Latest car, EV, sportscar, supercar and motoring news, facts and industry gossip from Smart-Motoring.com.
A rally is set to take place in the grounds of the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu later this year that will celebrate the iconic Austin 7. The vehicle is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2012 and to mark the occasion, hundreds of Austin 7 owners and enthusiasts will be making their way to the […]
Beaulieu to boast Austin 7 celebration Read Post »
Global motorcycle manufacturer Honda has completed an important tyre test ahead of the company’s participation in this year’s FIM Endurance World Championship. The three-day test was carried out at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia and saw the team cover almost 2,000 km in 350 laps of the track as they set about trialling a variety
Honda completes tyre test for TT Legends team Read Post »
Fans of classic cars and modern vehicles that are likely to achieve this status in years to come may be interested in the latest announcement by the organisers of the upcoming Race Retro event that a host of such vehicles are to go under the hammer at this year's festivities. So far, 72 vehicles have
Lots revealed for Race Retro classic car sale Read Post »
Driving safety charity Brake has responded to the publication of a new study which showed individuals who smoke cannabis up to three hours before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle double their risk of having an accident. It revealed that 18 per cent of those killed each year in vehicle accidents have trace amounts
Tackling drug-driving culture 'a high priority' Read Post »
It’s the human condition; we all want ‘stuff’ and we are fickle creatures. We constantly desire, lust and crave a certain something only to achieve it and realise we actually wanted something completely different. Take a classic car for example. Say you’ve always fancied yourself behind the wheel of an E-Type Jaguar and you decide to
Classic Car Club – Scratching the Itch Read Post »
Marking the 75th anniversary of the first performance of the famous Silver Arrows Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix team, the legendary performing troupe of race cars are set to make an appearance at the upcoming Goodwood Revival 2012. Set to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for classic sportscar enthusiasts to witness the Arrows in full
Silver Arrows to return at Goodwood Revival 2012 Read Post »
Porsche has announced it will be including a number of “legendary” vehicles in its line-up for the upcoming Race Retro event at Stoneleigh Park later this month. Running from February 24th to 26th, Race Retro is a showcase of some of the most important and stunning motorsport marques and will see Porsche taking the opportunity
Porsche announces 'legendary line-up' for Race Retro event Read Post »
How would you like to realise your motoring dreams; to make that once in a lifetime road trip, to undertake that long delayed classic car restoration or to explore one of those weird motoring ideas you had down the pub? Now’s your chance. Read on! To see the current / previous winners, click here. Performance Direct is well
How to Enter The Non Standard Awards Read Post »
It’s a constant frustration for me that concept vehicles nearly always get watered down into something similar to that which already exists. Almost as if at the last minute, fear of being too different grips the company in question. When I saw the Colim Campervan it initially made me smile, then I felt the impending
Camper Van Concept Vehicles – Still Searching For The Perfect Vehicle Read Post »
The first Batmobile was red, or at least, an early depiction of the classic vehicle was in a DC Comics edition from 1939. Yes, I raised an eyebrow at how long ago that was too. But it wasn’t till much later that the Batmobile that we know, love and envy became the norm with it’s
The Batmobile From 1989 To Present – From Lincoln To Jet Engined Race Car Read Post »
When I was a small boy, money was tight, and I often found myself envious of my best friend’s toy cars. It was an age when boy’s toys were quite sparse compared to today, and the model car ruled. If only I’d known how collectable they were to become. While my friend had a Corgi
The Green Hornet's V8 Chrysler Imperial Black Beauty Read Post »
When I first got the email telling me I was the lucky winner of a Ferrari 458 Passenger ride, I’ll be honest, I thought it was a joke. The chances of winning a competition like that are particularly slim, and not always being the luckiest person in the world, I didn’t think I stood a
Competition Winner Esta Drives the Radical SR3 around Silverstone Read Post »
An anonymous Beatles fan from Texas in America has just paid £310,000 for a platinum silver Aston Martin DB5 with a black Connolly leather interior that was once owned by George Harrison. The auction took place at Coys’ True Greats Auction in the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster. The vintage car, which The Beatles guitarist
George Harrison’s Aston Martin – a classic ticket to ride sells at auction Read Post »
Looking after the UK website for Nissan in my old job was always an interesting experience, from the chap on a remote Scottish Island desperately seeking a forklift truck engine part for his home-made boat motor (he was currently cut off from the mainland) to the charming young women, normally based in London, who asked
Nissan Figaro – Literally A Modern Classic Read Post »
Recently I looked at the fascinating history of automobile paints (you can see that article by clicking here). The advance in technology that gives some show cars that wow factor – deep, bottomless pools of colour. But you can take this a step further with a custom design as well, ranging from a bit of subtle
From Street Rodding to Clio Riding – The Art Of Car Customisation Read Post »
For anyone that is in the process of restoring a classic automobile there comes a time when you reach the exciting part – the dirt, grease and grime has temporarily gone, and now you can consider the wheels and the paint. It’s often been said that these two things can make or break a vintage
Automotive Paint – A Fascinating Journey of Vehicle Protection Read Post »
Sadly, Sergio Scaglietti has died at the ripe old age of 91. Famous and loved for his sweepingly beautiful Ferrari designs in the 1950s and 1960s, Scaglietti died in his home town of Modena in Italy on 20th November 2011. Born in 1920, Ferrari’s “maestro of aluminium” was compared to Michelangelo in his day, a
Ferrari Designer, Sergio Scaglietti 1920 – 2011 Read Post »
Have you heard this story? A wealthy couple receive an unexpected surprise. They receive two tickets to the theatre in a competition neither of them can even remember entering. What a nice surprise! So, on the night, they get all dressed up, go into town and enjoy the show. But when they return home later
Home Insurance and Contents Insurance at Christmas Read Post »
Winner of the Performance Direct Ferrari 458 Italia Driving Experience at Silverstone, Esta from Birmingham, came along to visit us at the Classic Motor Show / Top Gear Live at the Birmingham NEC to collect her certificate. She was the lucky winner of the competition amongst the many thousands of entrants and will get driven
Winning a Passenger Ride in a Ferrari 458 Italia Read Post »
I was recently perusing with amusement, a website of some of the worst cars of all time. The list is fascinating; while it could be argued that it might be a bit harsh to judge a vehicle from the early part of the 1900s or before due to advances in automotive technology, and while there is
Trabant – The People's Car For Communist Europe Read Post »
It’s that time of year again, when the shopping centres already have the Christmas lights up, the clocks have changed, the nights are drawing in, the weather’s getting colder and a lot of Classic Cars are getting greased up and put onto blocks ready to hibernate for the Winter. But, classic car fans, just wait
The Classic Motor Show & Top Gear Live, Birmingham NEC 2011 Read Post »
Performance Direct are well known for saving Volkswagen drivers money on their VW insurance. In fact we love a nice vee dub here in the office and one of our blog writers, Sean Neylon, is in fact the proud owner of a very orange original Beetle and an enthusiast in the way that only a
Volkswagen go Back to the Future in their Golf GTi Time Machine Read Post »
