When you stop and think about it having a courtesy car is a lot like going on a blind date. Imagine – you’re in a safe and committed relationship with your own vehicle. You know what to expect and have come to love it for all its faults, even if it is a pig and quite often refuses to go into reverse gear. Then suddenly a major issue crops up and it’s time to give your relationship a break while your other half gets its issues sorted.
Motoring Views
Haynes’ Project 50 – 1965 Mustang
Sitting in the entrance hall of Haynes Motor Musuem is a very special car, a gorgeous 1965 Mustang. This is the story of Haynes’ Project 50.
In 2010 the team at Haynes knew that they wanted to do something pretty special to celebrate their 50 years in publishing. What better way to do it than by completing an amazing restoration project on the most iconic car from the same era Haynes was founded – a Mustang.
Need For Speed review: warning contains spoilers
Need for Speed. Probably not the most eagerly awaited car film of the year but enough to possibly awaken the delights of our inner speed demons. Or is it?
To be honest Need for Speed hadn’t really registered on my radar until Aaron Paul appeared on Top Gear. Having never seen Breaking Bad I was wondering what all the hype was about and Need for Speed seemed the best way of sussing it out. I only hoped he’d live up to it.
The Top 5 Fan Replicas.
For years fans have been building replicas of their favourite cars. Here are the Motor Page‘s top 5 best.
5. Lamborghini Reventon
There have been lots of Reventon fans building replicas of this beast but probably the best comes from the Ukraine. 30 year old Alexander Stupkin from Odessa turned a 2003 Misubishi Eclipse into one of the best looking Reventon replicas we’ve seen. Shame it still only has 147bhp and a top speed of 130mph.
Here’s a bit more about this replica:
The Motor Page’s Christmas Gift Guide
The big day is fast approaching yet again. With most of your shopping done, you suddenly realise that you’ve not got anything for that pesky petrolhead in your life. This year you want to get them a present that’s a little different, unusual even. Well look no further friends, the Motor Page’s Christmas Gift Guide is packed full of ideas, whatever your budget.
Obituary: Sean Edwards
Sean Edwards, who was tragically killed in a car accident this week aged just 26, was already a multiple winner in numerous racing series. His untimely death has cut a promising motorsport career, and his life, far too short.
Sean Lawrence Guy Edwards was born in London on 6th December 1986 but was raised in Monaco. He first raced a kart at the tender age of three but progressed to competing in the French Karting Championship aged eleven, where he finished 5th out of 30 entrants. After finishing 3rd in the south of France National Championship the following year, he moved to the competitive Italian International Junior Championship in 2000.
Road test: Kia Picanto
Model tested: Picanto 3
Price – £11445 Power – 84bhp Torque – 89lb ft 0-60mph – 11sec
Fuel economy (according to Kia) – 60.1mpg (combined) CO2 emissions– 109g/km
Kia’s city car has been around for some years now. Since it first came out it’s undergone a major styling overhaul, setting the tone for all future Kia models (check out the Niro concept, Provo concept and the upcoming Pro-Cee’d GT). Kia is clearly trying to make its mark on the higher end of the market but does the Picanto make any inroads into it? Read on to find out.
Rush: a review. Warning: may contain spoilers
Rush is arguably the most anticipated film in motoring circles since Senna. Directed by Ron Howard (The Da Vinci Code, A Beautiful Mind), Rush tells the story of the infamous rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
The film starts with Hunt and Lauda lining up on the grid preparing for a race, before quickly flashing back to six years earlier and showing us how the pair first met in Formula Three. This quick flashback means the film isn’t quite as easy to get into as you might imagine, but it’s well worth persevering.
The Curse of Top Gear – where is tv motoring headed?
In ye olden days there were several motoring tv shows ready to give you good, honest advice about your next car. Whether you were a boy racer looking for a hot hatch or a family man looking for an estate car, you could rely on solid advice from Driven’s Penny Mallory or Fifth Gear’s VBH. And then there was TopGear. Before Clarkson’s tight jeans ever came into view, you had Angela Rippon and Noel Edmonds doing proper road tests. When the show came back from the dead though, everything was just a little bit different.
An interview with Paul Oz
At Autosport International 2013 I was lucky enough to meet renowned motorsport artist Paul Oz. After realising during a shopping trip for artwork that he could make more than a decent effort creating something of his own, Paul began experimenting with painting in 3D. Outside of painting the greats of F1, he is the official artist to Bruce Lee, Muhammed Ali, Star Trek, Mr Men and Thunderbirds. A few months ago I caught up with him to find out a bit more about how he does it, his future art plans and just what the F1 circuit is really like.
Amber Johnson: Hi Paul. You primarily use oils in your work to build up layers in your paintings, giving a 3D effect, why do you now use oils rather than say the acrylics that you initially experimented with?
Paul Oz: I love the vividness with oils –that stay looking exactly as when applied. Acrylics dull and change colour as they dry and dry too fast for my style of painting. I need to be able to manipulate the paint on the board for several days at least.
The Motor Page 