The world's first 200mph Skoda

The mechanics moving this Skoda won't, as the old joke goes, need a heated windscreen to warm their hands as they push it out of the garage. The Czech firm, once the butt of many an unfair joke, will celebrate the 10th year of its vRS Octavia performance flagship with a 200mph attempt at Bonneville Speed Week in the USA.

The Octavia vRS has become something of a performance icon among car fans, and Skoda is hoping to join the exclusive 200mph club to celebrate its tenth year.

It'll make its 200mph attempt at the Bonneville Speed Week, held on the salt flats near Wendover, Utah. The flats cover around 50 square miles of the state and are famous for high speed records. The more usual hot-rods and racers will be joined by Skoda as it takes an Octavia vRS to Bonneville to attempt to break the magic double ton.



To do so the Octavia vRS has been modified; as fast as the standard car is, its 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine's 200bhp isn't quite man enough to achieve 200mph - the standard car stops accelerating at 149mph. To help it on its way to 200mph technicians at Skoda UK's Milton Keynes base have added a massive new turbocharger to the engine and filled the fuel tank with some high-octane race fuel.



The result is 600bhp - more three times the standard output. That should help the vRS achieve its goal, but Skoda's engineers have also dropped the ride height and removed drag-producing items like wing mirrors to allow it to cut through the air more effectively.

To conform with racing regulations the interior is fitted with a full roll cage, a fire extinguisher and a parachute to help it stop. Despite the modifications the vRS qualifies as a production car for the event. It will run in the 2.0-litre production car class.

Robert Hazelwood, Director for Skoda UK, said: "The 10-year relationship between the UK and the vRS badge has been extremely successful. This is a landmark anniversary and going to Bonneville is a fitting tribute. It's also an ambitious project which might surprise a few people, but Skoda is all about engineering excellence and this car is pushing that to new limits."

The car will cover a nine-mile straight on its attempt, with the middle section timed. The car must then run the course in the opposite direction to record its average speed. Bonneville Speed Week takes place on the 13-10 August.

Kyle Fortune

http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/10062011/36/world-s-first-200mph-skoda-0.html

The world's most expensive number plates

http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/25052011/36/world-s-most-expensive-number-plates-0.html

Top 10 car repairs you shouldn't pay for

Home maintenance isn't what it used to be. Us Brits are no longer renowned for breaking out the screwdriver when the wiring packs up, or taking a wrench to a leaking pipe - longer warranties, insurance policies and a general lack of knowledge mean that we give in all too easily and call in 'someone who knows what they're doing' rather than have a go at fixing it ourselves.




We're no different with our cars. No longer will we get out the spanners and have a go at repairing the thing ourselves - we simply head for the nearest garage and foot the resultant bill. But it doesn't have to be that way.



Basic car maintenance is easier than it looks, so the next time your motor needs a service or a simple repair, why not have a go yourself? Some quick fixes are so simple that it seems practically criminal for motorists to pay for them. Here are 10 easy home repairs/maintenance tasks will save you a bundle of cash - and you might even enjoy doing them.



1. Screen wash top-up



Ever paid for screen wash during a service? Don't! Most garages charge a small fee to top-up the stuff that cleans your screen - but if you've already got a bottle at home then simply fill up the reservoir beforehand. If the garage still tries to charge you then take them to task. It's usually only a few pounds (though some cheeky establishments will charge more than others), but that adds up over the time you own the car.



2. Changing a headlamp bulb



The number of drivers who have never changed a headlamp bulb is astonishing. All you need to do is open the bonnet and whip out the wire that runs into the back of the headlamp, along with the plastic dust cover. Most bulbs are held in place with a clip, which can usually be lifted backwards to release the bulb itself. Simply pop the new one in place, retrace your steps and you're done. Watch out for modern cars fitted with Xenon headlamps or more complicated bulb housings, which make things trickier.



3. Plugs and leads



The bread and butter service items on a petrol-engined car. Spark plugs and HT leads (the wires that transfer power from the distributor to the spark plug) are cheap and easy to replace. The leads are pop-on, pop-off items, but it's always best to replace one lead at a time, otherwise you can risk messing up the engine's firing order. Spark plugs can simply be removed and replaced with a plug wrench. Easy.



4. Oil and filter change



This one's a little more involved, as you'll need to get underneath the car, but as long you have access to a jack and a set of axle stands, there's no need to worry. Simply place a large pan or bowl underneath the sump - the oil pan found underneath your vehicle - open the sump plug and let the oil drain into the container until it has slowed to a drip. Reseal the plug. Then remove the existing oil filter and allow any remaining oil to drain out. Refit the new filter (they're usually screw-on canisters, but newer cars often have paper filters) and top-up the engine with oil from above. Make sure you buy the right grade of oil and use the correct amount as specified by the manufacturer.



5. New battery



Swapping batteries is surprisingly easy. Simply remove the cables from the terminals along with any bolts holding the battery in its tray and lift it out. Drop the new one in, reattach the cables and you're done. Just be careful not to put anything metal between the two terminals.



6. Replacement air filter



Conventional air filters are housed in a plastic box in the engine bay, so all you need to do is open it, take the old filter element out and drop the new one in. Again, modern cars can be more involved, but for the most part it's painfully easy.



7. Minor scratch repair



Small, light scratches can be buffed out of a car's bodywork with nothing more than some polish and elbow grease - removing the need for a costly bodywork repair. Why not do the rest of the bodywork while you're at it? Chances are you'll be chuffed with the results.



8. Tyre maintenance



Changing a set of tyres is best left to the professionals, but you can keep an eye on the condition of the rubber yourself. Use a tread depth indicator gauge (very cheap and widely available) to keep an eye on the amount of life the tyres have left and check the pressures regularly. It's amazing how many people don't.



9. New wiper blades



It sounds silly but wiper blades are another area that often goes unattended and left to the mechanics. Unclipping the old blades and refitting the new (and very cheap) ones can be fiddly, but it's hardly rocket science.



10. Engine's vitals



They're not repairs as such, but keeping an eye on your engine's fluids can mean the difference between motoring harmony and a nasty repair bill. Don't wait for the garage to do it for you - keep a regular eye on the oil, coolant, brake fluid and power steering fluid levels. Check them once every week or so and your wallet and stress levels will remain healthy.



Note: The above advice is a general guideline only. Vehicles will differ in their exact specification so it is always best to refer to the manufacturer's handbook and, if in doubt, to seek professional assistance. Always exercise the necessary precautions when attempting any of the above procedures.



Jack Carfrae

http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/06042011/36/top-10-car-repairs-shouldn-t-pay-0.html

The world's fastest estate car

Tuning company G-Power has modified a BMW M5 Touring to make it the fastest estate car in the world.

The power crazy German firm has added a pair of superchargers to the M5's existing 5.0-litre V10, which, along with other hi-tech tweaks means an overall total of 740bhp.

Such huge figures make the tuned M5 Touring - renamed the G-Power Hurricane - capable of 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and 224mph flat out.

All that power comes at a price, though, as the G-Power Hurricane costs a hefty €242,016.80 (around £204,000).

It takes more than sheer grunt to put all that power on the road, so G-Power has also uprated the brakes and suspension, among other things, to keep the Hurricane in check on a fast run.

Being a BMW super estate, it's also rather luxurious. The cabin is decked out in leather and Alcantara with diamond stitching and there's a full suite of luxuries like a top end sound system. There's even a set of super wide, 20-inch alloy wheels on the outside.

The standard BMW M5 Touring is hardly a slow car - it produces 500bhp and is capable of 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and a limited top speed of 155mph.

In addition to the fastest estate car in the world, G-Power's other accolades from its modified performance cars include the fastest LPG-powered car, the fastest BMW saloon, the fastest four-seater coupé and the fastest saloon car.

http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/22022011/36/world-s-fastest-estate-car-0.html

The Three Most Expensive Cars in The World: $11m to $30m

The world record for the highest price ever paid for a car was smashed recently when a car sold for $30m to an American car museum.

The car was a 1936 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic. Only three of these cars were ever built and it was designed by Jean Bugatti, the son of Ettore Bugatti. The cars were made from aluminium with distinctive riveted seams. This is one of only two of the cars that remain in their original condition: the other is owned by Ralph Lauren.


The car had been part of a Bugatti collection owned by neurologist Dr Peter D. Williamson. Following the death of Williamson in 2008, and the consequent sale of the other cars in the collection (for $15.5m), Gooding & Company brokered a deal on behalf of the family, with the Mullin Automotive Museum. The car is known to have been sold for at least $30 million, although some sources suggest an even higher figure.



Previously, the highest price known to have been paid for a car was for a 1957 Ferrari250 Testa Rossa. This auction carried out by Sotherbys,in Maranello, Italy, in May 2009 saw the car sold to an unknown telephone bidder for $12.2m

This specific Ferrari is considered one of the most competitive racing Ferraris ever built, having won 10 races in North and South America between 1958 and 1961. It boasts a 300 bhp, 2,953 cc single overhead cam degrees V-12 engine, six Weber 38 DCN carburetors and a four-speed manual gearbox. Only 22 of these cars were ever produced.


It would appear that year by year the highest price record is being smashed. Prior to the 2009 auction, in 2008, again at the Ferrari test track, Fiorino, in Italy at the annual Sothebys’ auction, a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Spyder California came up for sale.

This car had previously been owned by actor James Coburn. This time the purchaser was not unknown: it was UK radio and television presenter Chris Evans, who paid $11m for the privilege of owning it.

Following the sale of the Bugatti Leslie Kendall, curator of the Petersen Automotive Museumin Los Angeles, said: “It does sort of recalibrate things in the sense that now, it’s official, certain cars have reached the level of art. People will start paying attention. It’s should be obvious that there are connoisseurs out there who appreciate cars just as much as they do art, fine wine, furniture and sculpture.

“When the first car sold for seven figures, nobody could believe it. Then one went for eight figures, now the Williamson Bugatti. The nine-figure car is out there. It’s just a matter of when.”
“Chris Evans gave himself a present for pulling in a million more Radio 2 listeners – the most expensive car in Britain.

The Beeb DJ celebrated getting a breakfast show audience of 9.5million by paying £12 million for the vintage Ferrari 250 GTO.

His latest motor cost £6,000 when new in 1963.

Evans, 44, who collects Ferraris as investments, flogged at least three from his existing fleet to help pay for it.

Just 36 of the 174mph roadgoing racing cars were made – and Ferrari nut Evans had long dreamed of owning one.

Evans, who has a £45million fortune…. stumped up around 20 million US dollars – and he plans to use the car on the road.”

By C. Jordan:
Read more: http://athingforcars.com/buying-selling/the-three-most-expensive-cars-in-the-world-11m-to-30m/#ixzz1EJmyvxA4