Dancing on ice

Been writing a feature about the ice-driving season, which begins in northern Sweden straight after New Year. It generally runs through to mid-March, by which time the frozen lakes aren’t solid enough for people to have the confidence to put very expensive sports cars on. I’ve been a couple of times and will happily confirm it’s about as much fun as you can have on four wheels. There are several UK firms offering trips to Lapland, and once there you get to drive everything from Lamborghinis and Porsches to Mitsubishis and Subarus. One even gives you the chance to dance across the ice in Petter Solberg’s 2008 WRC Citroen Xsara. For some operators, it’s far more sophisticated than just scooting round a carved-out track. Treats for the sideways enthusiast include inch-perfect full-size replicas of some of the world’s most demanding race tracks, including Silverstone. How much fun would that be?

And now, the end is near...

Bar a trip to London on Monday for a meeting, that’s me done for 2012. Still plenty of work to take me through to next Friday, just doing it from the office. Lord knows how many miles I’ve racked up but I’m pretty sure 11 flights in 33 days during October / November was a new record for intensive air travel. Highlights of the year? The launch of the all-new Range Rover in Morocco was pretty impressive, and I enjoyed my trip to the New York Motor Show, an event I’ve not been to for a long time and a city I love to spend time in. Last week’s Dacia event was a revelation, and I’m sure the company is going to do well with its value-for-money offering. The feature I enjoyed writing most – or at least the one that sticks in my mind now – was probably about the appeal of global motorcycle touring. With a wife and children it’s totally impractical for me, but the idea of disappearing over the horizon to explore the world for up to a year puts a smile on my face. I’ve recently been reading the books of Mark Beaumont who has done it on a bicycle – that pace actually appeals more than something with an engine. Anyway, I digress. It’s been a pretty good year and I’m still happy and healthy. And it all starts again straight after New Year. I’m heading to Las Vegas on the first Sunday of 2013 to cover the automotive elements of the massive Consumer Electronics Show. I’ll post another couple of blogs next week but then that will be it until Jan. Have a Happy Christmas and thanks for reading. Your support is genuinely appreciated.

Driven: Aston Martin Vanquish

If I had a choice on the weather for driving the new Aston Martin Vanquish and the revised DB9, snow wouldn’t be it. Sometimes you just have to make the best of the hand you’re dealt, but it’s safe to say I wasn’t pushing either car to its limits on the treacherous roads around the Gaydon factory. The pair, sharing a 6.0-litre V12 under the bonnet, are as thrilling to be driving as you would expect. The start-up engine noise, on the Vanquish particularly, literally sends a shiver down the spine. I was keen to check out the firm’s choice of switchgear on the Vanquish, which has become something of a talking point with enthusiasts. Replacing some of the buttons on the vertical centre console (pictured above) are just white-lined button shapes, supposedly with a tiny vibration and sound to let you know they have been activated. It’s all very ‘smartphone’, which I’m sure is the idea. Have to say I didn’t get on with them at all. The engine note drowns out the sound and I couldn’t feel the vibration. I much preferred the actual buttons on the DB9.

Driven: Dacia Sandero

So what’s the verdict on Dacia? The cars might be basic in design – there are no soft-touch plastics in the cabin – but it’s not offensive in style. You get a decent level of kit for the money and you can add more with options and packs if you want. Similarly, you get a three-year warranty but can buy more cover if you choose to. It is possible to get the entry level car for £5,995 – the same price as a Ford Fiesta in 1989. The 1.5-litre 90bhp diesel is the pick of the engines; Renault technology that’s clean and fuel-efficient. Dacia is the right brand at the right time. I would say the Sandero and Sandero Stepway are going to find plenty of buyers in the UK over the next 12 months and beyond. Along with the Duster SUV, the plan is to shift 20,000 units next year, which would give it a one per cent market share and put it on a par with Suzuki. Based on what I’ve seen, it’s achievable.

D-Day is finally here

Sat in Birmingham Airport waiting for a plane to Spain because it’s D-Day. D is for Dacia – pronounced Datchia – and it’s not often the UK gets an entirely new car brand. Available to order from 1 January will be three cars, the Sandero supermini, the Sandero Stepway (which is a chunkier version with faux off-road styling) and the Duster SUV. The appeal of the company, which is originally Romanian but now owned by Renault, is the price. At £5,995 the Sandero will be the UK’s cheapest new car. The brand has been a big hit in mainland Europe – new cars for austere times and for the price of a second-hand one – and that's part of the reason it's taken so long to get to the UK. Bosses are hoping it will do the same here. If it does, don’t be surprised if other big-name companies launch their own sub-brands in the same way. As a marketing initiative it’s key to selling cheaper cars without sullying the name of the parent company and killing brand image.