A Citroën C4 Cactus W Special Edition officially became the #nicestcar when it was gifted to The Nicest Job in Britain recently for a year-long charity campaign.

The vehicle is touring the UK collecting donations for 40 different charities driven by Alice Biggar, winner of this year’s Nicest Job in Britain competition.

Teaming up with The Nicest Job in Britain, Citroën’s C4 Cactus W Special Edition is the #nicestcar after it was presented to Alice Biggar, the winner of this year’s Nicest Job competition. The C4 Cactus W, liveried with The Nicest Job in Britain logo, is being driven around the UK by Alice as she visits 40 different charities over the next year.

Luke Cameron, co-founder of The Nicest Job in Britain, said; “The Nicest Job in Britain showcases the amazing work of UK charities and the passionate people that support them. Citroën’s involvement will make it easy for Alice to reach her target of driving the #nicestcar to 40 different charities across the country.”

John Handcock, Citroën UK’s Head of Communications, said; “We’re delighted to support The Nicest Job in Britain in such a positive way. Citroën is all about making people feel good, and partnering with The Nicest Job in Britain to help them collect donations, while driving the #nicestcar, is an exciting opportunity for us. We hope all the charities that Alice visits will raise lots of money for all their great causes.”

The Nicest Job in Britain is a UK based programme that offers a deserving individual the opportunity to travel around the UK for a year, spending four days a week helping a different charity or a third sector organisation.

Alice Biggar, winner of this year’s Nicest Job in Britain competition, was offered the job after campaigning for votes in the most creative ways, such as crawling 5k through Bristol to raise funds for the RSPCA, living on only £1 a day, befriending a stranger every day, and hitchhiking across Europe without spending any money.

The specially liveried C4 Cactus W Special Edition features an eye-catching exterior design with white door mirrors, white roof bars, unique 17-inch white ‘Cross’ alloy wheels and a Pearl White body colour, as well as Dune coloured Airbumps®, so look out for it near you!

www.citroen.co.uk

This shot shows the vast mountains reflected in Lake Eidsvatnet in Møre og Romsdal county. I am a very simple photographer – there is very little hocus-pocus about what I do and for me it’s all about seeing, reacting, using my feet – and this was simply the right shot captured at the right time

Land Rover and renowned Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen have revealed the first in a series of unique works entitled ‘Ultimate Vistas’; extraordinary landscape photographs captured with help from the world’s ultimate SUV: the Range Rover.

Land Rover worked closely with world-renowned photographic agency Magnum Photos to showcase some of the most breathtaking landscapes on Earth.

To launch the series, Norwegian photographer Jonas set out to capture the dramatic landscape of his home country. Range Rover’s intelligent technology, Terrain Response 2, enabled him to reach superior vantage points off the beaten track. It automatically selects one of its individual driving modes to suit the terrain and optimises the vehicle’s settings for all conditions and surfaces.

Jonas and his crew began their journey in the distinctly modern urban environment of Oslo, where they explored some of the city’s award-winning, innovative architecture. They then travelled northwest through the Dovre mountains via the epic switchback roads of the Trollstigen.

Here we have the view of Geiranger village and fjord, seen from Flydalsjuvet, a gorge with rocky outcrops and waterfalls. The name Geiranger most likely comes from the old Norse words for ‘spear’ (geirr) and ‘fjord’ (angr) and the 15km long Geiranger fjord is one of the most famous fjords of Norway. In 2005 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was in 2006 named by National Geographic as the most well preserved of all the UNESCO world heritage sites. The nice thing about working in Norway at this time of the year, in the autumn, is that I passed through a huge variation of different landscapes. It’s a gorgeous time to be there.

They also visited the snow-covered plateaus and vast fjords of Geiranger as well as the Art Nouveau-inspired town of Ålesund. The entire expedition was completed in a production Range Rover TDV6 Autobiography, which transported Jonas, his crew and all their equipment. The Range Rover is the epitome of luxury, with clean lines echoing the modern architecture of Oslo and the unique capability that allows it to take such an expedition in its stride.

Jonas said: “I spend my entire life chasing that perfect picture, but part of the joy of it is in that hunt. Photography is for me a language, a way in which I can express myself, and it has become a way in which I see the world.

“I love trips I can do entirely by driving. When I’m on the road I can stop anywhere and capture an opportunity in an instant. The Range Rover was the perfect partner for me in that respect.”

Norway is made up of more than 50,000 islands and has an 83,000km (51,000-mile) coastline of fjords, bays and inlets. Few places in Europe have a lower population density, so remote living is ingrained in the national psyche. Yet it is also home to some of the world’s most dramatic modern architecture, resulting in a breathtaking contrast between vivid remote and urban environments.

Further locations for the Ultimate Vistas series will include the USA and China.

How would you like to choose the weather any day of the year? That is exactly what Ford’s new “Weather Factory” will enable engineers to do as they test forthcoming vehicles in the most demanding conditions from around the world.

Altitudes higher than Mont Blanc, the tallest Alpine peak, vehicle and wind speed of up to 155mph, snow, glaring sunlight and rain are among conditions that will be simulated at Ford’s state-of-the-art Environmental Test Centre.

As well as turning low-lying Cologne, in Germany, into the highest point in Western Europe at the touch of a button, the multi-million euro facility will be the most advanced automotive facility of its kind. The first to simulate altitudes of 5,200 metres, the centre will also offer extremes of -40, the average winter temperature in eastern Siberia, to +55 deg Centigrade – just 1.7 deg below the highest-ever air temperature globally recorded – as well as 95 per cent humidity.*

In the UK, Ford Dunton’s Environmental Test Laboratory has been capable of simulating altitudes up to 3,660m since 1999 – as well as temperatures from -40 to +55 deg Centigrade.

The capabilities of the new Cologne Environmental Test Centre can be seen in this new animation.

“With industry-first features, like the high altitude testing and the ability to simulate heavy snow, this new test facility offers a toolkit that will help us to continue to develop future best-in-class vehicles,” said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. “This is a significant step forward that will enable Ford to efficiently simulate the most demanding environmental conditions around the globe under repeatable conditions.”

The centre – which Ford expects to be fully operational later next year – will enable engineers to work on up to nine different vehicles simultaneously, testing comfort, safety and operational capabilities including electrical performance, braking, air conditioning and pulling heavy loads.

The football pitch sized facility will cover an area of 5,500 square metres, include two climate wind tunnels; a high-altitude lab; and four temperature controlled test chambers, three of which will also facilitate humidity testing. It will also facilitate testing of Ford’s expanded line up of performance cars and sports cars, which includes the acclaimed Focus RS, Focus ST, and Ford Mustang, in conditions of higher wind speeds. And it will be used to test all front-wheel, rear‑wheel, and all-wheel drive vehicles.

Ford test facilities in Europe also include Lommel Proving Ground, in Belgium, home to a specific pothole-testing track, side-wind tests, and saltwater and mud baths. Ford vehicles are regularly subjected to as much as 3.5 million miles of punishing real-world durability testing, which can include locations as demanding as the Mojave Desert, in the U.S.; the Arctic Circle; and the Grossglockner High Alpine Pass, Austria.

As the forecasters predict the weather will take a turn for the worse, many motorists may consider buying a 4×4 for the winter months.

Automotive data expert hpi has put together a list of this season’s best buys. Motoring expert Tim Bearder, Black Book Editor at hpi considers which vehicles will minimise any potential loss in value if you bought now and sold in the spring.

Tim said: “This all depends on your budget of course if you are thinking of spending £40-£60,000 then three cars that spring to mind is the Porsche Macan, Mercedes GLC and the Jaguar F-Pace. Our money is still with the Porsche Macan, although any of these models are safe bets the Macan still has a quoted lead time of up to seven months with means if you want one sooner you are going to have to pay a premium for a used one.

“For a lower budget, the Volkswagen Tiguan or Kia Sportage are excellent buys. Also take a look at the Jeep Wrangler, which is not only a capable icon but has become very popular in the vehicle enhancement and conversion sector. This has strengthened desire and demand for this vehicle and values for this car have been very stable over the past year.

“Moving further down the budget range, say £1-£8,000, then your choice increases further, cars like Nissan X-trail, Vauxhall Antara along with many others are all good buys, but our suggestion is the Suzuki Vitara. This is a great price range car with minimal depreciation that is affordable as a second car for those who want to keep their daily run around.”

hpi recently launched a vehicle valuations service to give consumers the ability to buy and sell cars with utmost confidence offering them the inside view on the total cost of ownership of a vehicle during its lifespan along with precise depreciation figures.

The hpi valuations tool  – hpivaluations.com – is aimed at consumers buying and selling cars in the used car market and may help minimise the risks that can see consumers paying over the odds or not getting the best-asking price.