Stuff

Seatbelts, airbags, side-impact bars. Once a madman's dream - now the reality in any car you care to buy, in the UK at least. But while these inventions may seem mundane in this day and age there are other safety aids so bizarre that they could cause you to, well, lose control of your vehicle. Some of these new safety ideas may seem revolutionary and some may seem a little ridiculous with each safety feature aimed at either protecting someone in an accident, or preventing an accident from happening. Below is a countdown of the top five most fascinating, brilliant - or,...

Cars are getting quicker - make no mistake, they are. Renault, for example, are forever adding more power to their hot hatches. First came the Megane 225, with - appropriately enough - 225ps (that's 222bhp, if you're interested). Then the Megane 230, with 230ps; the Megane 250, with 250ps; and finally the Megane 265, with - well, take a wild guess. That's a model set up purely for performance, though, and with cars in general becoming increasingly economy-focussed we thought now would be a great time to play around with our new Top Ten calculator and see just who's lagging behind...

While Boris’s bikes, the congestion charge and London’s push to become the electric vehicle (EV) capital of the world grabs the major headlines when it comes to green transport in the UK’s capital, there’s a cleaner alternative on the market.The rickshaw is a simple device with origins in eastern culture and its etymology stems from Japan, where it more or less means human-powered vehicle.In its most basic form it’s a cab on two wheels that can either be pulled by a runner, or in London a man on a bicycle – a pedicab.Operating in and around central London, they’re a...

The days of the embarrassing CD collection seem numbered with Ford admitting that an all-digital audio age is coming – and with it the days of embarrassing MP3 collections.CD sales fell by 35 per cent between 2006 and 2010 with the iPod-generation taking over - 98 per cent of all single sales are digital, says Ford.With wireless technology on the rise it seems that CDs could quickly become a thing of the past with Ford at the forefront having already pulled multi-CD changers from its equipment lists, in favour of multimedia hubs, USB hook-ups, Bluetooth and wireless internet connectivity.Ford is...

The Mini Coyote V2 is a stand-alone warning system that uses satellite technology to share and identify fixed and remote speed cameras, traffic lights, traffic incidents and speed limits – in theory.We took it out for a test drive to see if it was wily enough to stand up to UK speed cameras.LayoutOn first impressions the Coyote looks smart and compact, which it is, but a little too neat and a little too compact, so much so that it is not especially easy to set up or navigate.The gadget measures just 90mm across and weighs just 105g but this is...

Last week Ford followed in the footsteps of Alfa Romeo with its innovative 3D projection advertising campaign.The event featured two integrated sequences, opening the show with a two minute theatrical film followed by the interactive bit: six minutes of laser sequences projected onto the sides of what Ford called, “iconic buildings” : a University building in London, and an over-sized air vent in Liverpool.In all honesty, the buildings -Senate House in London and the Ventilation Building in Liverpool - are far more illustrious than their functions would suggest, yet iconic is probably stretching it a bit. Either way, the two...

If, like us, you’ve left it late once again to pick up a Father’s Day gift for the 20th June, there will no doubt be a last ditch dash around the shops to find something suitable.For all those petrolhead Dads, there’s no better gift than an automotive-themed gadget. Whether it is maintenance tools, a new iPod dock or even a track day, we’ve rounded up some of the better gift ideas available now.So whether it’s something practical, cosmetic or downright fun, here’s a few last minute gifts for the discerning car enthusiast.Car maintenancePerhaps not the most exciting automotive-related gift, but...

'What's the point of a car without music?' asked MT back in 2007, before embarking on a west coast-heavy trawl through classic driving ballads in search of the best driving tunes.Music and driving are time-honoured partners – it's all part of that emotional connection that's so important to car buyers, and car manufacturers are well aware of.It makes sense that car manufacturers should seek to use multimedia to engage with customers and acknowledge that emotional connection, and that connection between your car and your music.And technology is bringing the two closer and closer together. These days you can dock your...

At this time of year websites and magazine are crammed full of articles providing gift inspiration for the friends and relatives of petrol heads.Most mention some form of driving experience or absurd boys toys, and while they may not be prohibitively expensive, you may be looking for something a little easier to source and to enjoy.So, with that in mind we've compiled a list of gifts for petrol heads that need not tax wallets. They can, generally, be easily sourced and enjoyed (or at least used) by virtually any car owner or enthusiast.And even if Dad may secretly be longing...

If you have a strong brand name you leverage it these days. And, to an extent, why not?If you're Bentley, Ferrari or Aston Martin people want to buy stuff that reeks of the quality, sexiness and characteristics your products are imbued with - and if you don't short change your customers with cheap that there's no real problem as I see it.Upmarket clothing, luggage, accessories, sporting kit. It's generally fair game. Luxury or sporting cars are, to varying extents, a lifestyle statement so it's understandable that people want to extend that statement to other parts of their life, or to...