I am a huge petrol head, okay. I love everything that has wheels and I spend many hours researching the automotive industry. I read about the classic models, but also about the latest creations of petrol heads like me. Recently something really special caught my eye, one of a kind Nissan Juke, which, believe it or not, has the same mechanical parts as the Japanese Godzilla, the GT-R, hence the name – Nissan Juke-R.
During University and my younger twenty something years I had what can only be described as the best car I have ever had the pleasure of owning, a Ford Puma! Hailed on hit BBC show Top Gear as the “Cheeky, Feisty and Fashionable” 1997 car of the year, this car is a real dream to both drive and own. With its sleek line body and compact features, this car is a looker as well as a performer and the perfect balance between fun enthusiastic driving experience and sensible car owner fundamentals
For all the hoopla surrounding the cuts and reductions in public spending I find it incredible that I still see some of the most expensive cars being driven around by people I would never expect to have such vehicles. I was admiring a new Astin Martin DBS the other week before I realised it was being driven by a doctor. Now I know doctors do get paid a fair amount of money, but with the NHS undergoing a consultation to have its services transferred to the private sector I find it difficult to understand how a doctor can afford a car like this. So admiring was I about the car, and so curious to find out more about it, I followed the doctor to the hospital he worked at.
Stalking someone is not something I do on a regular basis but when a really nice car takes my eye it does become something that I have to bow down to on occasion. I think the doctor thought I was sick at first when I approached him in the car park, but after I’d spent several minutes convincing him that I wasn’t either sick or a nutter he was quite willing to talk about the Astin with me. It turns out he got it as a present in matter of fact from his father in law who had passed away recently. I expressed my condolences and then we got talking about the car itself.
For those who didn’t watch Casino Royale back when James Bond burst back onto the big screen in 2006, the Astin Martin DBS is the car of the film and gets a little screen time before being written off spectacularly toward the end. A beautiful car, it has a slightly darker shade of grey then the older David Brown models, but still retains the same tone. As a sports car it has a lower clearance level then most road cars but you can still sit in it comfortably without feeling like you’re about to be squashed into oblivion. The doctor that I was speaking to was a genuinely lovely chap and he was clearly delighted with the car, especially as he told me that there wasn’t a way in hell he could afford something like it on his salary – apparently more money is going to care home jobs then to doctors in some cases. As well as learning more about the DBS I learnt a lot more about the state of the NHS and the people who are working within it.
Whilst there are many jobs being advertised in the medical profession, not everyone is aware of how desperately the NHS needs some positions to be filled. The care industry is calling for applicants but despite care jobs being advertised, the doctor told me that not enough people are applying. This may be due to the fear that pervades the NHS now that the new policies of budget changes and reductions are being put into effect. It is scaring people off despite the jobs being available.
Eventually I had to leave as I was going to be late for work. The doctor I spoke to was one of many wondering what is going to happen to the NHS in the months to come. Being a car enthusiast, I had never paid it that much attention before, but considering the amount of traffic accidents that happen every year I can see it is essential that the organisation survives. I might also start driving more slowly!
Reliable broadband in cars is something that is being taken far more seriously. One of my favourite cars the Ford Focus is due to have its own wireless broadband hotspot installed from 2012. This means that from early next year the Focus will join the ranks of Audi and a few others in ensuring their customers have access to the internet wherever they are. Smaller providers like abroadband who specialise in roaming services are watching with interest to see how successful this in car facility is and more importantly, how much it will cost.
The latest Ofcom ruling as reported by the BBC is going to force BT (often the only operator in many small exchanges) to lower its prices. This is good news for Ford and other service providers and possibly a contributing factor to Ford and other car companies offering their drivers broadband on the move. But what of the new Focus itself?
As well as the broadband offer, the interior of the vehicle boasts the same reliable features as well as some nice upgrades. New electronic power assisted steering Ford says will make your drive even more comfortable. Add to this the Torque Vectoring Control and it sounds like you’ll be driving the latest technological marvel from the army rather then an everyday road vehicle. Sport tuned suspension, variable cam timing and a new six speed ‘power shift’ automatic transmission make the new Focus an interesting proposition for next year. So how does it actually handle?
The 2.0 litre direct injected four cylinder engine puts out a respectable 160 hp at 6,500rpm. Not bad for a sedan. The power shifting does what it says on the tin; both smooth and feeling at the same time you forget that you’re not driving a traditional automatic. The only issue I have is with the new power assisted steering. It felt a little numb and made me feel nervous as I never thought I was always in control of the car. That said the chassis is rigid without feeling too heavy so I can forgive the questionable quality of the power steering. Boasting 37 miles to the gallon on motorways the car actually averages out at 31 miles to the gallon in mixed road conditions. However as the tank only holds 12.4 gallons compared to most of the Focus’ rivals (which usually go up to 15 gallons), you will be filling up more often then you would ordinarily want to.
Overall though the new Focus is a solid and decent car. It is probably due to retail in-between £15 - £20k in the UK it also comes in at a mid range price for the type of car it is. As always it remains the middle child of younger sportier cars (like the Mazda3) and older classier vehicles (like the Cruze), but the Focus has never tried to be anything more then a reliable road vehicle. In this, the 2012 model has succeeded and Ford can once again be proud of the car that could.
Purchasing a dirt motorbike is somewhat a difficult task as you can find many options for buying motorbikes. One of the options that have recently become popular is buying bikes from the internet. This has become possible after the remarkable advancement made in the field of the internet and online shopping. You only have to search the web and you can find so many different motorbikes offered for sale on the internet along with the different dealers and their rates. More
The summer season has come at last. It is time to have some fun, to go on a holiday or just enjoy the beautiful weather. And during these hot summer days I cannot help it but wonder: Is it worth investing in a convertible? Well it depends really, and in my humble opinion, owning a convertible is always an advantage, something that sets you apart, something that makes you different. It is true though, that this type of car costs More
With all this technological advancement it is pretty hard to know what exactly is under our bonnets. The truth is that sometimes, even I get confused. And it’s like the car companies are trying to confuse us even more by coming up with all kinds of different ways to indicate their models like bluetech, blue efficiency and so on. Even the name hybrid can mean a million things. So if you are not really sure which one is the best More
It is not easy to talk about recruitment software just like it is difficult to talk about the world’s best cars because people have different tastes. The best one can only do is to talk about personal choice of best cars which is what I will be doing in this article. My list is not filled with luxury and some of the cars that will be listed are there just for nostalgic reasons only. My list starts with the old More
As I searched around for english teaching jobs I came upon an news item about the BMW Hydrogen 7 and was impressed with what I saw. So here I share what I read.
The BMW Hydrogen 7 is a car model that uses hydrogen as fuel. Aside from being powered by hydrogen, the new innovation can also be powered by the use of gasoline. It can seamlessly switch between gasoline and hydrogen. The internal combustion engine has 12 cylinders and pumps 6 litres. More
The BMW is a world renowned car which any person will be proud of owning regardless of model. To their great collection, BMW has now added the BMW 118d ES. Although a hatchback, one cannot complain about its features and specifications.
When looking at the BMW 118d ES you cannot believe that a car with a mix of concave and convex shapes is actually a hatchback. The engine capacity of 1.8 litre diesel More
