A new type of automotive envy...

Lack of a test car this week meant yesterday I had to drive my wife’s 55-plate Ford Focus estate to an event. It was a fortuitous decision, as I was heading to the launch of the Vauxhall Astra Sports Wagon – a direct rival for the Ford – which allowed comparisons between the two. The interesting thing is there aren’t really any; the world has moved on so much in the last five years that the Astra wins hands down in every aspect. That’s particularly true from a practicality point of view. The ageing Focus’s cargo area comes with a rollerblind-style tonneau cover and that’s it. The new Astra has one too, but it works on guide runners so it’s much easier to use, and you can give it a sharp tap so it slides up the C-pillars out of the way but not right back. There are eyelets for cargo nets, side pockets for small items, and foldaway hooks engineered into the plastic for keeping shopping bags upright. There are quick-release levers at the boot entrance which push the seat backs flat in a flash (all pictured). If all that’s not enough there’s even more space hidden under the floor. You can even get an optional foldout boot lip protector so you don’t scuff the paintwork when you’re sliding heavy loads in. All pretty impressive stuff, and none of it is in my Focus. Yesterday I drove home with ‘practicality envy’.

Hot Lexus on the way

Lexus isn’t a brand I’ve written about too much on this blog, mostly because it doesn't offer the sort of performance upgrades you guys are interested in. But here’s an indication that might be about to change. This is the first official picture of the F-Sport version of the CT200h. If you’re thinking the CT-what, it’s not on sale in the UK yet, but will arrive early in the new year. It’s a compact hatchback, the Japanese firm’s smallest model to date and – as you can see – ripe for modification. If you’ve spotted the background, yes, that is the Sydney Opera House. The car was unveiled at the Australian Motor Show. Lexus UK hasn’t signed off a sporty version for us yet, but given we already get an F-Sport variant of the IS250 and 220d, it’s pretty likely to happen. So what does the Aussie car get? The Flame Blue paint job is the first of a raft of cosmetic upgrades. Exterior changes include revised bumpers, fresh alloys and unique badging. Inside there’s an F-Sport steering wheel, sports pedals, scuff plates, instrument panel and privacy glass. Power remains the same, but the suspension and damping is revised to offer a more controlled ride and sharper handling.

Power-boost button on the way

Like me, I’m sure you’ve often thought that some sort of ‘power-boost’ button would be an excellent addition to the modern dashboard. How cool would it be for those tight overtaking manoeuvres? The good news is that what’s believed to be the world’s first one is starting trials on a prototype Jaguar XF. A simple touch by the driver would upgrade engine performance for 10 seconds. It’s part of hybrid technology developed by engineering firms Torotrak, Prodrive and Flybrid. Energy is created from regenerative braking, but instead of storing it in a battery, it’s kept in a flywheel spinning at 60,000rpm. The dashboard button is currently known as ‘Push to Pass’ and uses that flywheel to temporarily increase power by 54bhp. It’s similar to the KERS system used in F1 last season. A Jaguar engineer told me this is only a development vehicle and we shouldn’t expect to see it on road cars anytime soon. But he said the technology was creating serious interest within the company. “If it meets its objectives, and it’s showing every sign of it, we will evaluate the results and that’s when it gets picked up and taken forward or not,” he added. Exciting stuff.

Modding: the answers

As promised in last Thursday’s posting, I’ve put in some phone time to see what impact the recession has had on the modifying scene. Had some interesting chats with senior staff at suppliers and retailers, and the bottom line is this – it’s not been easy, it’s not going to get any better any time soon, but there is business to be had if you think smart. One well-known company boss said outfits that were stacking it high and selling it cheap would always turnover stock, but without necessarily making much in the way of profit. His attitude was that colleagues needed to be canny in terms of their marketing strategy, and that sticking a double-page ad in some of the modding mags was pretty much a waste of cash. Clever online marketing, low-cost viral stuff and building solid relationships with enthusiast clubs – either local or national – was not only a good way to find customers, but keep them coming back time and time again. There’s little doubt the scene has been hit by a lack of disposable income, but for you the customer that’s no bad thing. It means it’s worth shopping around, because there will be deals to be had. Four new rims for the price of three is a obvious one I saw in the Isle of Wight last week. If you’ve cash to burn, lucky you, so make sure you get the most for your money.

Still got disposable income for modding?

Was on the Isle of Wight yesterday, for the launch of the Hyundai ix20. It’s the Korean company’s new supermini-based MPV (pictured), a sort of high-roofed Ford Fiesta. A fine car it is too. Never really spent much time on the IoW. I’ve never lived close enough for it to be a viable destination for day trips, holidays, etc, but it does seem to have a thriving modifying scene. Spotting two or three shops as I drove around selling all sorts of accessories, car audio equipment, etc. I supose if you love your vehicle, but geography restricts where you can drive it easily, personalising it is the next best thing. All this got me thinking… has the recession had an impact on the modifying world? If people generally have less cash to spend, does a luxury hobby – like ripping out a perfectly good sound system to replace it with something more powerful – have to be sacrificed? I’m going to make a few calls between now and Monday to find the answers. What do you think? What are your experiences? I’d be keen to know.

Would you buy a car called Wind?

Spent last Friday test-driving new Renaults around rural Leicestershire, some of which were sporty and some of which weren’t – which was a bit of a disappointment. First, the new Wind convertible (above). At 3.83 metres long it sits between the Twingo and Clio. It’s basically a Twingo convertible, and unfortunately it’s compromised in the way all very small cabrios are. Yes, it’s got the world’s fastest electric roof – only 12 seconds – if that’s important to you. But in my opinion, that’s about it for plus points. Rear visibility is poor, through either the ultra-shallow rear glass or the small door mirrors, and it’s not meant for blokes of my size. I’m 6ft 4ins, which I accept is at the upper end of normality, but I’m no freak. There were a host of other things I didn’t like about it either, including the price. The 1.2-litre 100bhp Dynamique is £16,400. Find an extra £600 and buy an Mazda MX-5. Much better was the Twingo Gordini, It’s cheaper at £14,600, has 133bhp, four seats and a more engaging drive.

Lotus at Paris: some thoughts

Look back to my 20 September posting and you’ll see a picture of the new Lotus Elite. It was what the company said it was going to unveil at the Paris Motor Show, and it duly did. What it didn’t say until last week’s Press Day was that there was also a new Esprit (above). And an Elise. And an Elan. Oh, and a four-seater called the Eterne. All five cars were on its exhibition stand, plus a city car. Yes, a Lotus city car! It’s a whole new product range that Norfolk bosses admit will cost £770million to launch within five years. Factor in some costly delays and you’re look at £1billion. So Lotus stole the show and got lots of great headlines because of it. Wonderful… or it is? I would argue it’s a bit of a PR own goal. If you unveil one new car you might get a page in a car magazine. But if you unveil five at the same time, you don’t get five pages. You might get two; editors will pick one model to focus on and do smaller stories on the others. Here’s what I think Lotus should have done. It should have unveiled the Elite to secure the page of coverage, and said it would debut another four cars at four shows over the next 12 months. For a cottage industry car maker like Lotus, that would have been news enough to whet editors’ appetites. There’s anticipation before each show – some teaser images can be dripped out in the run-up – and Lotus gets another page of coverage when the car is actually unveiled. By shouting about five models in one go, three things have happened. Firstly, there’s less coverage. Secondly, industry people are naturally a little sceptical about Lotus’s ability to deliver on its promise. Thirdly, bosses have put their heads so far above the parapet that all eyes will be on them to see if they can pull it off. My concern – and I know I’m not alone – is that the only way is down.

Paris' performance car stars

Two of the best known names in performance motoring and two new supercars. Both Jaguar and Lamborghini took the wraps off concepts at last week’s Paris Motor Show – and both were stunning. The Lambo is called the Sesto Elemento, and made its debut at a preview event staged by parent firm VW last Wednesday night, before taking centre stage at the exhibition the following day. The name translates as sixth element – a reference to the Periodic Table in chemistry, where the sixth element is carbon. Not surprisingly, it’s made from carbon fibre. Expect its outrageous design to influence the next generation Murcielago, though power comes from the 560bhp V10 that’s in the Gallardo. The Jag is called the C-X75 and has been created to celebrate the UK firm’s 75^th anniversary. Officially it’s just a prototype, but if there’s enough interest it seems like bosses will green light a production version. However, whether what’s under the bonnet will see the light of day is another matter. The car uses a pair of micro-turbines that work like a diesel-powered range-extended EV. Engineers say it technically sound, but far from showroom-ready.