Best car chases

NOT all hybrid cars are as green as they seem — with some not even as clean as their diesel rivals, a study shows. A new assessment system gave the £35,000 Mitsubishi Outlander, a plug-in hybrid SUV, just two stars out of five. It was beaten easily not only by hybrid rivals in the independent Green NCAP test but also by diesel and petrol cars that use the latest technology to keep emissions down. These included the diesels Skoda Octavia (3.5 stars) and Seat Leon (3 stars) as well as petrol versions of the Volkswagen Golf (3.5 stars) and the Audi A3 (3 stars). Unlike official emissions ratings done under lab conditions, Green NCAP tests rate cars based on greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency and air pollution. And unlike official tests that let cars boast of green credentials and claim low tax rates, the Green NCAP exams take place in real-world conditions. These include cold weather, on rough roads, with batteries not at full power and not going at optimal … [Read more...] about Not all hybrid cars are green – with some not even as clean as their diesel rivals

BRITS won't own their dream car until they are 47 but it must be a black sports car - preferably an Audi or Aston Martin. A study of 2,000 drivers found many know what they want, but most will have to wait before making the dream a reality, owning more practical or affordable alternatives in the meantime. In their twenties, Brits are most likely to own a supermini or saloon car, while a hatchback or an estate are popular choices for those in their thirties. But no matter what the car, people insist on the 'basic' luxuries like heated seats (43 per cent) and built in satnav (44 per cent). Neil You, general manager at YesAuto UK, which commissioned the survey, said: “Daydreaming about the cars we’d like to own one day is something British drivers love to do. “Opportunities for car owners are expanding, we have features on the site such as our Virtual Showroom which means exploring those dream vehicles has never been easier. LIFETIME OF CARS TIMELINE Saloon – … [Read more...] about Brits’ dream car is a black Audi or Aston Martin sports car but most will have to wait until they’re 47 to own one

WITH a machete at his throat and a gun at his head, Mike Farmer noticed the kid holding the firearm was shaking – they were scared, and that made the situation even more dangerous. "I was just thinking: 'I'm glad my wife stayed at the hotel today – this sucks, I'm actually going to die here'," Mike tells The Sun. It was 2011 in Kenya and he'd been beaten, abducted and driven into the jungle by thieves who knew he had cash – lots of it. That's because Mike, 48, is a meteorite hunter from Tucson, Arizona. He sells his extraterrestrial minerals to amateur astronomers and billionaire businessmen alike, all of whom want to get their hands on a tangible emissary from outer space. A fireball over the skies of Britain last Sunday alone could have scattered thousands of rocks in the fields below. And while the financial and scientific rewards in finding meteorites are great, so are the risks – but Mike lives for the thrill of the chase. "I see myself as like Indiana … [Read more...] about I’m a meteorite dealer who makes millions selling space rocks – I’ve been kidnapped and robbed in the brutal trade

LAMBO bosses must be spitting blood watching Audi soak up all the Hollywood glitz and glamour. Take the likes of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. He drives an Audi R8 in the Marvel blockbusters instead of a Lamborghini Huracan. Same bones underneath, of course, but the Huracan is higher in the pecking order. Now Lambo has dropped its biggest hint yet by putting Iron Man’s heart in the new £2.5million Sian. I’m talking about that glow-up “supercap” badge between the seats. It does serve an actual purpose though, because it crowns the electric power source for Lambo’s first hybrid supercar. It’s complicated but I think I’ve got my head around it. Rather than use a lithium-ion battery pack like everyone else, Lambo has adopted what’s called a supercapacitor. It’s smaller and lighter and can’t hold as much energy but it doesn’t need to because it discharges and recharges instantly. So it boosts the already insane 785hp V12 by another 34 horsies when you floor it and … [Read more...] about We test drive Lamborghini’s £2.5m & 217mph Sian hybrid supercar

Tony Hendra has died at the age of 79. The satirist and star of This Is Spinal Tap had been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in 2019. Wife Carla Hendra confirmed to The New York Times her husband's cause of death. He was best known for starring as the inept manager in cult classic, This Is Spinal Tap. Tony was British but have lived for many years in the United States. He had begun writing and performing while still a student at Cambridge University, working in the same circles as the future stars of Monty Python, such as John Cleese and Graham Chapman. In 1964, Tony and performing partner Nick Ullett took their act to the US, where he forged a career in acting, stand-up comedy, writing and publishing. He was named managing editor of humour magazine National Lampoon in the early 70s, solidifying his position in American satire. National Lampoon's Lemming, which Tony co-wrote, became an off-Broadway hit, Chevy Chase, John … [Read more...] about Tony Hendra dead: This Is Spinal Tap star dies aged 79 from Lou Gehrig’s disease