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The bane of every young person’s life, the driving test, has recently celebrated its 75th birthday.

In that time, we’ve all grown accustomed to dodging erratic manoeuvres from new drivers, but now we can rejoice in the news that there is a new initiative designed to help the inexperienced motorist and ease the pain on parents’ wallets.

Halfords has teamed up with Provisional Marmalade to offer a new, radical type of car insurance which allows provisional drivers to purchase fully comprehensive insurance on a family or friend’s car for only £3 per day.

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rocksEntries are now open for this year’s Mille Rivieres off-road event in southern France. The Mille Rivieres is a three-day non-competitive trail-driving adventure that can get quite demanding at times, so although it’s open to all 4x4s you wouldn’t want to take your family SUV unless you didn’t mind picking up a few dents and scrapes.

A suspension lift and locking rear differential will help over some of the rougher, rockier sections, and, of course, a winch is always useful. The event runs from the sign-on on Wed Nov 10th to Sat Nov 13th, starting from the village of Le Chambon sur Lignon and covering round 300 miles through the stunning countryside of the Haute Loire and Ardeche to the finish at the holiday village of Saint Privat de Vallongue. The first two days of driving include a fair amount of easy trail driving, with a few heart-stopping obstacles, while the final day is more technically demanding.

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dakarReplacing the Race Touareg 2, twice winner in 2009 and 2010 of the Dakar Rally and the first diesel-powered vehicle ever to win the event, the new Race Touareg 3 promises to be faster and more efficient while retaining the immense strength and durability of the outgoing vehicle.

Wind tunnel testing has led to changes being made to the carbon fibre and Kevlar bodywork with particular attention to improving the cooling systems around the roof of the vehicle while minimising disruption to the airflow at high speeds. At the same time the changes have meant the Touareg has adopted a fresh look with new LED lights, a new grille, window line, rear clamshell and wheels.

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William Chase, the world’s leading potato entrepreneur, is planning the next stage of his tuber-driven empire – potato power!

Chase, the creator of the Tyrrells Crisp and Chase Vodka brands, believes that waste from his Herefordshire vodka distillery could be used to make a high grade vehicle fuel.

“We have known for a long time that potato starch is an excellent source of bio ethanol, but this new scheme will tap the resources left behind in distillery waste,” said Chase.

“There has been research completed at Edinburgh Napier University that has demonstrated that ‘pot ale’ (the fluids left behind from the distilling process) can be fermented into biobutanol. I don’t see why we can’t do the same in Herefordshire,” said Chase.

Biobutanol gives internal combustion engines 30 per cent more output power than ethanol. And, more importantly, there is no need to carry out expensive adaptations to the engine. Chase says he firmly believes that vegetable matter will provide the world with the next generation of fuels.

Food giants McCain and Heinz are both believed to be exploring the use of potato peel as a source of biofuel.

 

manbyThe Northern Off Road Club Cross Country Championship made its annual pilgrimage to Manby in Lincolnshire for the August bank holiday weekend, writes Gavin Lodge. Current series leader, Ashley Short, was quickest on Saturday’s opening run, only to be overtaken by Andy West and Martin Hey over the next couple of laps. A roll on run three put Short on the backfoot, having to play catch-up for the rest of the event.

Hay also rolled in the slippery conditions of Sunday’s opening lap. As the track dried out West looked to have it won, only to be sidelined with a broken trackrod end on the penultimate run, handing Short his second win of the year. Garry Reed occupied second spot and Tim Sagar finished third.

 

The SUV premium tyre Nokian Z SUV has been rated ‘very recommendable’ by the German car magazine Auto Zeitung in its latest off-road tyre test, producing: ‘the lowest rolling resistance in the test’ and ‘nearly no weaknesses’.

The editors considered ‘problem-free handling up to the stability limit’ being the strengths of the Nokian SUV profile in the tests in the dry. Also it is: ‘brilliant off-road with the highest traction on wet grass ground’. This judgement follows the German car magazine Auto Bild allrad test two months ago which quoted ‘low rolling resistance, balanced driving behaviour and amazing in the sand’.

 

The Green Lane Association (GLASS) is urging greenlaners to show restraint on certain routes in South Wales to prevent the spread of a deadly tree disease. The disease is caused by Phytophthora Ramorum and was confirmed during May 2010 in woodlands managed by the Forestry Commission on behalf of the Welsh Assembly. The fungus like pathogen kills most trees that it infects and while it is the cause of Sudden Oak Death syndrome in the USA, our own native Oaks are generally resistant to the pathogen. In this case, however, it is infecting Japanese Larch Trees in the Afan Valley near Port Talbot, the Garw Valley near Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Strict Biosecurity measures are in place to try and stop the spread of infection to other woodlands; 4×4 drivers out greenlaning could easily spread the infection from one area to another as it is carried in soil that sticks to vehicles or by larch needles.

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landroverLand Rover and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched a new global initiative, under the theme ‘Reaching Vulnerable People Around the World’. Over the next three years, Land Rover has committed to help national Red Cross or Red Crescent societies implement or step up priority programmes in 15 countries, with a particular focus on two extensive humanitarian programmes in Sierra Leone and China.

In addition, and in response to the worsening situation in Pakistan affecting over 14 million people in an area equivalent to the size of the UK, Land Rover is donating six Defender 110 station wagons to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society to help its disaster relief operation. Many roads and bridges have been badly damaged; leaving many areas cut off from normal transport links. The vehicles will be used to deliver aid in the form of food, clean water, shelter and medical supplies to thousands of people in need in the most remote and cut-off communities. Jaguar Land Rover employees have also been raising money to support the relief operation through the British Red Cross.

Land Rover’s support will enable the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society to reach remote communities, improve access to health care and safe water, and support young people affected by civil war.

rodeoVisitors to the Sandringham Game and Country Fair in mid September enjoyed a thrilling off-road driving experience, courtesy of Isuzu’s Rodeo pick-up truck. The demanding, purpose-built course tested off-road driving skills, and demonstrated the capabilities of the truck.

A new addition to the interactive attractions at the Norfolk show – which included clay pigeon shooting, carving logs with chainsaws and an indoor falconry display – the off-road challenge was supervised by professional instructors.

Marketing director of Isuzu UK, Kenyon Neads, said: “We decided the best way to help show-goers fully appreciate the all-terrain capabilities of our Rodeo range was to build our very own off-road course. It was a real highlight of the event.”

skodaThe first Briton to climb all 14 of the world’s highest mountains, and Yeti hunter, Alan Hinkes OBE’s latest challenge is to scale the tallest peaks in the 39 old English shire counties in world record-breaking time. Ahead of his quest, Škoda has provided the explorer with a Škoda Yeti to help him on the road to conquering the summits.

The expedition started on 27th August in Alan’s home county of North Yorkshire, and the voyage will see Alan travelling cross country, taking on peaks from Cornwall and Devon to Cumberland and Lancashire. Throughout the trip Alan will be raising money for Mountain Rescue.

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