If they have a passion for speed or racing, then a track day may be the perfect gift. These are when a racetrack opens its doors for members of the public to have a go at going around a race track. Most tracks in the UK offer this; it’s an opportunity for people with road legal/track prepared cars to emulate their racing idols.

A fan of gadgets who drives would love this next present, the TomTom GO LIVE World Satellite Navigation System. It’s one of the most advanced satellite navigation systems on the market and it provides traffic updates every 2 minutes. That’s SEVEN times more often than any other provider! Another fantastic feature it has is advanced lane guidance, this feature allows drivers to negotiate tricky junctions whilst also allowing users to do a Google search for any local points of interest.  It will come pre loaded with 66 international maps. This TomTom Go is a must have for any driver who enjoys using satellite navigation systems.

Is the driver you’re looking to buy for has a dog they love, but struggle to transport safely. The Dogs Trust Safety Harness comes in sizes to suit all breeds. The gift would also support a very worthy cause and the dogs trust logo on it will show your charitable nature! This is an amazing stocking filler for a pet lover.

For a female driver look no farther than the Autoglym gift set! It contains absolutely everything you would need to keep your car in mint condition looking fresh from the production line. The pink bag it comes in is stunning and would look good anywhere. This is a steal at £45.99!

“Green” drivers have a wide range of products available that can be given as a Christmas presents! One of the most fun items on offer is the mini solar powered car kit, available direct from the Natural History Museum for £20. This would be the perfect gift for father and son, or maybe even just for the father!

The DVLA are to cut down on some of their red tape practices and this has been welcomed by The AA and the IAM.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/legal–motoring-advice/2011-12/red-tape/

Just a little thought of how to get the snow of your car this winter if you don’t like to get your hands too cold. Not sure the neighbours would enjoy it so much if you had a early start…….

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/13/the-other-way-to-get-snow-off-your-car/

What do you get the motoring fanatic that has everything, Here are a a list of ten ideas from the team at Autocar

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=260462

The ultimate boys (Christmas) toy.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh, what fun it is to ride In a one horse open sleigh:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/11/nothing-says-merry-christmas-like-a-1-4-scale-r-c-big-rig-slei/

A new tougher theory test will be put into place in late January 2012. This is in order to stop new drivers simply memorising the answers to the questions without fully understanding them.

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/Industry-News/Bedford-Autodrome-to-get-Ariel-Atoms-for-2012/

A quiet Sunday drive, very wintry conditions but nothing you can’t handle. Then, suddenly, a 40 tonne lorry coming towards you, just a little out of control. How these two held nerve is beyond believe.

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/video-of-the-day-a-very-snowy-very-close-call-2011-12-16?

A group of american extreme sports enthusiasts have found a new use for the  Bonneville Salt flats.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/15/snowboards-atv-salt-dash-of-crazy-saltboarding/

A new arrival at the palmer-sport Track days events in Bedfordshire this year. It is the massively ridiculous Ariel Atom. This monster of a car is going to be one of the vehicles that we be available to drive.

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/Industry-News/Bedford-Autodrome-to-get-Ariel-Atoms-for-2012/

This will probably be our last post for 2011 – so have a great Christmas and a fantastic New Year!

When a car is involved in an accident or otherwise damaged in the United Kingdom, insurance companies will examine the car’s condition and assign it a rating based on the damage. These categories can impact whether the car is able to be insured in the future and if the car can even be resold or salvaged. A Category C rating is a fairly common one, as the car is damaged, but can still be used. A Category C car may be used again as it is, or repaired or used for parts and scrap.

How categories are decided

The categories of damaged cars go from A to D although there is also a category X. Category A is the most serious and means that the vehicle is essentially impossible to repair and cannot be resold, only crushed. Category X means only minor damage, and the vehicle can still be resold and insured with almost no problem. Categories B through D are more severely damaged cars, that insurance companies may decide are still serviceable with repairs, but it is too expensive to do do.

Category B cannot be resold, but parts can be pulled out for resale, while Category C and D cars can be repaired and resold, but may not initially be able to be insured. Adjustors from the insurance company will come, or use pictures, and inspect the car and assign it a category based on the damage, cost of repairs and the input of a qualified mechanic.

What a Category C means

A Category C assignment means that the car has been damaged, but can still be repaired. However, the cost of repairs will likely exceed the cost of vehicle itself and most insurance companies will not pay for repairs. In addition, until repairs are made, many insurance companies will not insure the car, and some will not even if the car has repaired because there may still be some structural damage. In order to get a Cat C vehicle back on the road it must have a Vehicle Identity Check (VIC), which may remove the Category C classification, but the record will remain on a car’s data check.

If you’re looking to sell your Cat C or D vehicle, please contact us today for a no obligation quote.

As you may have heard, the world’s most expensive shunt occurred in Japan this week. All but one of the vehicles involved were classed as “super cars” worth  many hundreds of thousands of pounds.  Luckily, no-one was seriously hurt but still, imagine the insurance premium increases………….

http://news.topmotors.com/misc-videos/shocking/8-ferraris-a-lamborghini-and-2-mercs-in-huge-pileup?

A couple of unique taxis are currently in use in Mexico’s capital Guadalajara. They’d be useless on the congested streets of our capital city but hey, well worth the long taxi queue, eh?

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/08/guadalajara-taxi-service-ups-its-game-with-ferrari-and-porsche/

This is an absolutely stunning bit of driving, Not so much by the camera car but from the Lotus driver who has a very near miss with two very underpowered competitors who are battling amongst themselves. Gulp.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/06/the-are-of-threading-the-needle-as-demonstrated-by-a-lotus-exig/

This Remote control car would be at the top of are Christmas wish list at webuyanydamagedcar.com. A mini super car beater and at a very reasonable price too. Hours of fun to be had by the, er, kids…….

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/super-radio-controlled-car-2011-12-05

A few more timely tips for driving in the snow, After the horrible weather in Scotland this week, it is only a matter of time before the winter driving period is upon us. So the best prepared we are the safer we will be:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/legal–motoring-advice/2011-12/snow-driving/

Car and Driver go through every new vehicle on sale and pick the ten best cars available here in the United States. How different to the UK?

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/06/car-and-driver-reveals-its-2012-10best-cars-w-video/

And Finally:

Really, what did this women expect!! She bought a hearse for goodness sake!

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/07/mi-woman-sues-car-dealer-over-dead-body-odor/

Till next week! Take care in the snow and the frost and the ice in the meantime.

To kick us off, please take the time to watch this truly mesmerising video of the tsunami that hit Japan earlier this year. Taken from a drivers point of view, it’s a graphic and horrifying portrait of the power of nature and just how things can change in a matter of seconds.

Top Gears guide to racing – I wonder if the Stig came up through this technique?

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/nissan-gt-academy-top-gear-2011-12-02?

A Brazilian motorbike stunt show doesn’t quite go to plan……

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/02/brazilian-motorcycle-stunt-show-doesnt-go-as-planned/

Chancellor George Osborne has axed the planned 3p rise in fuel duty in January – yay!

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=260295

The BEST ever advert on eBay. A genius of a salesman. Be sure to check out the questions and answers.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ONLY-Car-EVER-REFUSED-WE-BUY-ANY-CAR-COM-GTi-TURBO-CUSTOM-SHOW-CAR-/270860318788?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3f10887844#ht_5035wt_1396

The Giveacar charity has raised over 500 thousand pounds – what a tremendous effort from all concerned.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/miscellaneous/2011-11/giveacar-1/

OK, not strictly motoring news but good old Jeremy Clarkson eh? Will there be a shovel big enough to dig him out of this particular hole?

http://news.topmotors.com/funnies/videos/jeremy-clarkson-on-public-sector-strikes

Following last weeks story involving the two corvette drivers, it looks like the local police maybe taking a interest in the video now and I am sure the insurance companies won’t be too far behind.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/30/turkey-day-corvette-crash-may-result-in-charges-w-video/

Hope you enjoyed our picks of the week – don’t all go rushing to bid on the eBay car now……:-)

Two American muscle cars showing off on Thanksgiving – bet they wish the stayed home and had more turkey now! Sadly the two in the video were not on a racetrack or even good drivers

http://news.topmotors.com/funnies/videos/two-corvettes-crash-on-thanksgiving-run?

UK insurers a requesting that first time drivers have two types of licenses, First a partial license with many restrictions like night driving etc and a second test two years later. They say it could help reduce the number of young people who die on the roads each year in the UK. 18 people a day are killed or injured in road crashes involving drivers under 25 in Britain so something has to be done but it will be interesting to see whether this initiative takes off.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/15832097

Everyone remember Haynes manuals?? Well now they are on-line!  I don’t know how the kindle will cope with all the oily hands

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/21/haynes-officially-releases-car-manuals-online-w-video/?

There are more than one BILLION cars on the road worldwide and there were 35 million sold last year alone. That’s a lot of cars and we can only see the number growing every single year.

http://news.topmotors.com/motor-news/more-than-1-billion-cars-worldwide-on-the-road?

Car insurance premiums in the United Kingdom are continuing to rise. Scarily, the average comprehensive insurance policy taken out this year has gone up by an average of 12.3% and we have heard many stories of the cost increasing even for those with a great no claims record.

http://news.topmotors.com/motor-news/average-car-insurance-in-the-uk-going-upto-new-heights?

Here are a few more useful tips for some more safe driving in the up and coming winter

http://www.cararticles.co.uk/uk-tips-for-driving-safely-in-winter.html

More driving news next week!

The law has been changed to help insulin treated diabetic drivers the chance to drive any vehicle the require, Until now, no one with insulin treated diabetes has been able to drive buses and lorries.  There are some specific criteria that the driver still has to meet, but we’re sure this will come as good news to many.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/legal–motoring-advice/2011-11/diabetes/

The BMA has set out compelling scientific evidence supporting a total ban on smoking in private vehicles. An estimated 4,000 adults and 23 children die each year as a result of second-hand (or passive) smoke in the UK, with worldwide figures running into the hundreds of thousands. Smoking can also be a road-safety risk and distract drivers but is this a step too far?

http://motoring-news.com/general/call-to-ban-smoking-in-all-vehicles/

Google may turn one of their more crazy ideas (the driverless cars that it unleashed on California’s roads last year) into a new business. Let’s see how these cars cope with Swindon’s magic roundabouts should they ever be introduced to the UK…….

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/14/google-to-build-driverless-cars-in-the-u-s/?

A funny little clip of a Ferrari 250 gt quite literary sweeping people of there feet!

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/mille-Miglia-fail-video-2011-11-14?

The legendary Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street are the latest to be added to the long list of famous TOM TOM Sat Nav voices – a genius move.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/17/bert-and-ernie-lend-voices-to-tomtom-will-guide-you-to-sesame-s/

Finally, some winter driving advice from Jonest John and the Institute of Advanced Drivers. Helpful advice for when the snow comes to the UK.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/legal–motoring-advice/2011-11/snow-start/

More news from the wild and wacky world of motoring next week!

Benefits of the DMF

The DMFs are used to improve performance, as well as reduce harmful torsional vibration in the gearbox, driveline and transmission by distributing the vibration from the clutch disc to the engine flywheel. In light diesel trucks, the transmission has higher compression ratios and is more sensitive to torsional inputs. DMFs were a welcome solution because they prevented damage to the transmission gear teeth.

With higher petrol prices, fuel economy savings are more important. Dual mass flywheels permit lower idling rpms, which leads to less fuel being needed. The dual mass flywheel clutch disc handles the engaging/disengaging functions. The DMF eliminates excessive transmission gear rattle, making it easier to shift, especially from first to second gears.

The conventional single flywheel was split into two with one flywheel controlling engine inertia and the other flywheel controlling transmission inertia. The DMF has a primary and secondary flywheel with torsion springs, cushions, clutch disc and a center support. The center support bearing carries the load between the inner and outer flywheel.

The damper friction ring is the link between the flywheels. It allows the inner and outer flywheel to slip to distribute pressure more evenly to dampen torsion vibrations and absorb shocks. Unfortunately, this is the weakest link so it can wear out quickly.

There is a high failure rate for DMFs, so some automobile and truck manufacturers are replacing these with a single solid flywheel or engine control unit (ECU) software.

Absolutely fantastic news on the UK job front in the West Midlands as Jaguar Land rover create up to 1000 jobs. This represents a 25% increase in the Solihull based workforce.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=259944

The BBC Top Gear TV team were filmed on location in Italy by a lucky passer by. The team have three amazing super cars including a Lamborghini Mclaren and a Noble. This feature is  surely to be aired in a future series and we cannot wait!

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/09/top-gear-spotted-in-italy-with-new-lamborghini-mclaren-a/

Fantastic little video of some excellent riding  skills to close the boot lid of this pick up truck.

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/epic-tailgate-closing-biker-2011-11-10

Honest John brings us the results of the UK’s  most reliable cars and vans. No great surprises here.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/miscellaneous/2011-11/uk%E2%80%99s-most-reliable-cars-and-vans-revealed/

And again from Honest John – some good quality winter driving tips

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/legal–motoring-advice/2011-11/iam-winter-driving/

Buying a used vehicle? know your rights with this helpful video from The Office of Fair Trading.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5H6qhJ0Ypk&feature=youtu.be

That’s all until next week – drive safely!

The RAC brings us the disturbing news that almost 50% UK drivers suffer from repetitive driving injuries (RDIs) due to having a poor posture behind the wheel. Drivers are advised to choose the best car for “their driving style”. Not quite sure what this means, surely any driver’s seat can be adjusted to provide much better support in most circumstances. Read more here:

http://www.rac.co.uk/news-advice/motoring-news/post/2011/11/bad-car-posture-linked-to-injuries/

It’s not just us humans who enjoy being out and about on the open road as this story from the Metro explains. Just how happy does that dog look?

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/stories/880641-sidecar-harley-is-the-top-dog-in-peterborough

An article from the Scotsman states that 1 in 7 UK drivers admits to having road rage, particularly on journeys during rush hour on the most congested routes. Although, I can’t say this is a huge surprise, it’s still quite shocking news.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/british_driven_mad_by_cars_as_1_in_7_admits_to_road_rage_1_1935192

Following on from the RAC story about how your car can cause you injury, we hear that manufacturers are thinking about altering their models to accommodate the obese.

http://wot.motortrend.com/we-hear-automakers-to-build-cars-to-accommodate-obese-population-131409.html

Motorists in Luton, Bedfordshire, have been warned to be on the lookout for a vandal or vandals that are on the prowl and slashing car tyres during the midnight hours. Police have teams out and about on patrol but the incidents continue.

http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/local/be_alert_as_slasher_targets_motorists_1_3207735

Hope you enjoyed our round up – more next week!