#39 - SPRING 2018
THE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW Simply breathtaking! F1: ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP We are finally back on the race track DRIVING THE FUTURE Are we prepared for the introduction of autonomous vehicles? HOW CLEAN IS YOUR CAR? You'd be surprised at what might be lurking in the cubby holes of your car
WHEELSPIN• Issue 39: Spring 2018
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#39 - SPRING 2018
PUBLISHERS b.Right new media Ltd. 19, Parish Street, St. Paul’s Bay, SPB 3362, Malta
EDITOR Fleur Balzan fbalzan@b.rightnewmedia.com
CONTRIBUTORS Pierre Vella Ben Glover Anjelika Balzan Ruggier
MAKE UP Shasha
ADVERTISING & SALES Fleur Balzan (+356) 21 576 154 (+356) 99 805 763
PRE-PRESS & PRINTING Impressions Ltd., Marsa
Editor’s Note
FLEUR BALZAN
The warm weather has begun and with it comes the Spring Issue of our magazine. The weather may make it more difficult to spend more hours driving outdoors, but then, heat or no heat, we just love driving these vehicles and telling you our readers about them. These months also follow one of the most important Motor Shows of the year, the Geneva Motor show that we are writing about here on this issue. We have tried showing as many of the vehicles unveiled there to our readers through the beautiful images on these pages. Some of the cars shown in Geneva have also started arriving in Malta so here we write about some of the cars driven locally too. Pierre is presently in seventh heaven as the Formula One Season is moving steadily so here he writes about some of the races so far and what happens ‘back stage’ at these races. Ben also has some interesting reading to offer us and some advise on what ‘dirt’ we need to clean out of our car. He also writes about car headlights and the pros and cons of these. The youngest member of our team, Anjelika, is looking ahead at the future of driving and asking some very important questions about whether we are informed enough about what lies ahead. So all in all, this is another issue filled with interesting reading. So go ahead and enjoy the read!
No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written consent of the publisher.
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WHEELSPIN• Issue 39: Spring 2018
ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP FORMULA 1 PAGE 14
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IN THIS ISSUE
SPRING 2018
FEATURES
TEST DRIVES
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THE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW
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DRIVING THE FUTURE
Simply breathtaking!
CARS DRIVEN LATELY
Test driving the Jaguar E Pace, the Audi Q5 and the SEAT Arona
Are we prepared for the introduction of autonomous vehicles?
14 F1: ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP We are finally back on the race track!
16 TURN DOWN THE LIGHTS
LAUNCHES
18 HOW CLEAN IS YOUR CAR?
12 LAUNCHES
Is the glare given off by new headlamps too dangerous?
You'd be surprised at what might be lurking in the cubby holes of your car
The new BMW X2, a range of new BMW motorcycles, the Fuso brand and the company BookAclassic
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The Geneva Motor Show Simply breathtaking!! As it has now become tradition, come March the Wheelspin Team gets geared up for a few busy but pleasant days in beautiful Geneva in Switzerland. Lake Geneva, the snowy mountains, and the many luxurious branded shops are always a site we love to see year after year but it is the Geneva Palexpo that is the real magnet for us during this time of year. by Fleur Balzan
Our days in Geneva are always demanding but so are the several weeks preceding this most loved Motor Show. The weeks before this event are always spent ‘discovering’ which cars will be presented by the different brands and what surprises we should plan for. However no matter how many preparations we make, entering this Motor Show on the first day each year, we cannot help but feel like children discovering some incredibly thrilling new toys!! This year was no exception and it was not only the beautiful cars that caught our eyes and left us with our mouths wide open. From the beautifully electric Jaguar I Pace which we had been following for quite a few months before its production launch, to the new stunning BMW M8 Gran Coupé, the striking Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, The Aston Martin Lagonda Vision Concept, the Ferrari 488 Pista, and the Mclaren Senna and Senna GTR to mention but just a few. The Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder
The BMW M8 Gran Coupé
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The Aston Martin Lagonda Vision Concept
The Techrules Ren RS
The McLaren Senna GTR
The Jaguar I Pace
The Porsche 911 GT3 RS
The Mazda Vision Coupé
The Zenvo TSR S
The Ferrari 488 Pista
The Ford Mustang Bullitt
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FEATURE• The Geneva Motor Show by Fleur Balzan
The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The new Citroen Berlingo
The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class
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The new Citroen C4 Cactus
The Cupra Ateca
The Skoda Vision X
The Range Rover SV Coupé
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FEATURE• The Geneva Motor Show by Fleur Balzan
The Lexus LF-1 Limitless
The Tata 45X
The Nissan FE
These Super sport cars, as you may see on these pages, are simply captivating, as are the many other road cars such as the new Citroen C4 Cactus, the new Citroen Berlingo, the new Audi A6, the new Peugeot 508, the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class and S-Class, as well as the many electric and autonomous vehicles that are not only great to look at but present some breathtaking technology too. The pages available to us would not be enough to give you the details while showing you these stunning beauties. We are therefore going to focus a little more on the images this time around hoping to leave many of you our readers with mouths wide open too!! The E Moke
The Renault Electric EZ GO
The Icona Nucleus
The VW ID Buzz
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Words: Fleur Balzan Images: Robert Vassallo
If anybody had any doubt about the popularity of SUVs at present they just need to take a close look at the roads and the many new cars that are dominating the streets right now. Over the past months we have been trying many of the different SUVs being presented by the different brands. There are SUVs from practically every medium and high-end brand and most come with technology that is enough to leave us mesmerized. For these pages we have chosen to write about two luxurious SUVs and a medium brand compact SUV which all offer so many different features and such technology that we cannot but believe that we have reached the future of cars. Cars that barely need a driver behind the wheel, except for the driver to enjoy the drive of his life!!
THE JAGUAR E PACE Maybe one of the most beautiful cars to have driven this season must be the Jaguar E Pace, the compact SUV that is really not that compact. The Jaguar E Pace is one of a family of 3 in the SUV segment for Jaguar, the others being the Jaguar F Pace and the newest member, the all-electric Jaguar I Pace. I must admit that the Jaguar E Pace and I hit it off the second I sat at the driver’s seat and had to reverse it out of the Muscats Motors fully packed garage. Although the various sensors and cameras around the vehicle do make one feel very comfortable in tight spots, I am still a little old school when in tight conditions, making use of all mirrors and turning to look back to see with my own eyes how close I may be to other vehicles. A situation like this is
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TEST DRIVES • Cars Driven Lately by Fleur Balzan
when one realises there is no hindering of visibility around the car, no matter which angle one is looking from. As I was driving I started to appreciate the luxury of the vehicle. The white leather seats and touches of white leather on the dashboard, the white stitching on the contrasting black leather, also on the dashboard, the 10” touchscreen and the knobs below the screen. I was surrounded by pure beauty which was utterly so comfortable and enjoyable, and I hadn’t yet started to appreciate the drive. The exterior of the E Pace is also so attractive. The large grille, the elongated headlights and slim horizontal rear lights are eye catching but the sidelines are what did the trick for me. These are beautifully designed and together with the low roofline, give the car a somewhat muscular but more athletic look, resembling somewhat the lines on the Jaguar F Type.
If the car is stunning when it comes to looks, the drive is utterly pleasant, truly offering the wowww factor to anyone who has the chance to drive it! The model driven was the 2 litre Diesel R Dynamic SE in AWD producing 150bhp and emitting just 124g co2. It featured a 9 speed automatic gearbox and offered a choice of drives to suit any driver, amongst them the ECO, Dynamic, and Comfort modes, with the suspension changing according to the drive chosen. The car was extremely responsive with excellent torque and had a precise steering wheel with the handling amongst the best. It offered a number of security features amongst them the lane keep assist, lane departure warning, blind spot alert, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision and reverse traffic detection amongst other features which go a long way to make ones ride safer.
security tests that were done to make this vehicle safe in every country. In fact, Jaguar built around 150 prototypes of the E Pace to test it in different countries and in different and extreme temperatures. Tests that make this one of the safest vehicles around!
If we are mentioning the security features we cannot fail to mention the
THE AUDI Q5 Our adventure with Premium brand SUVs continued with another beautiful test drive this time with the new Audi Q5 Sport. This is one of the vehicles in the evergrowing SUV Audi family with the choice of SUVs from this brand being very wide and aimed at practically any life style. Easily recognizable as Audi, the car has a prominent appearance with attractive LED headlights, pronounced lines and an
overall image that spells out luxury. The 20” alloy wheels on the model driven make it look even more muscular and dominant on the road, a feeling which is strengthened the second one opens the door and feels the robustness of the vehicle! The interior is also an image of luxury. Clean and attractive dashboard with touches of aluminum on both the dashboard, and centre console, a large TFT
screen behind the multi-function steering wheel, another multimedia screen on the centre of the dashboard, triple zone climate control and extremely comfortable and adjustable sport seats. The model of the Audi Q5 driven was the 2 litre TDi diesel with a 7 speed S Tronic Quattro gearbox. The engine produces 190bhp and the emissions stand at 136g/ km. As expected, the car drives beautifully and has outstanding torque which just makes one wish that test drives with such cars could always be done on roads that allow for faster and longer drives. The car is agile and has excellent grip, with plenty of traction even when accelerating out of tight corners. The car feels robust at all times offering a choice of drive modes. The suspension offers a comfortable yet dynamic ride though the version driven is sportier and offers an optional air suspension that allows for a lower or higher drive with the suspension changing accordingly.
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TEST DRIVES • Cars Driven Lately by Fleur Balzan
One thing that is noticed the minute one is on the road is the lack of road/engine noise when inside the vehicle. This due to the acoustic glazing on the windshield which Audi offers as standard on all Q5 models and with this model also benefitting of this feature on the front and rear windows too. The drive and security features offered are many amongst them Audi’s front and rear parking aid and automatic emergency
braking. This feature, when driving up to 83km/hr recognises if the car is to hit a pedestrian or a car in front and controls the brakes if the driver does not take over. Other optional features include the Tour pack that includes the turn assist, traffic jam assist, and blind spot monitoring and cross traffic assist. The Audi Q5, an SUV that deserves to be explored further!
THE SEAT ARONA The most recent Compact SUV to have driven is none other than the SEAT Arona, a car that I was very anxious to try out. I had driven the SEAT Ateca for quite a few months last season and had been utterly impressed by it. So I was curious if SEAT would repeat the success story on the Ateca’s smaller sibling. This vehicle is a more reachable compact SUV yet it is packed with all the comforts and features found in some of the higher premium models. The model driven was the Xcellence with a 1.0 litre TSI 3 cylinder engine, seven speed automatic dual clutch transmission and producing no less than 115bhp and boy were we impressed!! The turbocharged engine was more than appropriate for this 1145kg vehicle and the drive was ultra pleasant. The car is agile and responsive with a precise steering wheel and with suspension that offers a very comfortable
ride. There was no sign of any body roll even when taking corners at high speed and, what’s most important, the car feels ultra solid at all times with an excellent grip of the road. When it comes to technology and safety, this car is packed. From tiredness recognition, hill hold assist, park assist, adaptive cruise control with front assist, blind spot detection and rear traffic alert and a number of front, knee and curtain air bags to make sure all occupants are secured. The car is stylish with classic yet attractive sidelines. It comes in a choice of colours, including dual tone with a choice of 3 different colours for the roof and up to 68 colour options to make sure the vehicle may be personalized to ones desire. The interior is very similar to the SEAT Ateca, smart, attractive yet practical with materials which are of pretty high quality. The 8” touchscreen is crispy clear and offers a number of features including a reversing camera, visuals of sensors all around the vehicle, drive data, multi media system and DAB radio amongst other feature. The car also features the voice recognition command that I remember only too well how accurate and comfortable this feature was on the Ateca. Another option on this vehicle is the wireless phone charging which I am sure would be extremely convenient for those with a compatible phone. Seeing that we only had the chance to drive the vehicle for the day we cannot say much about the economy. The
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manufacturers have quoted around 4.5 litres per 100km of combined driving. Sure wish we had the chance to drive this car for longer to check this out and to see if this vehicle may be one of the best buys around for both price, economy and package!
Other vehicles driven recently were the new Subaru XV and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, two other luxury SUV’s which were also a pleasure to drive. More about these vehicles and others on our TV programme Wheelspin. The links to already broadcast programmes may be found on our facebook page whilst the programme is broadcast every Monday at 21:50 hrs with repeats on Saturdays at 18:05 hrs and Sunday at 16:40 hrs.
DRIVING THE FUTURE by Anjelika Balzan Ruggier
A generation is growing up with the expectation that self-driving cars will soon be a reality. Still, we’re not there yet. People are just beginning to ask some very important questions: Are our nation’s roads ready for such a change? Are we building roads that cater for such driving? And more importantly, what habits should we drivers change as autonomous vehicles become more prevalent? You can find a few self-driving cars being tested on public roads worldwide, but you won’t likely find many in dealer showrooms for quite a while. That alone makes one ask even more questions. Will self-driving cars make our roadways dramatically safer? Most crashes are the result of human error, but would it be logical to assume that removing humans from the process reduces the likelihood of a crash? Will self-driving cars help to ease traffic congestion, or make it worse? We’re long on hopes here, especially locally. What about what might happen during the transition period when both self-driving and conventional vehicles are sharing the roads? There is still a lot we don’t know. We don’t know whether car ownership trends will change, or whether car sharing would be easier to accept if one car may be used by many. Or if selfishness would still get in the way if people still want a car for themselves even though it may not be necessary any more. At present, we are seeing a slight increase in electric cars on the roads,
though definitely far from what should be expected. The price here might be the issue as the lower or less emissions is still not always a good enough incentive when the price is not right. Irrelevant of, we still expect a larger number of electric vehicles in the near future to be driving on our roads. Many users of electric vehicles will “charge up” using home-based stations since many still think other charging points may be time consuming. Not many are happy to wait even the 15 minutes for a quick charge so until charging points are more available at car parks, workplaces, supermarket parking etc, there will still be questions about the feasibility of such vehicles locally. Try as we may to offer the information that our country is one of the most ideal for such vehicles, because of the small distances which will really not require charging of ones car except every other day, the change to electric is moving slow. This while in some other larger countries, the transition to electric vehicles is gaining momentum. Electric cars are quieter and cleaner. There is a clear lack of engine noise and driving an electric vehicle is quite easy. Charging the battery with electricity is also much cheaper than using petrol or diesel
to go a similar distance. All this besides the much important factor that choosing to drive an electric car one is helping to reduce the harmful air pollution left behind by exhaust emissions. What is better for the environment should therefore be better for us! For now, owning an electric vehicle is considered mainly by those owning a garage at home with space to install a charger. This means that those who live in towns and city centres and residents in apartment blocks, will likely be out of luck, unless they are happy to always use public charging points, or perhaps ones office car park if a charging point is available there. Charging ones car at night or during ones workday will become as instinctive as plugging in ones phone. So what’s in store for future cars? Well, we don’t know for sure, but based on what’s currently being tested and what’s on the road today, we have an idea of some new technology that will most likely make it into production soon. Some of it will help keep us safe, some will give us information like never before and some will let us kick back and just enjoy the ride!
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LAUNCHES THE NEW BMW X2 BMW have recently launched its latest vehicle, the new and long awaited BMW X2 that was unveiled during an event held near a roof top swimming pool in Paceville. Two new BMW X2 vehicles were put on show surrounded by stunning views in the presence of media and other guests.
This new SUV by BMW continues to add to the ever growing family of SUVs presented by the brand. It is luxurious with a sporty look and is a welcome addition to the BMW family.
The vehicle may be viewed at the Muscats Motors BMW showroom in Rue D’Argens Gzira.
ARRIVAL OF NEW BMW MOTORCYCLES Muscats Motors have received 4 new BMW motorcycles. These are the BMW S 100XRs, the BMW C650 Sport, The BMW F800 GS Adv and the BMW G310R.
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Many bikers attended an event held on a Saturday morning to admire these bikes whist meeting other bikers.
All motorcycles may be viewed at the new BMW Motorrad showroom in Gzira.
FUSO BRAND Malta welcomes a new vehicle brand to Malta. The Fuso Brand is known as a leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles and it produces light, medium and heavy-duty trucks.
This brand will locally be entrusted to Kind’s Autosales Ltd who have representation of the brand and will be operating from their showroom in Mosta Road Lija.
BOOKACLASSIC A new Company by the name BookAclassic has been launched in Malta offering the possibility to everyone wishing to book a classic car for a particular event or occasion. This company will bring owners of classic cars together and offer the possibility for them to get a return from their vehicle by
having their car, driven by themselves or others, available to anyone wishing to hire the car for special occasions. More information about this new venture open to all classic car owners and those wishing to hire such a car may be seen on www. bookaclassic.com.mt
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We are finally back on the race track! With tweaked regulations, a safety head protection called the halo, that resembles a flip flop, wider tyres and yes much fun. Words Pierre P Vella, Images Steve Etherington
At this point the first part of the season is concluded, the three away races namely Australia, Bahrain and China and the first of the European races. The initial ‘away’ races over the years took a very significant aspect towards the championship. Up to a few years back, these races were an opening session away from everything, just to kick start the season and let the show begin. However these past couple of years there was a change of approach and suddenly these so called ‘away’ races have become quite significant. A total change when the teams endeavour to obtain track information and start comparing the happenings during the testing period. Lets tackle the issue chronologically. Prior to the opening race in Melbourne, Australia, all F1 teams are allocated a few days to test their new creations. This year was no exception except for the fact that the temperatures at the Spanish circuit on the outskirts of Barcelona were much lower than had been anticipated, with the consequences that the cars were being tested in surreal circumstances. This was very evident when the cars were
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raced in Melbourne in much warmer weather. Having such a complex piece of engineering, this would need to be tested in real life situations. No wind tunnel or dyno nor simulator can replicate the real thing. This was quite evident with most teams having to take drastic action that might have been highlighted somewhere along the simulation at the factory but not manifested in such a dramatic fashion. A case in point was when the American Haas team encountered a trivial problem. That of a particular wheel nut coming loose during race weekend which resulted in two points scoring cars to both DNF (did not finish). A simple but costly problem, that came up during the race in high temperatures but not during testing when the temperatures were rather cool. Teams have changed their philosophy on these away races. It is imperative to make the car perform; Maximizing point scoring and returning to Europe with a relatively winning car is of utmost importance. Ironically parts for the new cars are rather sparse during the initial
part of the season. One has to bear in mind that all parts are specific to the respective car and have to be manufactured part by part by the respective team. Again we have witnessed during these initial away races that the teams are eager to be competitive with parts arriving even a few hours just before the Friday practice session. But where does all this technology go? Is it just being prestigious and winning championships? Do teams benefit from such high tech technology and innovation? Definitely the large teams that also have a road car manufacturing sector do benefit and this is quite noticeable especially when the Wheelspin team attend international motor shows where we clearly, getting up close to the likes of Ferrari and McLaren, notice automated aerodynamic features that have their larger derivative on the older brother on an F1 car. Plus the innovations that come down to the power unit and the advanced hybrid and energy recovery system that are utilized. Nowadays on our road cars we are all very familiar with paddle gearshift and
FEATURE • F1, Another Year, Another Championship by Pierre P. Vella
this is available within the middle sector of cars. Ironically, this had been developed by Ferrari on their F1 cars in the late 1980s. So in a way technology does trickle slowly but surely to our daily production cars. Obviously advanced technology is much more evident on high end production vehicles. But back to the racetrack, in Europe all the required equipment, plus the two race cars per team, are all land transported with dedicated bespoken truck transporters. For these away races everything is literally packed in boxes and airlifted. These have to arrive at the circuit much earlier as teams have to unpack and unload everything from the dedicated massive trunks. Prior to all this, equipment is methodically placed in these portable containers and the same people from the factory have to travel to the circuit and have to co ordinate all the repacking and shipping to the next destination. There are instances when the races are back to back that additional equipment is shipped from the
factory. Having said that, the end result is a spectacular three days of twenty incredibly fast cars with some really talented drivers battling out on track. A spectacle viewed by millions across the world. On the podium we see just three drivers and a team official from the winning driver’s team but for sure there are many dedicated individuals who have been working to bring those cars on track and make them perform. The Champagne would still be pouring out of the bottle but the mechanics would have placed their cups aside and embarked on dismantling everything, wrapping and
placing them in their respective storage hold. Witnessing such a feat is just incredible! Before you know it, the pit lane and pit straight are lined up with trucks ready to upload the containers to be rushed to the airport where three dedicated aircrafts are waiting for the special load to be flown to the next destination. For the mechanics it is just a quick rest, off to the airport where they will also board an aircraft and hopefully arrive before their special luggage is delivered to the next destination. The grand prix pit lane where once more the ritual restarts in preparation for yet another race!
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TURN DOWN THE
LIGHTS by Ben Glover
What makes you buy a car? It’s gorgeous lines that flow into the A-pillar? Or how about it’s capability off road? Maybe you are that person, like me who just loves the sound of the engine and is happy to bury their right foot into the carpet with the windows down? I have recently joined a special club. I threw everything into the ‘Who Cares I Could Be Dead Tomorrow’ bucket and bought the most expensive car I’ve ever owned. WIthout going into too much detail, it has a big green oval badge, has plenty of leather, goes off-road and was partly designed by Victoria Beckham. (Fear not, I still managed to keep my classic VW Golfs although for some reason, it didn’t take long to convince the wife). As you well know, my love for ‘classic cars’ surpasses anything that has hill descent control or a button that activates the digital radio through shouting at it, but I have fallen in love with this modern marvel. And not for any of those reasons but for its lights. When you were a child, I bet you had no idea, that when you were drawing your car on paper, that you would go for a car just because of its shiny front headlights. My paper dreams all featured huge spoilers, body kits, large exhausts and me driving with a baseball cap on backwards. This car though has such detailed lamps all around I am ashamed to see it was a big selling point
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for me. But could the dream be over before it has already begun? Technology in cars is accelerating at such a fast rate, even door handles hold enough tech in them to cost a small fortune to repair. What lights up the road ahead of you in Malta has been a long time coming with Xenon bulbs and LED units and your car looks awesome. Since 2011 the European Union has stated that Daytime Running lamps (DRLs) are mandatory on all vehicles since 2012, because some countries are poorly lit during the day. They were introduced to save turning on your head lamps. Fine in Scandinavia but here in Malta? Now it appears the technology is too good. In 2014 an investigation in Wales, UK, concluded that the light technology produced such a glare at night it influenced ten fatal accidents and contributed to 250 others. As a result, a pressure group, Lightmare, was set up to decrease the glare given off by new headlamps. Dr Peter Heilig, University of Vienna, went as far as to say, ‘‘Glare sends a warning signal to the brain that says “Stop!” ’ he
says. ‘It is comparable to the pain signal you get when you suddenly overstrain a joint.’ In response, you may wince or even inadvertently shut your eyes”. Which raises an interesting point. How many times, especially at night when we are in the midst of our Maltese rain showers, have we had to avert our eyes to a new car or dip the interior mirror to stop the glare? Professor John Marshall, University Of London told The Daily Mail, ‘The older you are, the more changes you get, even to healthy eyes, such as the lens and cornea becoming less clear, so the more problems you will have seeing clearly’. One would argue, and now I have joined the party I can comment, that HID lights have improved the way we are seen on our roads and that technology is so good headlamps automatically dip when an oncoming vehicle is approaching. And how many times have you been behind a police or emergency vehicle and had to squint away from the flashing blue lights? Some UK roads policing units have had complaints from drivers as blue lights have left ‘bright spots’ in their eyes when travelling in front.
FEATURE• Turn Down the Lights by Ben Glover
This often took ten seconds for the eyes to reset and return to normal. As a result many motorway patrol cars activate just the front light bars to decrease this risk. I am sure that anyone who suffers from a neurological issue, such as epilepsy, would be affected by the brightness of these lamps, more so if flashing at speed. The jury is still out. Visibility, especially here in Malta is a good thing. It won’t stop the accidents but I do believe new technology has had a reduction on the amount of road traffic accidents. Gone are the days when I used to have someone approach me at the traffic lights to tell me I had, ‘left my headlights on’ when the sun was up. We have read and witnessed far too many motorcycle fatal incidents of late. This is deeply saddening. HID lamps on bikes would be and are a positive thing.
them with the dull yellow bulbs that once lit up our streets? I hope not, they just cost me a small fortune. Or do we wear antiglare glasses at night? Thanks to another motoring panel, set up to address this situation in the UK, new cars may not be so harsh on the eyes. We shall see.
What is the answer? Is it way too late to start ripping out the HID lamps and replace
Meantime, I can still happily cruise about the island with my DRLs and HIDs
shining brightly day or night in my new SUV. It is a shame that I’ll never get to drive it as my wife appears to have taken control of the keys. She’s sporting a new hair do, a complete new wardrobe and I hardly ever see her as she finds any excuse just to, ‘Go for a drive!’. But then again, she looks better in it than me, the high definition lights bring out the best in her. Every cloud and all that!
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TURN DOWN THE
LIGHTS by Ben Glover
Well this is unusual. Normally, I would find myself writing articles from the comfort of a coffee shop, surrounded by pushchairs and screaming children who just want a slice of the cake at the counter. Today, I find myself in a place I have never sat before...the passenger seat of my own car. by Ben Glover I bet you have never sat anywhere else but the driver’s seat (maybe the back seats? Let’s not go there). Yet this is a nice place to be. I have plenty of room in front of me, the radio is on and the sun is shining. What is more the inside of my car smells really good. And I mean really good!
of choice was a 4x4 pick up from China, the Great Wall...something. I was quite impressed with its looks, weight capability and price compared to its rivals. And it smelt good too. I asked him what the secret was. Of course, I should have known this, he cleans carpets for a living. Silly me!
‘professional clean’. Not just a clean but a swab test of what actually might be lurking in the cubby holes of my 2001 VW Golf V6. I wonder if you have ever thought about your car’s previous owners; who they are, where they are now, what they did in your car before you owned it?
This week we had a chap pop over to clean out rugs and carpets. His work horse
As the conversation went on from rugs to cars he offered to give mine a
He got to work; the air vents, the gear stick, down between the seats and in the boot. The indicator arms didn’t escape the inspection, nor did the pedals. Now, many men may relate to this; we don’t like going to the doctors for fear of what may be wrong. When waiting for the test results the anxiety races faster than a lap in Lewis Hamilton's F1 car. Swabs and samples placed into a test tube (this was turning out to be CSI) and an imaginary drum roll happened. After about 90 minutes the clean up had been done and the results were in:
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The Audi Q2. This isn’t just another SUV The Audi Q2 Sport 1.6 TDI is now even more affordable! Save up to €4,000 on this fabulous model! Now starting from €32,000. Hurry while stocks last!
The Audi Q2 is whatever you want it to be. We call it '#untaggable'. Available from Continental Cars Ltd., Ta' Xbiex. Call on 23476360 for further information.
New C4 Cactus. Ultra-comfortable hatchback, unique personality Following the launch of the C3 and the C3 Aircross, Citroën is taking a further step forward in the roll-out of its product offensive with its NEW C4 Cactus. With its modern and distinctive design, the NEW C4 Cactus brings occupants an all-new experience of well-being. Citroën drew on its technological heritage in hydraulic suspension systems. This technology has been reinterpreted, making the "magic carpet ride" effect accessible to the greatest number. Benefiting from the Citroën Advanced Comfort® programme, the NEW C4 Cactus is the first model in Europe to be equipped with the suspension with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions™ (PHC), and the first in the world to feature Advanced Comfort seats, providing all-new seating and ride comfort. The NEW C4 Cactus is now available at Michael Attard Ltd – Citroën Showroom, Mdina Road, Attard. www.citroen.com.mt
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SPOT INFO
All New Renault Captur Europe’s best-selling urban crossover, now REINVENTED to feature more distinctive STYLING and advanced TECHNOLOGIES! With new exterior two-tone colour schemes: Ivory, Ocean Blue, Cappuccino, Red and Atacama Orange, the Captur
now has 30 potential exterior colour combinations and 6 interior colour pack options. Personalise the exterior further thanks to the four different alloy wheels possibilities, in either 16” and 17”. New C-shaped LED daytime running lights have
become emblematic of the brands’ lighting signature. You’re also spoilt for choice with 6 different petrol or diesel engines, manual or automatic, to choose from. Find out more at www.autosales.com. mt/model/renault-captur-dynamique-nav
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