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speed traps
Police Cars
Volvo Claims V70 Police Package First Turn-Key Police Car
Volvo announced this week that they are going to start production of a version of their V70 wagon pre-fitted for service in the British Police Force. The company claims the "turn-key" police car will be the first offered, at least in Britain. Typically, police vehicles must be custom painted and outfitted before seeing service. This was true for our Charger Police Car which lacked almost every amenity. The hot-looking V70 comes painted and equipped with a lightbar, radio prep/wiring, larger brakes, speed detection system and other necessary options. It may not have the firepower of the Peacemaker APC, but we imagine this hot police wagon gets better gas mileage. Full press release below the jump.More »
ad watch
Chevy Aveo Billboard Makes Cents, Weighs Untold Pounds
Chevy's UK arm commissioned this one-of-a-kind billboard made out of 20,000 one-pence coins (about $400). Though the Chevy Aveo's selling better stateside as of late due to the price-per-gallon of gas, it's become a little more popular in Europe thanks to billboards like this one as well as its Citroen destroying capabilities and giving them away to beauty pageant winners. But back to the ad at hand, how long did this clever billboard last?More »
i feel gassy
Prince Charles Converts Aston Martin To Run On Wine
There's rich, and then there's royalty. Lest you confuse the two, consider the fact that Britain's Prince Charles now drives an Aston Martin DB6 fueled by white wine. To be fair, the Prince's Aston actually runs on bioethanol distilled from surplus wine. It turns out EU countries cannot sell more than a set quota of wine, so any excess must be destroyed or turned into something else; motor fuel, for instance. The prince, wanting to do his part for the environment, elected to have his Aston converted to run on the stuff, since its CO2 emissions are 85% lower than those of gasoline. Don't expect this concept to catch on over here in the colonies anytime soon as even the cheapest box of Franzia is still more expensive than a gallon of
offbeat news
Think You've Got It Bad? Gas Hits $14.76 a Gallon In Britain
Great Britain is in the midst of a fuel supply crisis the scope of which gives us the cold sweats: Supply is short, stations are closing with dry tanks, and those that do have dino juice are demanding a princely sum equivalent to $14.76 a US gallon. Light sweet crude, it's the end of the world! Okay, not really. The problem is that tanker drivers for Shell have gone on strike, sending fuel supplies into the crapper. This craziness will pass once the union comes to an agreement, but it makes us think that maybe a Segway isn't such a bad idea after all, despite what Wert thinks. [BBC News]
novelties
Royal Rolls For Sale: Style, Luxury Inbred
Here's your chance to buy the "Rolls Royce of Rolls Royces," a pristine 1954 Phantom IV H.J. Mulliner Limousine, and one of only 18 built. This particular example belonged to Princess Margaret, the only member of the British royal family known to have engaged in a life-or-death struggle with her breakfast. Phantom IVs were only available for purchase to royalty or heads of state, and came equipped with a 5.7-liter side-valve straight-eight and the all-important four-bottle "drinks cabinet." More »
new cars
2008 Alfa Romeo Brera S Bred Specifically For English Dragons
As if we needed more reasons to love the Alfa Romeo Brera, the gold standard for hatchback hotness, the Italians have teamed with Prodrive to make a British-only S version. The suspension has been adjusted to meet the needs of twisty English roads without adding harshness. Both the 3.2 V6 and 2.2 I4 equipped models receive a refined exhaust note and 19-inch alloys inspired by the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. There are just 500 of these special models being produced so our British readers should act fast. Oh when oh when will they release the Brera uSa? Press release below the jump.More »
news
Remploy Bosses Rewarded With Mercedes For Firing Disabled Workers
Okay, that's an admittedly sensationalist headline, but completely true even without context. Remploy is a British company in the business of hiring out disabled workers to jobs where they can be effective. It was incorporated after the WW2 to manage all the disabled workers now within Her Majesties court. Until recently things had been going along dandy with 5,000 people in their employ across many plants in Britain. That is until a couple of weeks ago, when the company laid off half of the total workforce. More »
alternative energy
UK Budget Disses Petrol Hogs, Will Age Of Scarcity And Gloomy Poetry Make Comeback?
Is socialism staging a resurgence in Britain? We wonder sometimes. With a Labour government back in power, and gas nearing $6 a gallon, conservation may be giving way to regulatory miserliness across the pond, sold to the public with a tinge of green. More »
news
HOV-Busting Cameras Being Tested In UK
Sneaking into the HOV lane or using a dummy will soon be detectable thanks to researchers at Loughborough University. The new camera not only records cars traveling in HOV and other lanes, but it can also count how many real bodies are in the car by sensing water and blood. More »
news
Clampers Trapped As Furious Brits Demand Full Release
Residents of an exclusive new apartment complex in Sussex awoke Monday to find a couple of burly guys slapping wheel clamps on their cars. Did they let things slide? Hell no they didn't. The complex had apparently done the worst job ever at getting its residents their parking passes and the fellows were there to put on the boot for those without tags - including the permitless tenants. The residents called friends and family who blocked the exit to the lot and a 5 hour standoff ensued. More »
down on the street
We've seen a few British cars in this series, including a'59 Morris Minor, a '62 Mini, a '69 MGC-GT, and a '78 Jaguar XJ-6, but it's been months since the last one. That's why I'm going with this very clean Morris 1000 convertible for today's DOTS machine. You British-car experts should feel free to put on your anoraks and make with the exact year identification on this thing, because I can't narrow it down any closer than the 1956-62 range.
More »
Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
We've seen a few British cars in this series, including a'59 Morris Minor, a '62 Mini, a '69 MGC-GT, and a '78 Jaguar XJ-6, but it's been months since the last one. That's why I'm going with this very clean Morris 1000 convertible for today's DOTS machine. You British-car experts should feel free to put on your anoraks and make with the exact year identification on this thing, because I can't narrow it down any closer than the 1956-62 range.More »
top gear
Jeremy Clarkson For British Prime Minister?
We're big fans of Top gear as most readers already know, but we're not sure if we'd put host Jeremy Clarkson in the driver's seat out of our country. A petition on the web site of the current PM Gordon Brown is calling for Brown to step down and make Clarkson the new chief. The petition is gaining steam, with more than 30,000 signatures, outshining a petition to, for instance, build more skating rinks in local areas, which we all know could be a make-or-break issue for the current administration. More »
industry news
ZAP Gets UK Approval for Four-Door Electric Dork-Mobile
The Brits have approved Zap's little Xebra four-door electric car, opening the door for public sales. Though awkward by American standards, the Xebra could be considered "handsome" on the British scale, which is why it may be a small success across the pond. Oh, that and the fact that driver's don't have to pay congestion tolls or have to fill it up at a cost of £5,000 a litre. Press release below the jump: More »
news
Racing Drayson Quits Government for LeMans
When our politicians resign it's usually for something boring like taking bribes or instant-messaging little boys. Imagine if one of our politicians quit to pursue his/her dream of racing in the 24 Hours of LeMans. That's what's happening in Britain, where Lord Drayson is leaving his post as defense procurement minister to train for the endurance race. The guy is apparently a total car nut and was waiting for clearance (he's got sight troubles) to jump ship and try his hand at racing cars. More »
news
UK to EU: Give Us a Break
Britain's Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly is none-to-pleased with the EU's plans for a 125g/km carbon dioxide limit for all new cars from 2015. Porque? According to Kelly, the onus it puts on car manufacturers that sell only a few high emission cars (Aston Martin/Bentley) is unfair. It may not be a problem for the Seats and Citroens of this world, but Britain still has a few small marques. This isn't America, so she's not asking for all emission standards to be thrown out of the window. She merely wants a target date to be 2020 or 2025 so that smaller manufacturers can prepare for the stricter standards. And by prepare, one can only hope that she means an Aston Martin Hybrid Estate, Bentley Continental Hatch or other brand dilution that results in a cheaper ride.[What Car]
daaaammmnnn!
Britain's Fastest Ever Speeder Admits To 172 MPH
Tim Brady plead guilty to one count of dangerous driving after being caught in January going 172 mph in a Porsche Turbo on a rural A-road. A Porsche Turbo that he "borrowed" from his car lease firm Helphire. He has since resigned. Reaction has been swift and predictably British. Here's some words from a spokeswoman for a road safety group called Brake, "The idea of someone driving at that speed is horrific. The chances that a person will be able to control a vehicle at that speed if something unexpected happens is slim. It is extremely selfish. Nobody has the right to put other people's lives at risk like that." Somehow, she forgot to compare him to the London train bombers. Mr. Brady's future does look grim however, as Britain's previous fastest speeder Jason McAllister served five months in the hoosegow for going 156 mph in an E36 M3. And you thought they were limited to 155 mph. [Breitbart]
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