Archive for July, 2010

It seems that an elaborate hoax is taking over the BBC this afternoon. Apparently the Stig, who often appears on the top television show ‘Top Gear,’ was seen driving a Porsche, followed by a convoy of Top Gear labelled Range Rovers. Not only that, he then pulled into a petrol station where a fan, who had noticed this ever-so-extraordinary being driving along the M55, managed to snap a picture with him(her? it?)!

Although the ‘Stig’ was witnessed in the full uniform, with bodyguards and a crew following, BBC are denying that this was the nameless Top Gear star. They are undertaking a full investigation, with a BBC Spokeswoman saying ‘It would appear there is an imposter going round pretending to be the Stig…he is nothing to do with the television programme.’

Some say he’s got a lot of time on his hands. All we know is, he’s not the Stig!

I like posting funny and amusing videos, because, well, they’re funny and amusing, but every once in a while you get something through that is just a bit… weird.

And, usually, also French.

Citroen are currently advertising the merits of the enormous windscreen on the new C3 Visiodrive which means you have an excellent view of the road (and the sky) ahead. The way they’ve chosen to do this is, of course, by emphasising how difficult the windscreen is to wash.

Clearly that idea on its own wouldn’t be particularly wacky, but they’ve turned the concept into a viral game – sort of like a ‘choose your own adventure’ done with film, where you get to pick which ‘hilarious’ character tries to wash the car in a funky and freaky way. Your vantage point is inside the car, and assuming the car has a standard layout, you appear to be perched on the gearstick.

The characters include a wrestler, a cheerleader, a Motown diva and a chicken. There’s also a bonus unlockable character – because that’s what you have in a game, right?

Check out the video below – you can play the game, which is actually pretty fun, in a silly sort of way, here.

Citroën

You may have seen some of the articles in the press this year on the subject of Phantom Jams, which, unfortunately have nothing to do with ghost cars.

These are the traffic jams that appear, seemingly from nowhere, and gradually propagate backwards down the road. All of a sudden, these seem to have attracted the attention on mathematicians, who are publishing papers on the phenomenon at an alarming rate.

First Bristol University published the results of an investigation they had conducted on the M42 near Birmingham, utilising the huge numbers of cameras on that particular motorway (Yes, the ones that monitor and enforce the variable speed limits.) Their aim is to improve mathematical models of these jams, so that more accurate forecasts of journey times can be made.

This has been followed up by another study from MIT. Their model includes things called ‘jamitons’ and uses the mathematics of supersonic airflow and explosions to explain the phantom jam.

So what can we do to stop ourselves falling victim to these Phantom Jams?

“You’re stuck in traffic until all of the sudden it just clears”

Cheers, guys! Money well spent on that, then. At least the BBC didn’t explain it two years ago. Oh, hang on, what’s this?

It seems that the financial situation of Dubai is completely different to what it used to be. Once a thriving City, full of entrepreneurs, the worlds most expensive hotel and the tallest building in the world, its no wonder people chose this once magnificent place as a ‘second home’ location. A property purchase in this city was seen as an investment of the highest proportions.

Then, the recession hit it. Hard.The flourishing city ground to a halt. Building sites ceased work, and people who had emigrated to Dubai for financial security and tax-free wealth were at risk of being thrown in jail for being in debt! The airports saw a rise in passengers in the middle of the night, trying to flee from the authorities. Luxury cars, which are considerably cheaper in Dubai were abandoned at the airport, or in the street. Spent credit cards were left in the glove-box, and notes of apology often left on the windscreens. In 2009, over 3000 cars were left, gathering dust. What a waste!

As you may remember we recently blogged about two guys, Joe and James, who were circumnavigating their way around Britain in Sea Kayaks. As we are proud sponsors of the team we thought we would keep you updated on their progress!

They are now into week ten of the expedition, but there has been a major change in that James has been paddling solo since the end of June. The reasons for this are unknown, but it means that James needs support more now than ever!

James Leaving Stein

As he passed the Headlands he was exposed to extreme winds, which made the Journey even more difficult, adding to the pain of not having the support van for two weeks! Although James faced difficulty he persevered, never losing sight of what he aims to achieve!

To keep updated on James’ progress and to sponsor him click here!

Every so often you see a product so astoundingly brilliant in its simplicity, that you simply can’t believe that no-one has thought of it before. The Multimac car seat is just such a triumph of design and function and the problem it solves is one that all frustrated petrolheads with large families will appreciate.

If you have more than two kids, it isn’t just tickets to Thomasland that start getting expensive and impractical. Because your beloved coupe or convertible is suddenly too small to fit the entire family, and before you know it, your other half is pestering you to get rid of the TT.

If you are blessed with four children, even the humble hatchback suddenly becomes an unacceptably small vehicle, and you’re forced to trade in the Focus for a huge MPV with the turning circle of an oil tanker and the sporting credentials of John Prescott. Croquet.

If you are in a situation like this there is now another option, in the form of the Multimac child car seats. These brilliant devices squeeze three children, aged up to 12, into the back 2 seats of your 2+2 coupé, or alternatively four kids into the back of a standard hatch or saloon. And while they aren’t cheap, with prices starting at £1,099, they will be worth their considerable weight in gold to car-lovers desperate to keep their pride and joy. They may even make sound financial sense set against the increased cost of a larger 7-seat car.

This is the back of a Ford Fiesta!

As a parent, your first thought when you see these is concern over safety aspects, but the comprehensive safety tests that these seats are put through in Sweden will surely reassure you. The seats are bolted directly into the mountings for the existing seatbelt stalks, so are essentially joined to the chassis of the car

Swedish guys do 11 separate tests for every car type.

There are legal concerns as well, of course. Each model of car has to gain approval from the authorities, so if your car isn’t listed yet, you may have to wait until it is tested. You’ll also need to inform the DVLA of the increased seating capacity, and declare the modification for insurance purposes. Obviously, I can think of at least one modified car insurance specialist you should call.

The seats come in grey, but if desired can be specced, for an extra cost, to match your existing upholstery. You can also buy co-ordinating rear-facing baby seats which slot in.

I know these aren’t going to be for everyone, but I’m equally sure that for some parents, these will be an answered prayer.

Some have you may have already heard about Ferrari World, the Ferrari theme park located on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi scheduled to open on the 28th of October. For those that haven’t, it is set to be the biggest indoor theme park in the world at 86,000 square metres. Unsurprisingly everything in the park is Ferrari themed, with a touch of Italian flavour for good measure. Ferrari have excited a lot of people last week by releasing the list of attractions on offer there, including the worlds fastest roller coaster and virtual tours around the Maranello factory.

One of the roller coasters, called Formula Rossa, is an F1 themed ride that boasts a top speed of 240km/h (about 150 mph). Along the way you will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2 seconds and feel the force of 1.7Gs. Find out more about it here.

There is also a big Italian vibe to the park with an attraction called Bell’Italia, where you explore some of Italy’s most famous locations in miniaturised form. It features attractions like the Colloseum, the Monza racetrack and of course Maranello the home of Ferrari. All of this can be viewed on foot around cobbled streets, or you can choose to drive around in a small-scale 1957 250 California. If that’s not enough for you, there is also Viaggio in Ialia, an aerial trip over some of Italy’s cities, monuments, coastlines and mountains, all while pursuing a Ferrari.

After all that Italian scenery, if you are a thrill seeker then there is more for you. The G-Force is a tower ride that will shoot you through the roof and up to 62 metres in the air in a seat inspired by the Enzo, all to replicate the ‘G-Force’ of riding in a Ferrari. The Fiorano GT Challenge is a duelling roller coaster, where you twist and turn around a tight racecourse in Ferrari F430 Spiders. The two F430′s are are operated independently on separate tracks and will overtake and race to the finish line.

There is of course lots more on offer, more rides, films, fun for the kids, shops and eateries. If this tickles your fancy and you’re looking at a holiday in Abu Dhabi, take a look at a full list of the attractions on the Ferrari World wesite.