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Simply fantastic product and fantastic people. I had been suffering from white exhaust smoke and burning oil. I came across lots of symptoms on forums and came across the dreaded swirl flap issue. Needless to say I was very concerned and got in touch with PMW. There help, advice and expertise was invaluble.
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A recent online article from UK comic (non-driver) David Mitchell about speeding fines has attracted a huge number of impassioned comments, some not without venom and a certain…ahem… ‘hot-blooded intensity’ (i.e. lots of swearing). Almost every statistic and perspective has been endlessly re-positioned, questioned, supported and dissected in the few hours since the post appeared. What fascinates me however is just how much energy we are wasting labouring a point so very wide of the mark…
After all there is one statistic that is being unfortunately ignored in the whole debate - it is that on average nearly one third of all Britain’s roughly 3,000 annual road deaths are comprised of cyclists and motorcyclists. The overwhelming majority of these involve collisions with a motor vehicle, be it a car, van, bus, whatever.
Now the big picture in the whole speeding fines debate is ultimately road safety - both for those who advocate the use of cameras etc - and for those that don’t (they feel the cameras do nothing to reduce actual road deaths but that this is instead used as an excuse for a revenue raising scheme). So basically the way I see it, if we had far fewer road deaths we wouldn’t need speed cameras and traps - and those who support them currently would have no need to call for them. So far, so obvious - but how to bring about this seemingly impossible situation of drastically reduced road deaths AND fewer speed cameras?
Well since overspeeding is only a factor in 5% of road deaths (gov figures) then clearly we are maybe guilty of over-emphasising the role of speed cameras in keeping roads safe. Instead why not look at the evident stupidity in mixing very large and fast vehicles like vans and cars, with small and vulnerable ones such as bikes, mopeds and scooters on our roads? Doesn’t it seem obvious that if we had proper dedicated cyclepaths alongside all major roads for these small and vulnerable road users, we could knock a good 600-700 off that annual road deaths figure pretty quickly?
It wouldn’t suddenly make road deaths a thing of the past, but it would comprise a very significant step in the right direction. Many would say that such a move would prove extremely expensive - but consider the massive amount saved from fewer NHS treatments of crash victims (it would cut not just deaths, but also treating expensive injuries in general - of which there are some 16,000 a year JUST in the case of cyclists, not including mopeds etc).
Nonetheless it would still costs a fair amount for the gov’t to launch such an initiative - but then isn’t the whole principle of a speeding fine that human lives are more important than a few quid?
Dejan Levi
David Mitchell, Dejan Levi, reducing UK road deaths, Speeding Fines, UK road safety
Following Chancellor Darling’s recent announcement of a UK vehicle scrappage scheme, Mercedes Benz UK has announced its participation, and the world’s lowest-emission cabrio leads the way.
The forthcoming smart fortwo cdi cabrio - with CO2 emissions of just 88 g/km - will be available to customers taking advantage of the scheme, including the full £2,000 saving. Other smart models including the invigorating BRABUS performance range will be available.
Additionally, every Mercedes Benz - from A-Class to S-Class - will participate in the scrappage scheme.
Full story at Carpages
Towards the end of 2008, the fifth generation BMW 7 Series went on sale. It was an event that saw the introduction of a host of innovative features and functions and a lengthy list of updates to the luxury saloon’s already mind-boggling array of technology.
Nobody manages to combine cutting-edge technology and comfort in a luxury saloon in quite the same the way as the Germans seem to be able. Consider the options; the Mercedes Benz S Class or the Audi A8. Both are loaded with goodies and house large but efficient engines under elongated bonnets, but with the new 7 Series, BMW have gone that little bit further.
Clearly, a large car, the BMW 7 Series boasts the longest wheelbase in the luxury performance segment, and that is just the ‘regular’ version - the long wheelbase model adds 140mm to the wheelbase for even more legroom in the rear of the cabin.
For full story and photos see CarPages
Speculation over the possible rebirth of the classic Porsche 928 is rife once again, the latest rumour frenzy following a ‘round table’ media grilling of Porsche execs at the Shanghai motorshow.
Apparently various members of the Porsche board have expressed positive thoughts about re-entering the front-engined luxury coupe sector, with sales and marketing director Klaus Berning reported as confirming such a car is of particular interest to the firm.
With global sales of lower-end Porsches like the Boxster and Cayman under pressure while interest in range-topping 911 and Cayenne models remains strong, it would seem to make sense for the Stuttgart manufacturer to investigate a flagship GT model based on the technically advanced Panamera platform.
Read the full article at PistonHeads
