Our incredible 1st Anniversary issue!
For #KidswhoLOVEtheRoad
ALPINE ADVENTURE! A grand tour in the A110 GT
We are now members!
Meet the Team!
PLUS! 100 PICS GIVEAWAY! …and lots, LOTS more!
HEY BULLDOG!
ROADSTER! gets personal with Aston Martin’s incredible record breaker!
ISSUE #04 CHRISTMAS 2023
ONLINE EDITION
ROADSTER! Issue #4 Production Credits
Welcome!
EDITOR - Sam P DEPUTY EDITOR - Carl P MOTORSPORT EDITOR - Peter B. FUN CONTENT EDITOR - RIchie T. SUPERCAR EDITOR - James Male FEATURE CONTRIBUTOR PHOTOGRAPHY - Sam P, Carl P, Ian B, Nicola B.
WITH VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO: Olivia, Iris, Uncle Ed, Auntie Harriet, Nanna DD & Grandad Alan, Auntie Hayley & Uncle Chris, Pam, Ed, Richie T, Ella T, Peter B, Ian B & Nicola B, Lyla & Claire R, Riley D, Mark W & Rory W, Danny James, Louise Harker, Sue Gibbons, Dom Walker, Philip Sarofim, Classic Motor Cars Ltd (Bridgnorth), Andy Entwistle, Tim Jones, John Dauphin, Mark Jordan and all at Jaybee Motors (Banbury) Ltd, Alpine UK, Alba Safont Jorques & The Alpine ESports Team, Keith Gilks and Katherine Gilks, Rowan Ridley, Marcus Ridley & all at Banbury Car & Bike Meet, A. Corbett Services Aerial Photography Services, George Baines at Performance Communications for Caterham Cars, Brake - The Road Safety Charity, Sophie Law, Rebecca Small, Martin Easthaugh, Clodagh Stenson. Nik Berg, Philip Hibble, Ray Massey, Kim Palmer, Chloe Yemm, Andrew Morgan, Robin Hayles, Trinity Francis, Mark Burnett, Jamie Burnett & Paul Garlick, The Guild of Motoring Writers, Bev Boswell. WITH THANKS TO: All at Vectis Auctions Ltd, S. Salvador (Freepic), all at the Aston Martin Heritage Trust, all of the team at Automotion Events, Ian Gentles & all at BanburyshireInfo. This issue of ROADSTER! is dedicated to Grandad Malcolm - Thank you for the love you gave. We love you & miss you.
#KidswhoLOVEtheRoad
Editor’s Welcome Alpine A110
GRAPHIC DESIGN - Sam & Carl P SUB-EDITOR - Iris P SMALL BATCH PRINTING - Mixam This issue of ROADSTER! would not have been possible were it not for the generosity, help and support of the following amazing people:
ROADSTER!
Here I’m sat in a very cool Jaguar E-Type!
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Aston Martin 7 Bulldog Racecar Eddy 10 Project Lantern 17
Welcome to ROADSTER! Magazine! I can’t believe I have been making Roadster! for a year!
King of the Roadster!
It has been such a fun year too! People have been so nice to me and I have got to do some amazing things! Making Roadster! is such a lot of fun!
Roadster Car Show
I was really pleased with the last issue. It came together really easily and had lots in it. This issue… phew! This one has been harder to make but that’s really because I have been so busy - there is so much happening all of the time! It is packed full! We’ve had to take bits out and squeeze bits down in order to fit lots of new ideas in. Some things haven’t made it in at all, because we think they will be better in our Easter issue! Do you like the new front cover? Some readers told us that you couldn’t tell Roadster! was a magazine for children just by looking at the front cover. I told Dad that it needed to be more playful. I hope our new logo says what the magazine is in a fun way. We’ve also made cartoons of me and my friends who work on the magazine with me. We really like the changes but do you LIKE them? Let me know and Merry Christmas!
15 4
EVENT REVIEW British Motor Show
Festive Gift List
12
6
5 Motorsport
20 3 News Round Supercar 32 Corner
Collective!
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A Year of ROADSTER
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EDITOR: Sam roadster.magazine@gmail.com
Circulation: Ltd Print run & online Contact:roadster.magazine@gmail.com Publishing House: Roadster! Publications Signed For Printing: 17 December 2023
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Where possible, Roadster! has sought to use original or free to use source photography which does not require a licence. Roadster! Would like to acknowledge and thank all the original content creators involved in this not-for-profit children’s project.
Roundabout
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NEWS R UND Edited by Sam P.
A Nine-Year-Old selects the stories he thinks other kids will find interesting…
GAMING FOR REAL! FANCY AN ICE CREAM ? In the last issue we reported that Italian car manufacturer FIAT had decided to stop producing grey coloured cars. Now they have produced the world’s smallest ice cream van! The FIAT 500e convertible is FIAT’s smallest electric convertible car, and FIAT has launched the “Gelateria Edition”. The passenger and rear seats have been removed and in their place is a frozen ice cream display, two ice cream freezers capable of serving up 300 ice creams a day, a serving canopy and Italian “chimes” to alert customers that it’s ice cream time! FIAT has even created a new ice cream flavour to accompany the launch “Bicerin” flavour, named after a traditional Italian hot drink, it combines coffee, chocolate and oat milk to create a brand new taste! Don’t get too excited though! The 500e Gelateria Edition is a one-off UK concept car, intended to show off the car’s zero-emission adaptability. Hopefully FIAT will bring us more! WHAT DOES SAM THINK? Cool! (it’s ice cream cool!)
VERSTAPPEN & RED BULL WIN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP! After 22 races across the world, the results of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship are in! The season has been dominated by defending champion Max Verstappen and Team Red Bull, winning a record 19 out of 22 Grands Prix held! WHAT DOES SAM THINK? Red Bull were unbeatable this season!
BMW have recently launched an amazing new driving experience which turns a physical car into a gaming controller! The BMW M Mixed Reality experience combines virtual and physical worlds through state-of-the-art virtual reality software. During the experience the car remains part of the physical world but the driver (and passenger? - Sam) wears a virtual reality headset to change the environment in which the car is driving. The car drives on a specially adapted track to ensure the car’s real world movements and obstacles match those of the virtual reality. Currently drivers can enjoy an urban-looking city circuit world and an alien planet. BMW customers can book Mixed Reality sessions at the BMW M Driving Experience centre. WHAT DOES SAM THINK? Awesome! Does it work for passengers?
TOP CARS! New data from The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed THE UK’s best-selling cars during 2023. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Ford Puma Nissan Qashqai Vauxhall Corsa Kia Sportage Hyundai Tucson Tesla Model Y MINI Nissan Juke Vauxhall Mokka Audi A3
Is one of these cars in YOUR family? Write a Backseat Driver review! See page 31.
(Picture credit 1: FIAT, Picture credit 2: BMW, Picture credit 3:McLAREN, Picture credit 4: Austin Pedal Cars)
QUICK CHANGE! How long do you think it takes to change all four tyres on a car? Well, the McLaren Formula One racing team managed to do it all in an incredible 1.8 seconds, setting a new pit stop record during the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix…. amazing! WHAT DOES SAM THINK? I can’t even think in 1.8 seconds!
AUSTIN J40… CONTINUED! In the last issue of ROADSTER! we brought you the story of the Austin J40 Pedal Car. Austin Pedal Cars have since unveiled their new project - the Austin J40 Continuation! Unveiled at the 2023 Goodwood Revival, the new Legacy Edition Model is the first new Austin pedal car in over 50 years. The new car features gleaming “Ensign Red” paintwork, and a brand new lightweight pedal and steering system with aluminium parts. The interior features hand stitched leather seating, a wooden finished steering wheel and hand brake, and an electric dashboard. The price for this exclusive new model is £25,000. Eye watering for a toy car, but we think it’s worth every penny!! WHAT DOES SAM THINK? I’ve seen this for real. It is lovely!
ROADSTER! 3
The Great ROADSTER! Car Show! with Sam P.
A toy car show with a difference this issue… these toys were for sale!
Danny decided that the time was right to part with his collection. He went to “Vectis”, the World’s Largest Toy & Collectables Meet Danny. Danny started Auction House, and the sale was collecting toy cars when he was a held over two days during little boy and didn’t stop! In total he September. collected an incredible 1,300 Matchbox cars! The sale attracted a worldwide audience and exceeded all Danny’s collection was very special, expectations, with the collection as it included many rare and selling for a total of £102,000!!! Of pre-production prototype model the auction experience, Danny cars. All were pristine and complete said “What an experience it was with their original packaging. selling my matchbox Superfast collection ... some highs and lows and it really was an emotional rollercoaster!”
STAR CARS!
This Ford Escort 2000 had an estimate of £300 £400 but actually sold for £2,817!
This Ford Capri Hot Rocker had an estimate of £400-500 but actually sold for £1,837!
Find out more about Danny and his cars by visiting his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blingatoys/ Find out more about Vectis and it’s auctions by visiting: https://www.vectis.co.uk/
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This Citroen CX Estate had an estimate of £300 £400 but actually sold for £2,327!
Do you want to host a car show? Why not send us your pictures of your toy cars and a few words on why they mean something to you? What cars are they? Which ones are your favourites and why? Let us know at: roadster.magazine@gmail.com
The ROADSTER! Roadsign Collection
#5: Maximum Speed Limit Signs with red rings or circles tell you what you must NOT do. The Highway Code. Rule 124: ● You MUST NOT exceed the maximum speed limits for the road and for your vehicle. A speed limit of 30 mph, or 20mph in Wales, generally applies to all roads with street lights (except motorways) unless signs show otherwise.
#6: Minimum Speed Limit Signs with blue circles generally tell you something you MUST do. ● Although very rare in the UK, minimum speed limits exist in places where going too slowly can cause danger or problems and keeping vehicles above a certain speed helps to keep traffic moving. Road Tunnels are an example. BRAKE Road Safety We
ek
Roadster supported the Brake Charity ’s #RoadSafetyWe ek 2023 across our social med ia, posting links to Brake resources to raise awaren ess. Brake is calling for a 20m ph speed limit in places whe re people live, work and play . Here we’ve reprinted Bra ke’s fantastic activity sheet!
ROADSTER! For #KidswhoLOVEtheRoad Festive Gift List! With Christmas just around the corner we have picked a selection of our favourite presents for kids who love the road available during 2023. Some are pocket money prices, some are more expensive… there’s something for everyone! Just be sure to tell Santa!
LEGO Land Rover Classic Defender (40650) No list for kids would be complete without LEGO! There are lots of great LEGO cars available, from Speed Champions to Technic sets, but we have opted for this modest Creator Classic Defender, available exclusively from LEGO stores. The model celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Land Rover Series I and features many details from the real life version, including the roof rack, headlights, Land Rover badge and side-view mirrors. Sam’s View: This is really good. A classic car and LEGO is my favourite toy company! This has lots of detail and it looks just like a Defender!
RRP: £13.49 www.lego.com National Geographic Walkie Talkie Set
When ROADSTER! was in convoy with IVECO truck back in February we saw just how useful Walkie Talkies can be. Kids love walkie talkies and these have a talking range of 6km, 10 different ringtones and a built in flashlight! Sam’s view: These are really good and let you talk to your friends travelling in different cars!
RRP: £39.99 www.amazon.co.uk
Marvellous Vehicles - James May A book is always good at Christmas (unless there is a Roadster! to read! - Sam) and this book is perfect for kids who love the road! Writer and tv presenter James May shares some fascinating and incredible human-powered vehicles – from bicycles and submarines to amphibious vehicles and even a helicopter! Perfect for six- to nine-year-olds. Sam’s View: this looks great for kids like me as this is a book on great human-powered vehicles!!!
RRP £9.99
www.harpercollins.co.uk BERG Rally APX Blue
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ROADSTER!
There is a huge range of Berg go-karts, some are just for kids, some come with passenger seats and some come with gears. Sam has selected this one for this list - the Rally APX Blue. The Rally suits children up to the age of 12 (max user weight 60 kg), and includes features such as pneumatic tires, LED lights, and a sound box with different racing sounds. Sam’s View: A Go-Kart! I’ve always wanted one and this one looks cool! And suitable for kids upto 12 so plenty of life in it!
RRP: £439 (available from 09 December 2023) www.bergtoys.com
Background Image by S. Salvador on Freepik. Disclaimer: Roadster! has selected the products on these pages ourselves - we have not been sponsored or paid in any way to recommend these products
HEY BULLDOG!
In the last issue of ROADSTER! we reported the news that the Aston Martin Bulldog, Aston Martin's historic attempt at producing the world's fastest production car, had finally achieved over 200 mph (205.4 actually Dad - Sam) after 38 years... We didn't dream for a second that we'd actually encounter the Bulldog for ourselves! Thanks to the Aston Martin Heritage Trust, Sam not only got to see the car, but actually got to sit inside it and hear the fascinating story of this incredible car!
ROADSTER! 7
The one of a kind Aston Martin Bulldog: Sam is in there somewhere…
Sam was told how the Bulldog was designed back in the 1970's, with Aston Martin intending to show off its new engineering capabilities. The grand plan was to produce between 15 and 25 Bulldog's, each capable of reaching speeds of 200 miles an hour, making it the fastest production car in the world at that time. British car designer William Towns led on the styling. Towns had actually joined Aston Martin as a seat designer, but had gone on to design Aston Martin's famous DBS and its unique looking Lagonda luxury car.
Bulldog’s engine got so hot during the record attempt that it melted the restored bodywork. The owner decided to leave the damage unrepaired as a reminder!
Testing of Bulldog commenced in late 1979. It reached an impressive 191 miles an hour, falling short of the planned 200. Aston Martin knew it was capable of more, but the company was struggling to stay alive. A new chairman, Victor Gauntlett, joined the company in 1981, but he thought Bulldog was too costly to continue so development ended. The Bulldog dream was over. The car was sold to a Saudi prince and from then on it became something of a myth, disappearing into private collections and being stored in various places around the world.
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ROADSTER!
Sam in Bulldog’s impressive cockpit. The interior had to be recreated, using original samples from the 1970’s to ensure it matched perfectly!
Bulldog’s complex and powerful V8 engine.
Fast forward 30 years! In 2019 Richard Gauntlett, the son of the very Aston Martin chairman who had to cancel the project, tracked the single car down. The car had undergone a number of modifications during its time away. Rear view mirrors and cameras had been added. It had been painted green, and its interior had been changed. An American car collector, Phillip Sarofim, bought it and tasked Richard with restoring the car back to its former glory and to finish the job and get it past 200 miles an hour. Richard turned to car restoration specialists Classic Motor Cars Ltd (Bridgnorth) to complete the job. It was Classic Motor Cars who showed Sam around Bulldog, showing him everything they did to the car. "It was very interesting" says Sam "it took over 7,000 hours to complete! That's a lot of work!". Bulldog's original finish was restored and the interior was put back to how Aston Martin originally finished it. Then changes were made to help the car reach its 200 mile an hour target, with the engine completely rebuilt, and changes made to improve its performance. Sam was told how the car completed a number of lower speed test runs, achieving 176mph during testing at the Royal Naval Air Station at Yeovilton.
"It looks really cool! It’s got a wedge shape like a Lotus Esprit and gull wing doors like a DeLorean, the famous time machine from the Back to the Future films!” - Sam
Bulldog undertaking its record attempt…
Going for it! On 6th June 2023, at the former Royal Naval Air Station at Machrihanish, on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland, Bulldog lined up on the runway for its record attempt. Aston Martin test driver and three times Le Mans 24-hour class winner, Darren Turner pushed the car to an amazing 205.4 mph... Bulldog had done it! FALSE ? TRUE OR ed after g was nam o d ll u B e Th of dog. the breed
s actually ulldog wa B e h T ! e Fals ! The er a plane named aft og is a tion Bulld ia v A h is Scott craft. aining air British tr
With very special thanks to Sue Gibbons, Dom Walker, the Aston Martin Heritage Trust, Philip Sarofim & Classic Motor Cars Ltd (Bridgnorth) for their kind assistance and enabling this piece to happen.
DID YO U KNOW Bulldog ? took m ore tha 7,000 h n ours an d 18 mo to rest nths ore! Th e team the 202 won 1 R AC "h restora istoric tion of the yea their w r” for ork on Bulldog .
ROADSTER! 9
For Christmas, lucky Peter has been given a ticket to watch Sand Dune Buggy racing!
But what’s in Peter’s suitcase?
Story and original drawings by Richie for Roadster!
It’s meeeeeee!
Eddy, what have you done with all my things?
But Eddy, you don’t get it, all my spare money, sun cream and water was in there..
Many miles and mirages later… Eddy, ignore it, it’s just another mirage.
Oh..
Oh don’t worry about that, let’s go and see the buggies! … they found water!
Oooh, I have found something better than water. A gift shop!
Sigh.
Here they come! Come on!
Oh cheer up Peter!
You spent all my money on souvenirs.
I’m just going to get a drink.. I’ll get the drinks. Stay away from the buggies. ..
Peter says I can’t go near the buggies..
But -
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ROADSTER!
Peter isn’t here!
Hello. What are you doing here?
Don’t worry about me, keep your eyes on the track!
What are we going to do?
Let’s get out of here. I’ll drive!
See, you should have paid attention! Argh, we’re going to crash again!!
Oh no! Oh no!
Get OFF me!
Arghhhhhhhhh!
I’ve got the drinks! Well this is unexpected.
Not again!
Eddy? Oh Eddy..
What have you done?
Two days later..
I just wanted a peaceful holiday.. Well I enjoyed it!
ROADSTER! 11
Show as a e British Motor th d te si vi t rs fi ROADSTER! t it in our very d we wrote abou an , 22 20 in ck family ba e back! This 23 event we wer 20 e th r Fo e! su first is ty! ADSTER” capaci RO al ci ffi “o an in time
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The Show was really busy!
like you!
2 live stages lls, 2 live arenas, ha 4 d ha ow sh s ’ show This year er four days, the Ov ! ne zo e cl hi shows, and an electric ve experiences, live g in iv dr , rs ca st and much, offered the late orbikes, classics ot m s, ar rc pe su celebrities, much more! The Pau it a go! l Swift S in, but we gave e ez ue tunt Sh sq to T ow was There was A LO fant … ow sh e th of Photo b astic! ck pi s ’ er st ad Ro y Sam P s e’ er H . LIVE SHOWS AND STAGE SESSIONS! Over four days the motorshow had around 100 shows and live stage sessions! A NOOK FOR A NOOK!
One of ROADSTER’s quieter discoveries during the motor show was the sensory pit stop. This area was located away from the noise of the main show and was made up of a number of “Nook” pods, plants, acoustic panels and wellbeing spaces. Sam found the space a perfect place to slow down for a bit!
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The Cinch Arena was full of exciting live content and fun, with TV’s Wheeler Dealer Mike Brewer hosting celebs in drift cars, the Supercar Showdown, amazing stunt shows, Guinness World Records attempts and fun driving games! Meanwhile the Bridgestone and Kwik Fit Motorsport Arena was home to many Motorsport activities and demonstrations, modified cars, live drift displays, extreme mountain bike stunt shows and much more! Roadster dropped in on the Cinch Arena in time to take in the amazing Paul Swift stunt show. At one stage it looked like Mike was going to pull Sam out of the crowd for some drifting!
EVENT REVIEW! THE BRITISH MOTOR SHOW We took th e
new INEO SG
renadier fo r
a drive!
get S! the chance to out t e g to d e TEST DRIVE it exc r and take it r! was most EOS Grandie IN Roadster Sn w e n e th gh! heel of of Farnborou ts e e behind the w tr s n a und the me for a run aro drive! ot to have a g o h w e n o only g academy, e wasn’t the der 17 drivin n u t Of course, h s e rg la ortunity to r, the UK's sist the opp re ’t n ld Young Drive u o c lly nervous ere and Sam ar. “I was rea c l a re a were also th g in v ond go at dri Sam. have his sec so easy”, say it e d a m r to c u but the instr
Sam having h
is second d
rive in a Vau xhall Corsa with Young Driver!
EXPLORING NEW CARS! It’s not often that kids get let loose on the latest cars, but Sam got hands on at the British Motor Show! Sam explored as many brand new cars as he could during the show, exploring the rear seats , finding the cup holders and creature comforts, and checking out the entertainment options! “My favourites were the incredible BMW i5 Executive Saloo n and the Volkswagen id Buzz!” says Sam
Checkin go
ut the in credible B
MW i5…
SAVE ON THE 2024 SHOW WITH ROADSTER! THE BRITISH MOTOR SHOW 2024 takes place between 15 & 18 August. new VW …and the
id Buzz!
Sam’s Rear View Mirror… “We were up early for the start of the show and we were there for the full day. We crammed in so much but we could have stayed all four days - I was exhausted! I really LOVE the Motorshow and can’t wait for next year!” THE KIDS ZONE! A giant Scalextric, remote control cars, driving simulators, a giant car playmat, colouring… Sam had so much fun in the Kids Zone!
With very special thanks to Andy Entwistle and all at Automotion Events for supporting Roadster! and enabling our attendance at the Show.
You can get tickets now AND you can save with ROADSTER! The show’s new headline sponsor, MOTORS are offering you the chance to save £££’s on your tickets for the British Motor Show 2024. Just enter the code MOTORSXMAS at checkout to get £5 off an adult one day ticket and £10 off a family one day ticket, available until midnight on the 31st December 2023.
ROADSTER! 13
#kidswhoLOVEtheroad Lyla recently celebrated her 12th birthday by spending a day at the awesome Silverstone Museum, and has shared her photos with ROADSTER! “I had such a great time” says Lyla “The museum was such a lot of fun. It’s a great place if you love cars!” We completely agree! Thanks for sharing Lyla!
WIN!
100 Pics: Road Signs 100 Pics is a pocket sized travel card game, housed in a plastic case. Double sided flash cards are inserted into the game box with the doors closed, the doors are opened to reveal the road sign, together with an anagram of the sign’s meaning. A sliding panel reveals the answer!
FUN Corner with Richie T Number Plate Scramble Eddy has removed all of these number plates from various cars and mixed them all up. Can you rearrange them to make a festive greeting?
Traffic Re port: A g lue tanker h as shed it s load on t he motor way… The game is perfect for learning road signs Drivers s hould ex pect to and can be played by a single player or with be stuck in traffic . friends.
ASFR
ADST
ER23 ISTM OMRO What does a wheel like to wear? A: Attire!
YCHR MERR
Why do b icycles a lways wear out quicker t han unicycles ? Because they’re two-tired !
ROADSTER! has one set of 100 Pics cards to give away (RRP: £9.99)!
BE PART OF THE COLLECTIVE!
To be in with a chance of winning, just get a parent to drop us an email with the subject heading “100 Pics Giveaway”. Closing date: 01 March 2024.
We want to see your photos, drawings, reviews… Adults can share photos on social media using the #kidswholovetheroad tag. Alternatively parents or schools can send submissions to our email address: roadster.magazine@gmail.com
roadster.magazine@gmail.com
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The font used for “Roadster Collective” is used courtesy of the textstudio.com’s “Font Generator”.<a href="https://www.textstudio.com/">Font generator</a>
King Of The Meet Sam, the nine year old Editor-in-Chief of his own motoring magazine for children. Sam is a fairly normal nine-year-old boy. He is part of a normal family and he goes to normal state primary school. He likes to play with LEGO and play on his Nintendo Switch. He likes watching Minecraft videos on YouTube and he’s not a big fan of doing his homework. He does normal things that normal nine-year-old boys do, it just happens that he is also in charge of a growing motoring magazine project. Here he tells us all about it! What made you decide to make a car magazine? I wanted to do it because I couldn’t find a car magazine for kids. I thought I may as well try making one myself! Did anything in particular inspire you? I wanted to learn more about real cars. I liked watching Top Gear - they drove some really cool cars! A friend of mine (Richie) liked making comics and he inspired me to try something myself. I put the two ideas together!
How did you get started? I just drew an idea on a piece of paper. I started drawing out my idea for a front cover and all of the things that I wanted in it. My Dad said it was really good so he helped me to put it onto Google slides. How did you decide on your first story? My Dad found a company making small Aston Martin’s and asked them if we could go and have a look for my magazine! They said yes!! What is in a Roadster? There’s always a main feature about a cool car, a supercar, visits, museums, road signs, jokes, an Eddy comic, games, posters…
Sam. Photographed at Castle Quay Shopping Centre, Banbury. This article only happened because we couldn’t resist messing about with the chair!
What does your role of Editor involve? I’m in charge! I actually do lots of different things - I talk to my Dad about my ideas and what I want to do with each issue. I really like the bits where we get out to do something. Dad usually introduces me, but then he lets me lead whatever it is we are doing. I love getting hands-on with cars for my “Backseat Driver” reviews and taking photographs. When we are making the actual magazine on the computer I get involved with designing and I do bits of writing. I look at everything before it is finished and decide if it
is ok. If anyone sends anything for the magazine I read it and decide if I’m happy with it. Once the magazine is done I give copies to my friends.
Have you faced any difficulties or challenges in making Roadster? Sometimes there’s lots of talking my Dad says the same thing over and over [explaining Roadster!]. Sometimes he’s a bit boring!
ROADSTER! 15
inside their really amazing prototype electric van and I also got to sit in a really cool prototype electric Porsche!
do something and he came along to IVECO with me, which was A LOT of fun! I wanted him to be part of it properly. My friend Peter really liked the magazine and also wanted to be involved. He did the car washing guide in issue 3. He goes to motorsport things with his Dad so we thought having him more involved would help us.
What are your favourite moments from making Roadster so far? I’ve been in so many cool cars! I liked the Hyundai Ioniq 5 a lot. We had it for a whole week with it so I could really find out about it! I also liked going to Goodwood and seeing all the Polestar cars, and the Aston Martin Heritage Festival in the summer was all about my favourite car brand ever! Also they had my 2nd favourite car ever - the most famous car in the world! The Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger [James Bond film]. What is the most recent thing you have done making Roadster? Alpine! We got an Alpine for the whole weekend and it was glorious! It’s a French sports car
What are the worst things? Doing all the writing! My Dad helps with this bit! I write all of the “Sam” bits where I put my views in. You are too young to drive, so how do you review the cars? I’ve driven! I drove a Vauxhall Corsa with a company called Young Driver! For Roadster I review all the passenger things. Dad drives it and I look around, testing passenger things. I like testing the entertainment! What is Backseat Driver? It’s when I get in a car, go into the backseats (where the kids sit!) and review things that catch my eye!
What’s it like making Roadster? It’s fun! You get to go to so many places and do so many different things. Not many kids get to do that. What are the best things about making Roadster? The going out bit! When we get to go in cool cars and visit interesting places. We’ve also met some really nice people. Most things are organised but sometimes we just stop somewhere and see what happens. There was a place we went to while we were on holiday. We just stopped by to drop off a Roadster! They let me sit
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Do you have any favourite cars? The Aston Martin DBS is my absolute favourite! I also like the Aston Martin DB5, I like the Volkswagen ID Buzz. It looks really nice! I’ve also sat in the Alpine A290 - a cool new sports car with the driving seat in the middle! Do you have any motoring heroes? Finn Mcmissile [From the Pixar Cars films]! I like Fernando Alonso - He is my favourite racing driver! What are your plans for future Roadster’s? I want to make an Eddy special. I want to go for a ride in an Aston Martin, I want to go on Top Gear! I want to do a roadtrip in a Porsche 911 down Route 66 like Lightning McQueen! There are lots of things I want to do! What do you want to achieve with Roadster in the future? I make the magazine for me and my friends. I’m happy with that but it would be good if it other children could read it too!
You’ve brought Peter and Richie onto the Roadster! project. Tell us why? Roadster! has been me and my Dad since the beginning. People must be getting bored of reading about me all of the time! Since I took the first one into school my friends have wanted to be involved. Richie has been involved since the start. His comics made me want to
Do you have any advice for other children who may want to get involved with making Roadster? You can send us something! We want articles, drawings, photos. You can do Backseat Driver reviews of cars, make a car show out of toy cars. Do you know any jokes? What do you say to a frog whose car has broken down? Hop In!
INTRODUCING… PROJECT LANTERN We launch our brilliant new project: Project Lantern - in which we aim to give kids the insiders guide to car design by giving it a go ourselves!
… a bamboo frame
Project Lantern start life as… you guessed it, a lantern! We were at an off-grid family festival over the August bank holiday weekend. One of the highlights of the weekend was the withy lantern parade - over the course of the weekend creative family’s industriously made bamboo and tissue paper lanterns, and then hoisted them high for a night time parade around the festival site to conclude the event.
… tissue paper & pva glue body panels
Of course, Roadster’s Sam and Dad wanted in on the action! We wanted to make something which reflected our year. What better than a car? With Dad in charge of the design and structure, and Sam in charge of body work and masking tape we managed to fashion a vintage style racing car together. We proudly held our (quite heavy) lantern aloft and paraded our finished car around the site. Sadly the lantern was too big to bring home, so we took plenty of photographs and donated it to the recycling.
… tissue paper colour and detailing
… a lantern on parade!
Once back at home Sam ran a photograph of our lantern through the simple and free to use “Vizcom” automotive Artificial Intelligence generator to see what happened… we were stunned by the results!
ding scale of "Lantern 1": With a sli instruction 100% influence, and an is rendering of “vintage roadster” th our original is very visibly based on even see the photograph. You can e design! bamboo structure in th
"Lantern 2" With the sliding scale set to less influence and the instruction updated to “modern Roadster” Sam was stunned when the AI came up with this… “It looks just like a real car!” exclaimed Sam. And there the idea of “Project Lantern” was born. "Project Lantern" aims to illuminate kids and educate them in the various aspects of car design and product realisation. By taking a step-by-step approach involving readers and industry experts we aim to actually build our own roadster to show at various events. Next instalment: “Drawing & Sketching” in Issue 5!
ROADSTER! 17
PROJECT LANTERN
EDUCATE: INSPIRE: ENTERTAIN Drawing & Sketching Digital Design Clay Modelling Exterior Design Interior Design Lighting Colours and Materials Final Concept
ROADSTER!
MOTORSPORT
Our new Motorsport Editor shares his thoughts on his day at the British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone.
Peter Roadster’s new Motorsport Editor The British Touring Car Championship is one of the most famous motor racing championships in the world! Roadster’s new Motorsport Editor, Peter was lucky enough to spend a day watching the event at Silverstone. Here he files his report! The British Touring Car Championship first began way back in 1958. At first, british companies such as Jaguar, Austin and Lotus, dominated the competition, but by the 1980’s international companies such as Mazda, Toyota and Alfa Romeo were winning the championship. Manufacturers saw the Championship as an opportunity to showcase and sell their latest cars to the general public. During the 1990’s the championship grew significantly, attracting crowds of 40,000 people, and coverage on the BBC’s flagship sports show Grandstand leading to millions watching in the UK and around the world. Today, carefully thought out regulations have allowed independently run teams to compete against major manufacturers in the event. The 2023 Championship saw drivers compete in 30 different races across the UK, at famous race tracks such as Donnington Park, Thruxton and Brands Hatch. Roadster’s Peter was at the Silverstone events. Peter “ “I had a brilliant day at Silverstone for the British touring cars. We got to see Porsches, minis, caterhams and of course the touring cars racing. Highlight of the day was easily Ash Sutton charging from 23rd on the grid to a win in the Napa racing Ford focus in round 26 of the btcc.” Peter’s favourite, Ash Sutton went on to win the 2023 championship with team NAPA racing. It is Ash’s fourth championship win - and at 29 years old he is the youngest driver ever to take four championship titles. Well Done Ash! The 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season gets started in April 2024, with the opening rounds taking place at Donington Park circuit. Are you going to go along to any of the events? We’d love to hear from you!
20 ROADSTER!
ROADTRIP! THE ROADSTER! LONG VEHICLE Epic reads for Epic Children A Roadster! road trip is something we have wanted to do since we started making the magazine. During the Spring we popped into our local car dealer on the way home from school and we were greeted by the most awesome sight of the Alpine A110 in the showroom. Sam immediately fell in love with it. He spent a lot of time sat in the static showroom model, and was extremely keen to get out on the road in one. During the summer he got his chance!
With Sam
Our route covered 53 miles, in a round trip around our local area. Stops included the Alpine Formula 1 factory, Nanna & Grandad’s house in Shipston-on-Stour, a garage cafe for a bite to eat, and displaying the car at a local car meet. Along the way we meet another kid who loves the road in another Alpine! Come with us on our Alpine adventure!
ROADSTER! 21
ALL Jean Rédélé was motoring pioneer.
READY: Sam is poised to collect the A110 GT from Jaybee Motors, in Banbury. The A110 Range - the key differences
a
ABOUT French
Following in his father’s footsteps, he began as a Renault car dealer in Dieppe and enjoyed a successful motorsport career in rallying, racing in the French Alps mountain range. In 1954 Rédélé won the ‘Coupe des Alpes’ rally and decided to start building his own cars under the name “Alpine”, chosen after his win. Alpine’s French-style cars were built to three principles: agility, elegance and competitive spirit. Their cars were known for their innovative design, simple mechanics and lightweight build. Mass-produced parts were used, keeping prices and costs low.
ALPINE HIST ORY: Alpine’s founder, Jean with the orig Rédélé, inal A110 in th e Dieppe fact ory.
Working with French coach builders, Rédélé was one of the first car makers to use fibreglass in his cars (for lightness) and his company produced a number of successful rally cars during the 1950’s and 60’s. By the 1970’s an international petrol crisis led to Alpine struggling with sales and the company was taken over by Renault in 1973. In 2021 Renault brought its Alpine Cars, Renault Sport Cars and Renault Sport Racing divisions together under the Alpine flagship. Alpine is now Renault’s brand for innovative, authentic, and exclusive sports cars. It brings together the heritage of Alpine’s plant in Dieppe, and the engineering of Renault’s Formula 1 and Renault Sport teams.
“I had the most fun when I was winding through the Alps in my Renault 4CV. Consequently, I decided to call my future cars “Alpine”. It had to be possible for my clients to discover this driving pleasure, at the wheel of the car I wanted to build.” Jean Rédélé
With Sam
22 ROADSTER!
ALL
READY: Sam is poised to collect the A110 GT from Jaybee Motors, in Banbury. The A110 Range - the key differences
A grand tourer car, known as a GT, is a type of car that is to drive at speed in style, safety, and comfort over longer distances, and provide enjoyment and excitement as part of the experience. GT cars typically combine power, good road handling and luxurious passenger comfort to to ensure passengers enjoy longer drives. A GT car was perfect for Roadster’s first ever road trip! The Alpine A110 GT is part of the A110 family. Introduced in 2017, the A110 is a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car, designed as a modern version of the famous A110
ABOUT “berlinette” sports coupe made by Alpine during the 1960’s and 70’s. The GT… The Alpine A110 GT is Alpine’s Grand Tourisme sports coupe. The car has been designed to be perfectly suited to everyday, long-distance and involved drives on twisty roads. The GT version promises great performance, thanks to a powerful 300 horsepower engine, and a strong and lightweight aluminum chassis to keep the ride comfortable. “Dad! Can we get out in it now?” Sam…
With Sam
ROADSTER! 23
OUR GRAND TOUR We gently pull out of the Alpine dealership in Banbury and turn left onto the Oxford Road… Dad: Wow! This feels different to our family SUV Sam!” Sam: “It’s really cool! Do you like it?” Dad: “I think so, it’s hard to tell but you can feel everything. It’s the first time I’ve ever driven a sports car and the seats are a lot lower down. I feel like I can feel everything the car is doing -it’s almost I’m- part it”. The A110like Range the keyof differences Sam: “I really like the sports seats!” Dad: “They are special comfort seats that come with the GT model. They are to keep you comfortable during long journeys”. The car leaves the town and heads out into the Oxfordshire countryside. Dad: “Ok Sam, you are in charge of the entertainment as always” Sam: “Dad, it’s got Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so we can play Spotify through your phone”. Dad: “Go to my Spotify and pick the last played song. I was looking for some music which I thought would suit this car…” The sound of a song called “Clayborn” by Nicholas Godin comes through.
With Sam
24 ROADSTER!
Dad: “The man who made this is from a French band we listen to in the car sometimes called “Air”. This is from a soundtrack album he made” Sam: “I really like it!”It sounds good in this car!” Dad: “That will be the four-speaker Focal® audio system - made a light-weight plant based material. called flax” We drive on through quiet villages. Dad: “What do you think to how it looks?” Sam: “I really like how it looks on the outside.”
Sam: “I like how it’s got a unique style. It doesn’t really look like any other cars”. Dad: “That’s true. I like how it pays respect to the original Alpine cars while being modern all at the same time. “What do you think to the inside?” Sam: I like it. The seat is really comfy and it feels really sporty. Some things are the same as in our car”. Dad: “What do you mean?” Sam: “Well the screen on the front [the multimedia touch screen] looks a lot like ours, and the switches are very similar for the electric windows and the heater. Those vents are the same as ours too”. Dad: “You’re right Sam. They are not exactly the same, but they are very similar. Why do you think that is?” Sam: “I don’t know” Dad: “I think it’s because they are all part of the same family. Do you remember our car is a Renault brand car?” Sam: “Yes.” Dad: “Well this is too. When Alpine started making their cars back in the 1960’s they used mass-produced car parts from other brands to help keep prices lower. I think this is the same.
The A110 Range - the key differences
Dad: I like it though. I’ve never driven a sports car before but it feels familiar. It’s good that I don’t have to learn something new!” Sam: “There’s no gear stick, Dad” Dad: “That’s because this is an automatic car. There are three buttons in the centre for Drive, Neutral (for when the car is stopped) and Reverse. The car changes gear itself, but I can change gear myself by using these paddles behind the steering wheel”. Sam: “That’s like a Sim Dad”. Dad: “I don’t know what that means”
Dad presses the button. The dashboard display changes - with the normal dials for the speedo and rev counter folding down to reveal a set of sportier looking ones
The car sped towards a stretch of dual carriage road, where the speed limit increased to 70 miles an hour.
Sam: “Wow! That was quick Dad!”
Sam: “Did you see that Dad? It’s like a James Bond car! It’s like the panel is changing to show the gadgets!” The car enters the dual carriageway and Dad presses his food further on the accelerator. The car roars and immediately speeds up to above the speed limit. Dad has to slow down!
The dual carriageway curves and Dad passes into the outside lane to overtake a lorry travelling slower. Dad: “Goodness, you can feel the change in the steering Sam. It responds to the slightest nudge”. The car passes through the dual carriageway and Dad switches the car back into “Normal” mode. “That was exciting Sam” “It’s awesome Dad! This car is cool! The car approaches the turn for “Enstone”, and heads towards the first stop on this Roadster! road trip…
Dad: “Sam, because this is a sports car it’s got different driving modes. There are Normal, Sport or Track modes which adapt the way the car responds to what I tell it to do. We’ve been driving in Normal mode. If I press a button on the steering wheel the car changes to “Sport” mode”. With Sam Sam: “What does that do?” Dad: “I think it changes the way the engine responds when I press the accelerator and changes the way the steering responds”. Sam: “Shall we finds out Dad? Press it Dad, go on, press it!”
ROADSTER! 25
The A110 Range - the key differences
1st Stop: ENSTONE As we were driving an Alpine we just HAD to call in at Enstone, home to Alpine’s Formula 1 Team. Enstone, has been a home to a Formula 1 racing team since the 1990’s, as it is sited close to the famous Silverstone Racing Circuit (see Roadster! issue two for our review of the brilliant Silverstone Museum!). It was first home to the Benetton Formula One Team (which won the Formula One World Constructors' Championship in 1995). The Renault F1 team moved in during March 2000, with the Renault F1 Team winning the 2005 and 2006 Formula One World Constructors' Championship while being based at Enstone. For the 2021 Formula One World Championship, Renault renamed the team to the Alpine F1 Team. What happens inside Enstone is a closely guarded secret, as Formula One Teams don’t want to let their competitors find out what they are doing. Try as he did, the security guard With Sam certainly wasn’t going to let a nine year old boy into the factory - even if he was the world’s youngest car editor in an Alpine! Instead, Sam was left to imagine what it might be like inside…
26 ROADSTER!
Sam gets up
close to A (“This was lpine’s A5 actually a 23 Formu t the Alpin “Sssh!” - D la One car… e Centre la ad) unch in Ba nbury Dad !” - Sam
At Enstone, the BWT Alpine F1® Team design, test, and manufacture the F1®car. Enstone is also home to the Alpine Esports Content Room - a state-of-the-art facility kitted out with the latest equipment. Thanks to the Alpine Esports stand at the British Motor Show, Sam got to try some of it out…
The A110 Range - the key differences
Varjo Mixed Reality Headset Varjo is a a world-leading virtual and extended reality company working with Alpine Esports. Sam got to experience its XR-3 headset which offered, photorealistic, true-to-life mixed reality: Sam: It was sooo cool! I got to sit in and explore a virtual Alpine! It was as if it was right there!
Trak Racer Alpine F1® Simulator Trak Racer make high-end gaming platforms and it is working with Alpine to produce a sim racing rig which has been co-produced by F1 engineers! Sam: I love racing sims and this one felt really good. I actually felt like I was driving a real F1® car!
BATAK Pro The BATAK Pro is a piece of equipment designed to improve reaction, hand eye co-ordination and stamina. It is a frame comprising of twelve bright LED targets.
With Sam
Sam: It was really hard! It got faster and faster but it was great fun and quite addictive! Dreaming over, we had a quick stop-off at Sam’s Nanna & Grandad’s house in Shipston-on-Stour to show off the car before we headed off towards our next stop. During the journey we were joined by a very special Alpine indeed… With very special thanks to Alba Safont Jorques & The Alpine ESports Team for their kind assistance with this feature.
ROADSTER! 27
Let Roadster! take you back in time - back to the very beginnings of the FIA World Rally Championship. The very first World Rally Championship took place in 1973. There were 13 rally events, held in different countries of the world. Alpine, with the original A110 “Berlinette”, won the events in Monaco, Portugal, Morocco and Greece. The n°1 Alpine, won the 10th event in SanRemo in Italy by more than six minutes, taking enough points to win the Championship title.
Now, fifty years later, Alpine are marking the anniversary of their famous victory with this… The A110 Range - the key differences
#kidswhoLOVEtheAlpine!
A110 San Remo 73 Sam: “Wow! Look Dad. It’s another Alpine!” Dad: “Not just any Alpine, Sam. THAT is the Alpine A110 San Remo. It’s a special limited edition celebration of Alpine’s win in 1973.” Sam: “It looks great Dad! Look at that blue!” Dad: “The design has been inspired by the car that won the 1973 rally. That car was finished in the same wonderful blue and had a red roof and black and white decals. This car is similar, with the same “Caddy Blue” bodywork, black painted roof arches and a red roof made of carbon fibre so it is strong and light-weight. The black and white Withgraphics Sam pay tribute to the original car, but are done in a more modern way.” Sam: “And it’s still a modern Alpine underneath?” Dad: “Yes. It’s even better than this one, with high performance braking and a sports exhaust”. Sam: “Is it different inside Dad?”
28 ROADSTER!
Dad: “You can have a closer look at the next stop as it is coming with us. It has sporty theming, such as the black and white theming on the doors, sports pedals bucket racing seats. There are only going to be 200 of those cars around the world.” With that, the Roadster! Convoy of cars descended into the village of Kineton for the next stop on the Road trip…
We love meeting other kids who love the road, and at Gilks we met Rory - a boy who loves Alpines! “We love Alpine’s in my family” says Rory “My Dad owns an A110, they are so much fun!” Rory got to explore the special edition San Remo and shared his views with Roadster! “I love the blue, it is really stunning colour. The white wheels look great too!”” Rory also got to sit in the driving seat. “I love the racing bucket seats!” he exclaims “I also like how the theming from the outside continues on the inside of the door!” “It’s a really nice collectors car” says Rory. It sounds like Dad may have to consider trading his Alpine in!
2nd Stop: KINETON Gilks is a garage themed café with a unique heritage. Roadster! was visiting to celebrate Gilks’ inaugural “French” theme night - a night of fine French cuisine, matched with some fine French cars… including our Alpine! Gilks is a family run business which can actually trace its roots right back to 1904. Blacksmith George Gilks set up a shop in the village of Kineton. The business developed into agricultural engineers, then it started to sell fuel and oil - by 1958 it was selling cars and petrol. Gilks continued to evolve right through to the 1990’s, when old age and increasing costs led to the garage’s closure in 1996. In 2019 the family business was brought back and the café was born! Gilks’ Garage Café is not just another ‘themed café’, but the latest chapter in a family business going back over 100 years and five generations! It is fast becoming a destination eatery for car fans, as classic car owners love to take their precious cars along to put them on display and enjoy some fine food!
Our A110 GT and the Special Edition San Remo 73 take pride of place in Gilks’ forecourt
Gilks Q&A with Sam… Sam asks the questions only kids can ask!
Gilks is not just for car fans either! Bikers, walkers, cyclists and everyone else are all welcome. They even have electric car chargers! Gilks offers brilliant breakfasts, beautiful burgers, and perfect pizzas. It has recently launched new “theme” nights, with Saturday evenings from September to November offering American, French, Italian & British food. Sam’s Rear View Mirror… “I’ve been to Gilks three times now. The food is lovely and home cooked, they do AMAZING milkshakes, the staff are friendly and there’s ALWAYS a cool car in the car park! I really LOVE going to Gilks!”
With very special thanks to Keith & Katherine Gilks at Gilks Garage Cafe for their kind assistance with this feature.
Where is Gilks? Gilks is in the village of Kineton in Warwickshire. We are a short drive from the M40 motorway and a short drive from the British Motor Museum. Is it “Gilks” like “Golf” or “Gilks” like “Giraffe”? Good question! It is like Giraffe. People always ask! Why does Gilks look like an American Diner? It does look a bit doesn’t it? I think it is because of the garage theme. The pumps are from the original garage - my grandparents never threw anything away! Why food instead of a garage? There was no need for a village garage anymore and we wanted to keep the family business going. We are passionate about our food! Is there a kids menu? There isn’t sadly. We had to stop during the recent lockdowns and haven’t managed to bring it back yet. We aren’t sure whether kids need a separate special menu at Gilks, but we are thinking about it! What is Gilks famous for? Our love of cars and our love of quality food! We try to keep our ingredients as local as possible. Our meat is from the village butcher!
ROADSTER! 29
3rd Stop: Banbury Car Meet
The A110 GT on display at the ROADSTER! stand at this very busy fundraising festival
Our final stop was on the way back home - a very special fundraising car meet. We have mentioned the Banbury Car & Bike Meet in previous issues of ROADSTER! In September the car meet organisers held a community festival, raising vital funds for two important local charities. We were glad to be there and help with the fundraising effort. We took along a stall made for Roadsters! kids! Sam was very busy the whole time - inviting children to come along to our stall, telling them about our magazine, and encouraging them to colour in pictures of cars, eat our sweets, display their own toy cars at our “Car Meet within a Car Meet” and race with our slot car racing track! The main attraction of our stall was, of course, the Alpine! Kids (and adults) relished the opportunity to really explore and learn more about the car for themselves - without having to go along to car showroom! The car was really popular! Even civic dignitaries came along! Sam got to meet the town mayor and tell him all about the Roadster! project. The festival itself was a wonderful community gathering, with lots of classic and rare cars on display, and lots of fun things to see and do.
30 ROADSTER!
With very special thanks to Rowan Ridley, Marcus Ridley and all at Banbury Car & Bike Meet for their continued support and assistance. Aerial Photography credited to/courtesy of A. Corbett Services.
Passenger Seat!
BACKSEAT
DRIVER
Storage between the seats for drinks bottles
Real reviews of real cars from the rear seats by real people! Sam normally gives readers a back seat tour, but as the Alpine is a two seater…
ALPINE A110 GT
The passenger area was simple but comfortable. Lots of space for legs and slide my seat Builtforward in sun to Because I am small I could books… blinds… give us some extra storage for my Alpine backpack!
There are lots of things I really liked about this car. It is really sporty. The seats are really comfortable. I really liked the carbon fibre around the air vents and centre. I also liked the way the switches, air conditioning and media screen were almost exactly the same as our family car. It made the car feel very friendly.
I didn’t like how the chargers are hidden under the centre console. Difficult to reach.
I didn’t like that there was not very much storage space, but Dad told me this was because the Alpine is light and fast. I also didn’t like where the USB chargers are. Because I am small I had to slide my seat forward and up so I could see out of the window. This meant that I couldn’t get my hand into the charger connection. I would have put them somewhere else. Because my seat was right forward there was more room for my bag! Being in this car was like an adventure. I imagined I was a secret spy driving fast. We made up a fun game up where I tried to imagine where spy gadgets would come out from!
The dashboard display in “normal” mode…
I really enjoyed being in this car. It was exciting and a lot of FUN! I’d give it 8.5 out of 10! AUTHOR: Sam P The infotainment screen, controls and centre console. I really liked the carbon fibre finish!
…And in “Sport” mode
CALLING ALL ROADSTERS! What do you think of your family car? What’s it like as a passenger? What do you like? What don’t you like? We need your backseat reviews! We’ll publish the best! Contact roadster.magazine@gmail.com
Sam gets to try the driver’s seat out for size…
With very special thanks to Tim Jones, John Dauphin, Mark Jordan and all at Jaybee Motors (Banbury) Ltd for enabling our whole adventure in the A110, and to Alpine UK for allowing us to do it!
The end of a fun road trip. This car was a fun adventure!
ROADSTER! 31
Caterham Project V
SUPERCAR CORNER
My hometown hero sparks into life
with James Male Most visitors to my hometown end up there by mistake, after falling asleep on the train from London. However, I felt great pride in my hometown when I watched the Stig tear through the high street during an episode of Top Gear and when the brand that brought him there lined up on the F1 starting grid in 2012.
FACT CARD
Despite the Caterham showroom sadly now having been lost to yet more retirement flats, I still feel a connection to the brand and was excited to see the latest car unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Electric motor – 200kW Price – £80,000 Top Speed –143 mph 0-62 – 4.5 seconds Horse Power – 268 BHP Length – 4255mm Width –1893mm Weight –1190kg All figures are currently estimates
Being electric and having a “more practical coupé body style” versus their track focussed Seven, this represents a hugely important change for Caterham.
heavy and yet more expensive still, as they have batteries installed. Although the Project V is also electric, it is as simple and light as possible to “optimise driver engagement” - or “fun” to you and I. Whilst the Project V will be classed as a sports car, it possesses the three main supercar qualities of speed, beauty and exclusivity. It is fast enough as it will hit 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds (only half a second slower than supercar royalty - the Ferrari F40). The Italians have even lent a hand in creating the gorgeous body as Caterham have partnered with Italdesign, who know a thing or two about designing stunning looking supercars. FInally, you will be buying a rare car as Caterham make well under 1000 cars a year, and nothing says exotic like Croydon’s answer to Maranello!
Yes, this IS still Supercar Corner…
Although Caterham are famous for making great British sports cars rather than the exotic stuff that the Italians do best, I think the big supercar names could learn a lot from the new Caterham Project V. Following the race to make the ultimate supercar, we have been left with hugely complicated, carbon-covered brutes that are getting more powerful,
32 ROADSTER!
The Project V is a concept at this stage but Caterham are aiming to have the car on the market by late 2025 with a target price of less than £80,000. Given my personal connection to the brand, I really hope that Caterham go ahead with the project as it fills a beautiful, well-priced, driver focussed hole in the electric sports car market.
With very special thanks to James Male for the feature, and to George Baines at Performance Communications for Caterham Cars for his support and assistance.
CELEBRATE! A Year of ROADSTER! We can’t believe it either! We started this parent & child project in September 2022, and published our first issue online on Christmas Day 2022. It’s been a whirlwind since! Join with us as we look back on our year and celebrate our first birthday!
Racecar Eddy was an idea since day 1. Our friend Richie T has done an amazing job with it!
A retweet from motoring royalty Quentin Willson got people noticing the project! ders has Finding rea portant! been so im
We started with a fre e template from thegoodoc s.com - no te the font is the same!
e: Day On rtin… a Aston M
Sam’s Little Car Company invite turned the project from a bit of a game into something a lot more real!
Day Th ree Iveco T : ruck…
Day Two: Silverstone …
r: Day Fou … Polestar Visits during a week in February took up most of Sam’s half term holiday!
Receiving a postcard from Jeremy Clarkson was a real treat!
Our first year has been an unbelievable amount of fun! We have achieved so much thanks to the support and dedication of so many people. There are far too many to name here! A huge thank you to us to all of those who have helped ROADSTER! over 2023. We can’t wait until 2024…
ROADSTER! 33
NEW YEAR - NEW START! 2023 was all about learning how to make a good magazine. We want to achieve even more in 2024! ●
Richie
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Peter
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Sam MEET THE TEAM!
GUILD OF MOTORING WRITERS
One of the aims of Roadster! has always been to involve other children the magazine is by kids for kids (“with a little bit of adult help!” - Roadster Snr) so we are delighted to bring Richie and Peter onto the Team!
We are excited to share that Roadster! has been accepted into the prestigious Guild of Motoring Writers!
Twelve year old Richie has been a reader of the magazine since our very first issue and has been involved with producing content for the magazine since issue 2 - making the zany comic Eddy, with the help of other members of his family. Richie has proven to be so good at it that Sam invited him to leading on all of our fun content! Peter goes to Sam’s school and has also been a fan of Roadster! since its first issue. Peter got involved with the magazine in our third issue, making the car washing guide, and he and his family have been helping us behind the scenes, taking action photos of us driving about! Peter loves motorsport so we have invited him to be our motorsport editor! Welcome to the Roadster! team!
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The Guild is the world’s largest organisation of automotive writers, editors, authors, broadcasters, and illustrators. Roadster Dad has associate membership & Editor Sam has been granted temporary membership! The Guild uses its power to make motoring journalism better, and encourages positive motoring, road safety and motorsport. It works with motor industry partners to ensure that motoring writers have the access and facilities they need to do their jobs. The Guild also supports newcomer’s to the world of motoring writing by supporting qualifications, arranging training courses and providing support. We are honoured to be members and look forward to working with the Guild to enrich our magazine and beyond. We hope our membership will present an exciting opportunity for everyone!
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Get Roadster! into the hands of more children Get more children involved in producing the magazine Get more hands-on opportunities for the children who work on Roadster! Work with professionals in automotive to produce great content that is fun and engaging for kids.
We are ready to take Roadster! to the next level… who is coming with us? TAKING ADVICE! During 2024 we hope to introduce two advisory groups to help us... The Adult Group We are looking for grown-ups with motoring and publishing industry experience and know how, and an interest in children and advancing education, to help steer us, advise us, open doors and ask difficult questions! The Children’s Advisory Group Roadster is all about being child-led. We are looking for kids who are passionate about cars with good behavioural skills to tell us what KIDS want from Roadster! How can we make it great?! Interested? Contact us at: roadster.magazine@gmail.com
The font used for “A Look To The Future” is used courtesy of the textstudio.com’s “Font Generator”. <a href="https://www.textstudio.com/">Font generator</a>
R UNDABOUT
The ROADSTER! team have been busy out and about!
ROADSTER BRITISH MOTOR SHOW EDITION!
ROADSTER ON AIR! During October half-term Sam & Peter went to the studios of BBC Radio Oxford to talk about Roadster! The boys got to see how a real studio works and talked to Radio Oxford’s breakfast presenter, Sophie Law all about the magazine. Of course they also gave Sophie her own copy of Roadster! to enjoy!
As well as covering the British Motor Show for this issue, we couldn’t resist leaving a few leaflets around the site to promote Roadster! But why stop at a leaflet? We decided to produce a Motor Show special A5 Roadster! The show special Roadster featured a short extract from Sam’s interview with the AA, Sam’s experience of Young Driver, a show guide for kids, jokes and puzzles, and an exclusive - Sam’s encounter with the Polestar Roadster! concept car at Goodwood Festival of Speed!
Of the experience, Sam said “ It was such a lot of fun! I had never been in a studio before so it was great to see one. The microphones were all different colours and Sophie was controlling them as she talked to us. I was really nervous but Sophie made me feel really comfortable. She was really kind and nice and it was really easy to talk to her! “
The Roadster! special edition was available in the Kids Zone and the Alpine ESports Zone. Did you find one?
BBC Radio Oxford has a reach of some 73,000 people, so it was a great opportunity to showcase Roadster to a wider audience. Our website went mad afterwards!!!
As well as covering the British Motor Show for this issue, we couldn’t resist leaving
Both Sam and Peter did absolutely brilliantly. You can hear the interview on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0gp66bp
DETOUR ROAPTRIPS - ROADSTER GUEST BLOG!
ROADSTER IN THE NEWS! Roadster! had a lovely write up in the Banbury Guardian newspaper. The story, aimed at families in Roadster’s home town, tells the story of how Roadster! started and how the project has grown. https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/mee t-the-worlds-youngest-car-magazine-editor-ei ght-year-old-sam-from-banbury-4259949
And finally… That wasn’t the only newspaper featuring Roadster! We featured in the Daily Mail! A story about Sam and ROADSTER! ran in the motoring page on 16th December, thanks to the Mail’s Motoring Editor, Ray Massey. The Daily Mail is one of the UK’s TOP-SELLING newspapers so it was really exciting for ROADSTER! to attract such attention!
Detour is a motoring blog dedicated to the romance of the road trip. It is full of inspiring road trips and stopovers for people to enjoy. We were thrilled to be invited to contribute to the blog’s “Pit Stop” section - dedicated to dining experiences. Our contribution was based on the piece in Gilks that we feature in this issue of Roadster! https://detour-roadtrips.com/home/detour-pit-st op-114-gilks-garage-caf-warwickshire-uk
With very special thanks to the following people: BBC Radio Oxford: Sophie Law, Rebecca Small, Martin Easthaugh, Clodagh Stenson. British Motor Show: Andy Entwistle; Detour: Nik Berg; Banbury Guardian: Philip Hibble; Daily Mail: Ray Massey, Kim Palmer, Chloe Yemm,Andrew Morgan.
You can read the story on the Daily Mail’s website: https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/ar ticle-12869429/RAY-MASSEY-Driven-talented-n ine-year-old-motoring-editor.html
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