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2012 Kia Cee'd 1.6 CRDi 126 review

What Car? News — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

The Kia Cee'd was the car that elevated the Korean brand to a new level of desirability the UK. This second-generation model aims to take it to higher still. It's closely related to the new Hyundai i30, and shares much of the same technology. That extends to its 126bhp 1.6 diesel engine, which Kia expects will be the most popular in the range. Prices for this model start at £16,295, and rise to...

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Our cars tested: weekly updates

What Car? News — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

We put the What Car? fleet through the ultimate test - everyday life. We’re a varied bunch of people, and drive each other's cars regularly, so we find out what the cars on test are like from a wide range of perspectives. Each week we update our reports, giving you the insider track on what these cars are like to own. Simply click on the links below to get the latest on our cars or scroll...

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Nissan Leaf ensures high-quality whisky from Isle of Islay

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:57:00 +0000

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Hatchback, Nissan, UK, Electric

The Bruichladdich Distillery has been making artisan single malt Scotch whisky since 1881 on the Isle of Islay in the UK. As the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, you may not expect the island's 620 square kilometers (239 square miles) to be the ideal habitat for electric cars.

Apparently, though, the Nissan Leaf works out quite well for Mark Reynier, managing director at the distillery. The island's inhabitants are also benefited, says Reynier, by Nissan's Power Control System, which allows the Leaf's high-capacity lithium ion battery to power other devices - important when a single storm can completely cut the island's link to the outside world.

Watch Reynier describe how the Nissan Leaf has improved his life and his distillery in the video below. And, if you're interested in other ways to use Bruichladdich's whisky as a biofuel, you can also watch James May run a Radical SR4 race car on the spirit in a separate video.

Continue reading Nissan Leaf ensures high-quality whisky from Isle of Islay

Nissan Leaf ensures high-quality whisky from Isle of Islay originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet review

What Car? News — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:20:00 +0000

The new Golf GTI Cabriolet is the first soft-top version of VW's iconic hot hatch for almost 20 years. It's instantly recognisable as a GTI, thanks to telephone dial alloy wheels, a deep front air dam and a honeycomb grille with a red surround. However, like every Golf Cabriolet, it has a fully electric hood that can be lowered in 9.5 seconds while driving at speeds of up to 18mph. Power comes...

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How many rugby players can you fit into a Chevrolet Aveo?

Noah Joseph — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:27:00 +0000

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Hatchback, Chevrolet, UK

How many people can you fit into a car? It's a question that's been asked about any number of small cars. They're usually Volkswagen models, and those determined to find the answer are most likely to be a group of relatively small and flexible individuals. But Chevrolet has taken a different approach.

The American automaker's British division wants to know how many rugby players can fit inside a new Aveo - one of its smallest vehicles, also known as the Sonic on this side of the Mayflower's journey. But rather than answer the question itself, it has launched a competition across the UK. With the rugby season about to kick off, whichever team fits the most of its players into an Aveo by the end of the year will win a whole mess of new equipment.

Our money's on the local grade school's team. Check out the press release below for more.

Continue reading How many rugby players can you fit into a Chevrolet Aveo?

How many rugby players can you fit into a Chevrolet Aveo? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Martin Scorcese to produce Silver Ghost film about Rolls-Royce

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Classics, Rolls-Royce, UK, Celebrities, Luxury

This could be interesting: Oscar-winners Martin Scorsese and Richard Attenborogh are teaming up to make a film called Silver Ghost, based, in part, on the lives of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. The screenplay was written by Jeffrey Caine (Goldeneye) and playwright Sharman Macdonald, who also happens to be actress Kiera Knightley's mom.

According to Top Gear, the biopic will be set at the dawn of the 20th Century, during the seminal days of the auto industry. But the report says the real hero of the story will be one Lord John Douglas-Scott Montagu, the Second Baron Montagu of Beaulieu and a member of British Parliament who used his position in British society to champion motoring.

While we're not quite sure what all that Barons and Lords stuff is about, reading that in 1899 Montagu drove the first car to enter the yard of the House of Commons made us think he must have been a decent enough chap. According to the report, he even launched a monthly car magazine. And like any good period-film protagonist, he was romantically linked to another key figure in the story, Eleanor Thornton, the woman who inspired the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy mascot that became a defining feature of the marque.

The film is still a long way from the screen, although Scorcese's involvement can't hurt its chances of getting made. Neither would casting Knightley as Thornton, if you ask us.

Martin Scorcese to produce Silver Ghost film about Rolls-Royce originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW Polo WRC Street concept unveiled

What Car? News — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Volkswagen has unveiled a concept car that previews the Polo R hot hatch, which is due to go on sale in late 2013. The Polo WRC Street concept car was created for the annual VW car festival in Worthersee, Austria, and takes its inspiration from the Polo rally car that will compete in next year's World Rally Championship. The WRC Street has big alloy wheels and a bodykit that includes a...

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New Skoda Rapid from around £12k

What Car? News — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

The new Skoda Rapid will cost from around £12,000, when it goes on sale in November, according to company insiders. The Rapid will sit between the Fabia and the Octavia in Skoda’s range, and is the production version of the MissionL concept car revealed at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. It will share the same underpinnings as the Seat Toledo, and order books are expected to open around...

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New Audi A3 petrol to match diesel's CO2

What Car? News — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:50:00 +0000

Audi's new 1.4 'cylinder on demand' petrol engine will match the equivalent diesel version's CO2 emissions, when it arrives in the new A3 next spring. The engine works by shutting down two of its four cylinders when cruising to save fuel, and an Audi insider told What Car? that early indications suggest a CO2 output of just 106g/km. If that's confirmed, it puts the 138bhp turbocharged petrol on...

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New Audi A3 petrol to match diesel's CO2

What Car? News — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:50:00 +0000

Audi's new 1.4 'cylinder on demand' petrol engine will match the equivalent diesel version's CO2 emissions when it arrives in the new A3 next spring. The engine saves fuel by shutting down two of its four cylinders when cruising. An Audi insider told What Car? that early indications suggest a CO2 output of just 106g/km. If that's confirmed, it puts the 138bhp turbocharged petrol version on a...

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