeo Mito, Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 308CC, Volkswagen Golf VI, Renault Megane, Honda Accord, Opel Insignia and the Volvo XC60.
However, some of the cars didn't do as well for child occupant or pedestrian protection.
Go over to the Euro NCAP site for more details.
Fuel prices go lower
I am delighted. I thought I would never see the day when petrol prices would go below the 90p mark. Well, today on my way back from the University, saw that petrol is now 89.9p.
I have to thank Asda for this new development. They were the ones who started the price war by lowering the fuel prices first of all. I think I will start shopping there even though it's a bit further away.
Battery down
Last weekend we were all set to go to Bristol for a day trip - all got into the car, TomTom ready and then the car refused to start. It was really frustrating. I suspected a run down battery but wa snot sure as I could still use the locking remote.
Waited till Monday this week. Called up RAC. A guy turned up promptly in less than an hour. He confirmed that the battery was down. Used his van to recharge the battery and my car started up without any problems. His diagnosis - "change the battery". They do sell batteries but it was way too costly - around £90.
Called up my regular workshop and they said they could replace it for a new one for only £75/
I decided to check out the workshop Ace Auto Parts and Accessories on the way to my son's nursery. Was really surprised when I found out that a brand new batter would cost me only £55/ inclusive of labour. The guy was friendly and had the battery changed in a couple of minutes.
Also noticed that they do battery, brakes and exhaust checks for free. Maybe later.
Here's the address:
Ace Auto Parts and Accessories
103, Radford Road, Radford
Coventry CV6 3BQ
Tel: 024 76601006
Least expensive cars to drive
Our Volvo is really comfortable but I have come to realise why it is a "luxury" car - it guzzles fuel. Now I find myself driving the old Ford Escort most of the time as it is more economical.
Anyway, just came across this article about the "Least Expensive Cars To Drive" on the Forbes site.
The Jeep Patriot
On the list are two Toyota cars, the Prius and the Yaris. However they have included two cars that I am wouldn't put under the "economical" category, namely the Cadillac DTS and the Jeep Patriot. However according to the article, the latter has a "has a long-term cost of ownership similar to that of the Toyota Prius."
Finding a repair shop with RepairPal
If you are a conscientious car owner like me, I am sure you have at one time or the other faced the problem of finding a suitable garage to repair or service your car.
Unless money is not an issue, it can really be time consuming and stressful to find a repair shop. One site in the US that is getting a lot of attention is RepairPal. Set up by a couple of auto enthusiasts and entrepreneurs in California, to make it easier for car owners to access a comprehensive auto shop directory and more. Their encyclopaedia page is filled with a lot of useful explanations of car related terms. Found it really useful.
You can get fair auto repair estimates in a few steps by choosing your car make, model, year, the service type you are interested in (for example, Timing belt replacement) and finally providing your zip code. Customers can then rate the shops as per their experience.
Signing up allows you to access a number of features including a place to maintain your car records. The will even email you when your car service is due. Definitely a useful site for all car owners.
Changing clutch on my Ford Escort
The problem with buying a used car, especially one that's older than 5 years, is that the parts start failing one after the other.
I have had clutch problems on my old Ford Escort from day one. Of late it had been giving me a lot of problems - the clutch was so damn hard that I used to have pain in my left leg driving anywhere. It was worst whenever there were traffic jams with short 'Stops and Gos'. However, last Monday, I got stuck at an intersection as the gears refused to go into first gear. I eventually managed to get it into first hear but that was really frustrating and that was it. Finally decided to have something done.
So this Tuesaday, I took the car back to the best Ford specialist in Coventry, KNS Autoparts. Left it in the morning and the car was ready by 5pm. It cost me £164.50 (inclusive of vat). Lot cheaper than what other garages were quoting - one said £300 before VAT and another £250.
I had a tough time adjusting to the new clutch - it' so soft. The car drives like a dream now. I am definitely not selling it anytime soon.
2008 Singapore Motorshow
The 2008 Singapore Motorshow is now on. This bi-annual event started on the 26th of this month at at the Suntec City Convention Centre It will run on till the 5th of October.
Response to Anon - National Tyres and Autocare
Someone "Anonymous" left a comment on my post "Experience with National Tyres and Autocare". He or She said:
"hi there i work for national, the advert is not mis leading !! if you bother to read it properly it states, ON A RANGE OF BARUM AND AVON TYRES, SELECTED SIZES ONLY !! as for the tracking, the vocher (sic) sheet also states that prices are subject to change at any time, plus where else are you going to get tracking done for £15.00 any way ???"
In response to Anonymous, I am so sorry I forgot to read the SMALL PRINT. It does say that. Regarding the Wheel alignment offer, they have now increased the price to £12.50 from £11/ If it costs £15, why don't they just say so instead of misleading consumers.
This is precisely the reason why so many companies in the UK are unable to retain customers. They are so focussed on getting new customers by any means possible (including misleading ads). However, the most important part - retaining customers, is forgotten.
I left them a complaint on their web site and I am still waiting for their answer. A simple apology would have been enough and I won't have written the post and even if I had I would have written it in a more positive tone. Maybe "National Tyres and Autocare" got back to me and they were willing to even do the alignment for FREE. Amazing company". Unfortunately that didn't happen and I will go to the tyre shop near my house who are friendlier.
Remember it is cheaper to retain old customers instead of getting new ones. The old satisfied customers will bring new ones along with them.
Small 4X vehicle
My "Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday" post.
These kind of vehicles are used in the University of Warwick, Coventry by the Landscaping people. Not sure but I think they are Kawasaki 4X mules.
Fuel prices may go down in the UK
According to Sky News, petrol prices may fall in the country. I hope this is true even though I am not betting on it.
It's quite funny to see petrol pumps increasing the prices as soon as World oil prices go up. However, when the World prices go down, they will take their own sweet time to lower the pump prices.
According to the report, the most expensive petrol prices are in London. Even in Coventry itself, prices vary between pumps. The costliest in our area is the Texaco, while the cheapest is Shell.
First batch of MGTF LE500S leave Longbridge
A batch of MG Rover cars left the Longbridge plant in Birmingham today - the first time since April 2005 when MG Rover was taken over by Nanjing Automobile Corporation for £53 million. The first batch of 47 MGTF LE500S was sent to dealers all over the country. The will be launched to the public on 20 September 2008.
Only the first 500 cars to leave the world famous Longbridge factory will receive the LE500 designation. I guess LE stands for Limited Edition.
They say that the car will be available in 6 body colour choices but so far I have only seen the orange coloured cars.
The car is powered by a 1.8 16v 135bhp 4 cylinder dohc engine with 5 speed manual gearbox.
Ford Fiesta ECOnetic
Ford Fiesta ECOnetic, the latest fuel efficient car from Ford is set to hit European roads soon. Recently unveiled at the British International Motor Show, the car does 65 miles to the gallon (some say 63.5 miles to the gallon). It has been hailed as UK's greenest car.
However, it won't be sold in the US. The reason: it has a diesel engine and apparently the fuel is still not popular with Americans due to a negative image plus the fact that it costlier than gasoline.
Proton GEN-2 ecoLogic
Proton Cars UK has announced the launch of the GEN-2 ecoLogic range (Yes! That's how they write the name). Available in a hatchback or saloon version, the ecoLogic models are priced 10,995 and £10,795 respectively.The dual fuel models are able to run on either petrol or LPG (liquefied petroleum gas).
This is not something new for Proton in the UK as the Humberside Police have been running LPG-converted Proton vehicles for over 10 years. 
The Proton ecoLogic GEN-2 has a 1.6 litre engine and is available in a sporty hatchback or saloon version, priced at £10,995(OTR) and £10,795 (OTR) respectively.
Both cars come with reverse sensors, air conditioning with pollen filter, electric front and rear windows, automatic central locking and alloy wheels. All customers can get a black leather interior on the GEN-2 ecoLogic hatchback absolutely free for a limited time only. This will be optional in the future and customers would have to pay £100 extra for it.
Since I didn't hear anything about this in the news, thought I should spread the news around. Read their press release here: Half price motoring with the new dual fuel ecoLogic.
Buying from a used car dealer
A few friends are looking to upgrade their cars and having read my review of Station Garage in Balsall Common, were asking my opinion on various options available.
Buying a used car is always a gamble. There are usually three reasons a person sells of a car:
1. Upgrading to a new car
2. Financial problems &
3. Some problems with the car.
More often than not, it is usually the third reason. So be very careful when buying a used car. Used car dealers are usually costlier than private sellers. However, most usually offer some kind of warranty or the other. Take Station Garage for example. Their main selling point is the fact that they offer 12 months warranty on their cars and 12 months MOT as well. However, I have to be honest.
I am not really happy with the garage. I specifically requested them to change one of the back tyres and to top up the engine oil as I found out that it was quite low. They did change the tyre and topped up the oil as well. You will notice that I say "topped up" and not "change". That's because they simply topped up the engine oil with some used oil. Some of my other friends confirmed this as well.
I am not sure why they did this but it really lowered my evaluation of the garage. I stopped recommending them after I found out about the oil. Going to have to go for a full service soon because I am not really sure what they meant by "car serviced" and what they did with the car now. That's what happens when customer don't trust a company any more.
Satisfied customers will usually recommend the company and help bring in new customers. On the other hand, unsatisfied customers will spread the bad news even more, more so when they happen to be bloggers.
Washing the engine
I plan to sell off my old Ford Escort. Decided to give it a nice wash before putting it up on the market. Took it to the car wash nearby, just behind "The Pilot" pub on Burnaby road. The rates were not bad - £5 for external wash and £10 for steam washing the engine.
The guy did a great job and my car looks like new (well almost).
However, the story does not end there. Yesterday, I was driving to Ikea with my wife, the car suddenly started backfiring and jerking. Quickly drove over to KNS Autoparts Ltd at Foleshill. Found out that a pipe was loose and leaking air (I am not sure from where) and also that water had got into my engine (where the spark plugs are located). So they took my car in for a while and cleaned the engine up. The damage was not that bad - only £10/ The car was perfectly OK after that but what a scare.
My "Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday" post.
Electric cars in La Rochelle
This is my second "Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday" post.
Saw a few cars near the Les Minimes post on our vacation in La Rochelle. They were hooked up to some sort of recharging post. I don't understand French but I immediately realised that they were electric cars. Later on found out that they are part of La Rochelle's active environmental pollution reduction policy. The electric cars are for hire and pay by usage time and mileage totalled during the month.
The pictures here are of the Citroën AX. You can recharge them for free.
Malaysians may recognise the shape. The Proton Tiara produced in the country from from 1996 to 2000 was based on the Citroën AX.
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If you wish to join "Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday, just send me an email (ahoklah@gmail.com) with a link to your post and I will email you the code for the blogroll. Will add you to the blogroll as soon as you have it up on your own blog.
Jaguar Special Edition XK60
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the iconic XK120 sports car, Jaguar has launched a special addition to the XK range, named Special Edition XK60.
The car is available in both coupé and convertible version and is powered by a naturally aspirated 4.2 litre V8 engine. The car' has something known as the Computer Active Technology Suspension for better control and agility with comfort.
Unique styling includes Senta alloy wheels, a sporty alloy gear knob and selector-gate surround, plus distinctive body enhancements: a new front spoiler and rear valance panel, chrome finished side vents and bright upper and lower front grille meshes, special tailpipe finishers and sill appliqués on both sides of the car.
There is no at no additional cost and prices start from £60,995.
Reviews of garages / workshops in Coventry
Hollis Road garage - MOT
KNS Autoparts Ltd, Foleshill - Car Repair/Ford Specialist
National Tyres and Autocare, Gosford Street - Tyres
Station Garage Coventry, Ballsal Common - Used Car and Servicing
Taxi & car repairs, Stoney Stanton - Car Repair and Servicing
TPS Autos Ltd, Foleshill - Car Repair/ MOT
Review of KNS Autoparts - Ford specialists in Coventry
After I bought the Volvo from Station Garage, I was wondering what to do with our old Ford Escort. Read my post "Ryanair to La Rochelle" in case you are wondering what happened to the car.
I had made up my mind to sell it as scrap as almost everyone I had talked to had convinced me that it was not worth trying to fix - "The cost would be more than it was worth".
Looked up the local newspaper and called up some scrap dealers, enquiring how much they could give me for the car. The maximum offer I got was £100. That was ridiculous considering the fact that the new Barum tyres I had fitted recently cost me £45.
I then checked with my favourite garage - Taxi & car repairs. Unfortunately Mr. Isfaq told me that he doesn't do engine repairs. There's one guy whom most Malaysians living in Coventry send their Mercedes Benz cars for repairs. He told me that it would cost me a minium of £500 to fix the head gasket. That was the same amount that he had charged my friend Ihsan for a similar problem with his car as well. Considering the fact that Ihsan's car was a Mercedes and mine, a Ford Escort, I certainly expected him to charge me less.
By that stage, I really didn't know what to do and had made up my mind to sell off the parts bit by bit on eBay when one of my friends told me to try KNS Autoparts Ltd in Lockhurst Lane. They are specialised in Ford cars.
I didn't really have any high hopes but I called them up anyway. Chris picked up the phone and I described my car and the problem. I couldn't believe it when he told me that he could fix the car and that it would cost me only £300 plus VAT. Of course I readily agreed. They were even willing to tow the car to their garage Free-of-charge.
So I gave them my car keys, told them where it was parked and went off on my holiday to France.
Called them up yesterday morning. Chris replied saying that the car was fixed and I could pick it up anytime. I was actually expecting him to tell me that the car needed more work and that it would mean more money. A lot of dishonest garages do that.
Altogether it cost me £352.50 (inclusive of VAT). It may be my imagination but the ride feels much smoother than before. Of course, it's been just one day but I am impressed with the work the guys at KNS Autoparts have done. Chris told me that I could bring back the car if it has any problems.
If you are in Coventry and have a problem with your old Ford Escort, you know where to go now.
The garage is located at 187, Lockhurst Lane, Foleshill, CV6 5NQ, Coventry.
Tel: 024 7658 1798
Buying a used car - my experience with Station Garage
Continued from "Buying a used car - my experience 1."
Note: Company not recommended. Have had numerous complaints about this company from various readers. Moreover the company website has been down for quite sometime. Calls to the owner were unanswered and I assume the company has closed down. However, I am still using the Volvo I bought from them and is still running fine.
After my disastrous day in Solihul and Birmingham, I was back on the Auto Trader site. I found a few Ford Mondeos I liked and within my budget. Unfortunately found out that the first two I had listed down had been sold. There was a private seller but he was still servicing the car and asked me to call up later.
While going through the various cars, I noticed one Mondeo with really low mileage and if I was able to knock down a couple of prices, it would be well below my budget. The used car dealer - Station Garage Coventry was in Balsall Common, about 7.3 miles from my house. As I couldn't wait, I just took a cab and set off for the place directly without calling. What really attracted me was their claim that their cars:
"come with 12 months parts and labour warranty. For your peace of mind, they are all HPI checked."It is a good idea to go to a car dealer without calling so that you can look around at leisure. Even if you do call them up, don't tell them what car you are interested in as I learnt from some friends that they would "prepare" it for you before you turn up and you might miss a few things.
Anyway, I reached the place and Jonathan, the guy running the place showed me the Mondeo I was interested in. Around that time, my friend Ihsan turned up as well. Had a look at the engine which was tip top by the way, and took it for a test drive. It was OK but not that smooth. The clutch was stiff and the hand brakes were not working.
While looking around, I suddenly laid my eyes on this Volvo S40. The price was slightly higher than my budget but I was sure that I could knock it down a bit. It had only done 65K miles and took it for a test drive. That was it - I decided to buy the car. The car ticked all my requirements - including the extras, sports rims, air conditioning and CD player. Now was time for haggling.
As much as I tried, Jonathan wouldn't budge on the price. I gave up on the Volvo and tried to reduce the price of the Mondeo but it was "No!" again. As I was about to leave , he was willing to reduce the price on the Mondeo by about £99 pounds but I decided to look for another Volvo elsewhere.
When I came back home I had a discussion with my wife. We looked at other Volvo S40s available and found a few within the same price range. Some were cheaper but with a higher mileage. However, none offered a 12 months parts and labour warranty. Plus it came with 12 months MOT.
That was it. I called the garage up and informed Jonathan that I wanted to buy the car and would be back at the garage the next day. He told me that there was someone coming to look at the car as well. I doubted it as the car was no where listed on their stock list nor on the auto trader.
Later at night we decided to check out the car's history on the RAC site.That's when I started to have doubts. The report said "Details currently held on the National Mileage Register (NMR) indicates that there may be a mileage discrepancy on this vehicle". That set off a lot of alarm bells even though the estimated market value was higher at that mileage.
So called up the garage in the morning the next day and informed Jonathan about my concerns. However he assured me that it might be human error and had the service records to prove it.
To cut a long story short (it's already long) I went back and finally bought the car. The garage had the car serviced and replaced one of the tyres as well. After I had paid the money (via debit) and as I was about to drive away, suddenly realised that the car had no floor mats. And I wasn't getting any. A small thing but left me somewhat dissatisfied.
Anyway, that's was my experience with Station Garage Coventry based in Ballsal Common and here's my new ride:
Here's their address:
Station Garage
Station Road
Ballsal Common
Coventy
CV7 7EF
Tel: 01676 534055
Related Link: Find used cars
Ford sued for selling too many limited edition Mustangs
Drew Connor, a Ford customer along with 100 other people are suing Ford and Roush Performance Products Inc. for alleged misrepresentation. According to them, they were promised that only 100 Roush Stage 3 BlackJack editions of the Ford Mustang would be produced in 2007 which were sold at a premium (Conner paid $58,846.25 for his car). Ford than later produced another 100 for sale in 2008.
Image from the Ford Power site.
Though it seems ridiculous, the guys have a point. The car is not as rare as they were promised they would be and the value would be lowered.
Have to see how this turns out.
Read on the Auto Blog: ROUSH and Ford sued for making too many Blackjack Mustangs
& on CNN: 2nd UPDATE: Ford, Roush Sued Over Limited-Edition Mustang
Buying a used car - my experience 1
Buying a used car is a tiring and frustrating task. I have learnt that over the course of thiese few day. Ever since my car broke down along the A14 and I found out that repairing the engine would cost me more than the value of the car, I have been looking for a good used car.
Besides looking at the newspapers (where I didn't find anything I liked) I also went to the Auto Trader site. Initially I looked for private sellers listing their Toyota Avensis but all the good ones (read best prices) had already been sold. It's amazing how popular this model is here in the UK. My next choice was the Nissan Primera because of the good review. I usually refer to Honest John which lists1200 comprehensive car reviews. Coming back to the Nissan Primera, it was my choice because it receives quite favourable reviews. However, every single one I liked on the Auto Trader site was beyond my budget (which is not really much to start with).
A relative living in Birmingham gave me some leads around Birmingham. My friend Ishan kindly consented to drive me around. My first car was a Nissan Primera at a car dealer in Solihul. I didn't like the car the first time I laid my eyes on it. It was in a really bad shape and when I gave it a test drive, it had a really unbearable odour inside. I don't need to tell you my decision.
NeXt was a 1.8 Turbo Diesel in Birmingham. I really liked it but the guy who wa selling it really talked a lot and it was really suspicious because the price was too cheap. He seemed over eager to get rid of the car as well. Never-the-less I decided to buy the car and gave him £70 as deposit after agreeing on a price. However, I just couldn't get rid of this nagging feeling. I had passed over the details of the car to my wife and I didn't know it but she had done a check on the car's history on the RAC site. You have to pay £5 but you get to learn some important details about the car. In this case, she discovered that the car had previously been involved in an accident and had been recorder as a total loss by the insurance company. It was listed as a category D "Vehicle damaged but repairable - the insurer decided not to repair". Not all category D cars are bad but I was not willing to take the chance and turned back at once. The guy agreed to give me back my deposit and he looked really miserable and I pitied him, but I had no choice.
Now it was back to the Auto Trader site and I widened up my option. I started looking for Ford Mondeos, VW Passats, etc.
To be continued in next post...
Fuel prices down
Finally some good news.
My car was low on fuel and I drove down to my favourite petrol BP station. I was really happy when I noticed the prices have gone down to 113.9p from 117.9p
As I wasn't sure how long the prices would remain down, I filled up the car - full tank. Half an hour later as I was driving past, I noticed that the prices have further gone down to 111.9p and has remained at that price since then.
If you want to find out the cheapest fuel prices in your area (in the UK) check out Petrolprices.com.
However, in order to get the details, you have to sign up for something called the Fubra Passport but that's a minor irritation.
The costliest around my area is the Texaco station at Jubilee Crescent. It is fast to increase it's prices but relaly slow to lower it. Right now the prices over there are still at 117.9p
Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday
I am starting this new meme called "Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday".
This meme is for auto enthusiasts, photographers, car owners - in fact everyone is welcome to join in. It's really simple. All you have to do is post up a picture of anything related to the auto industry that you feel tells a story on Wednesday.
Just leave a comment here or send me an email (ahoklah@gmail.com) with a link to your post and I will add you to the Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday blogroll.
I start the ball rolling with this photograph I took in Coventry. Calcott was a car manufacturer based in Coventry.
The 1937 Tatra T87
Check out the classic 1937 Tatra T87 at Jay Leno’s Garage. Designed by Hans Ledwinka, this streamlined, air-cooled, rear-engine car was built by Czechoslovakian manufacturer Tatra and was the favourite of German officers during World War II.
Check out the Wikipedia page of the Tatra T87.
Thanks for the link Michelle.
The new C3 Picasso
The new Citroen C3 family body style will be presented at this year’s Paris Motor Show and launch in the first-quarter of next year.
Despite it's small appearance, this MPV measures 4.08 m long, 1.73 m wide and 1.62 m tall with a fairly big boot space. The split-fold rear seats can be folded away with one hand in one simple movement. The new C3 allows flat loading space right up to the seatbacks in row one. That's not all. the load length can be further extended by folding the front passenger seat back down into desk position.
Check out the innovative, three-part windscreen with slim pillars. Combined with the high seats, it will give the driver a wide-angle vision.
Regarding the engine, the C3 Picasso there are four options. Either the two new-generation petrol options – the VTi 95 and VTi 120 – and two diesels, the HDi 90 and HDi 110 DPFS. As for environment fliendliness, these engines provide low CO2 emissions, with the HDi 90 unit emitting just 125 g/km. 
Discounts on car rentals
One of my friends is going to Austria for a holiday and he initially had planned to drive there but later on decided to fly there. I asked him how he was plannign to get around the place and found out that he planned to use public transport from moving around the city and hiring a car for going outside town.
When deciding on a car rental company, two companies usually come to mind, namely, Hertz and Avis. However, in the process we miss out on a number of other companies which provide competitive rental rates. One searching around the web, we came across Advantage Rent A Car. This car rental company is more than 40 years old and has a presence in 150 U.S. locations and 130 locations in 33 countries internationally. Yes! They are in Austria as well.
Found out that they are offering some special offers including a 50% discount on luxury cars and convertibles. Definitely worth considering when deciding on a car rental company.
New Mitsubishi Pajero Sport SUV
A new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport SUV model will be unveiled at 2008 Moscow Motor Show. the show will run from August 26 to September 7 (open to the public on August 29) at the Crocus Expo in Moscow.
The model will be known as the "Montero Sport" in South America, "Shogun' in the UK, "Nativa" in Latin America and "Challenger" in Australia. However, it will not be sold in Central and Western Europe nor in North America.
Rear 
Front view
The new Pajero has a really sporty look. They are offering a choice of three engines viz.,: 2.5-litre and 3.2-litre common rail direct injection diesel units and a 3.5-litre V6 gasoline unit.
Very practical innovations include the water-repellent seats and waterproof luggage compartment floor.
According to their press release, Mitsubishi choose to launch the new Pajero Sport at the Moscow Motor Show to indicate "Russia's eminent position within Mitsubishi Motors". It's not surprising because in the last fiscal year (2007) Mitsubishi Motors sold some 100,000 vehicles on the Russian market.
New Racing Lancer
Image released by Mitsubishi
Here's the new 'Racing Lancer' developed for the 2009 Dakar Rally. It has the codename MRX09, which stands for 'Mitsubishi Rally 'Cross Country'('X'). The suffix 09 stands for year 2009.
The Lancer (known in Japan as Gallant Fortis) takes over the competition baton from the Pajero/Montero and the Pajero/Montero Evolution.
It has been developed in compliance with the FIA's Group T1 regulations (modified cross-country rally cars) which also complies with the new rules due to come into force in 2010.
The MRX09 features a new, multi-tubular steel frame and will be powered by the 3.0-liter V6 turbocharged diesel engine, which is wedded with a Ricardo manual five-speed sequential transmission.
The engine is currently being tested on qualifying rounds of the 2008 Dakar Series and the 2008 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup.
BTW, Mitsubishi Motor has a new corporate communication tagline : 'Drive@earth'.
Toyota showcase at British Motor show
Toyota GB will be will be showcasing its entire range of vehicles at the British International Motor Show 2008.
The IQ
This includes the revolutionary Toyota iQ and the Urban Cruiser SUV.
The Urban Cruiser
The show will run from 23 July to 3 August of this year at ExCel London.
Experience with National Tyres and Autocare
I needed to change my tyres and was quite excited when I found out that National Tyres and Autocare was offering two tyres for the price of one. As they say, "if it sounds to good to be true, it usually is." Found that their promotions and offers are quite misleading.
They have two branches here in Coventry and I went to the one in Gosford Street, near Coventry University.
Found out that the "Buy one tyre, get one free" offer is not available for my car tyre size. I only had one replaced - a Barum Bravuris tyre (195 / 50 R 15 82V) costing £45/
It's not that bad considering that I had one tyre changed at the "New Cheap Tyres" shop on Stoney Stanton road. It cost the same for a no-brand Chinese made tyre (the cheapest according to them).
Coming back to the National tyres shop, I wanted to take advantage of their Wheel alignment offer - only £11 according to the coupon. However, when I asked the guy in charge, he said that it will cost me £15. Of course, it's a difference of only £4/ but I do feel like he was trying to take advantage. Another thing that reinforced this suspicion was when he told me that the 2 rear tyres needed to be changed as well. It's obvious I am a foreigner here, but I am not stupid. They still have good thread depths. The minimum legal thread depth is 1.6 mm in the UK while on the tyres on my car, they are between 2.5 to 3mm.
the only positive thing I can say is that the whole process of changing to the new tyres was that I didn't have to wait too long and it was relatively fast. I also got Tesco clubcard points.
That's another shop I won't be going back to. I am not so sure about their other branch at Spon End.
The Nissan Sylphy
One of Nissan's best selling cars - the Sylphy has finally reached Malaysia. It was launched last week by Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd, Nissan's official distributor in Malaysia. 
It features an alluminium MR20DE 4 cylinder engine with continuously variable transmission (CVT).
The 2-litre executive sedan is locally assembled and is priced approx. RM112,800 between and RM116,800 on-the-road. It will be available in 6 colours.
Stunt driving
A friend forwarded me these pics of some crazy Arabs doing stunt driving.
Really dangerous and I don't recommend anyone from following their example. However, I go to admit, the driver is quite skilled.
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