It's back!

IT WAS my last enjoyable moment of motoring in 2011, but what a moment it was.

Regular readers will already know that last month I decided that what I needed in my life was a MK1 Mazda MX-5, the one with the funny pop-up headlights and the grinning owners. With a little pub-based help from eBay and a search through the classified ads in The Champion, I came up with a charming G-reg example in Mariner Blue, which despite having just over 100,000 miles on the clock came in surprisingly clean nick and felt tighter than a drum to drive.

Which I've gone on to tell you absolutely nothing about... until now.

The truth is that it's been off the road for the last few weeks because - and I'm not proud to admit it - the car's Camac tyres let me down in spectacular fashion. Since then it's had a few optional extras installed, to follow on from my earlier efforts to fit a slightly more tasteful steering wheel.

The little blue sports car now has the spec to match the looks, with bigger brakes, a stronger rear axle, and new diff and propshaft. Oh, and some much meatier tyres, which still haven't arrived yet, making the drive from Rainford to Southport on the original budget rubber a not-at-all nerve-racking experience!

But then the rain stopped and - seeing as I never decline a chance to get a ragtop's roof down - I got reacquainted with why the MX-5 is still the best selling sports car the world has ever seen. Yes, the car hadn't been run for ages and the idle control was a bit iffy, and that somehow water had made it into the driver's footwell in its enforced holiday and made the interior smell like a damp dog. Worst of all, it was still on the heart-stopping (but sadly not car-stopping) budget tyres, meaning every roundabout was a choice between dawdling, wheelspinning or heading backwards into the nearest hedge.

In truth, it was rubbish because the car badly needs some decent rubber and a bit of TLC, but it was still an MX-5 with the roof down, which is one of motoring's great experiences.

Even I'll admit the little Mazda hasn't been the luckiest car I've ever owned, but maybe it's just that 2011 hasn't been its year. 2012 - and a summer of winding down leafy country lanes on tyres that are actually up to the job - is just around the corner.

My eternal gratitude goes to Ian, Anthony and Gareth Jackson of Parkhill Garage, based in Rainford, for having the patience to put up with my MX-5. I'm not terribly good at plugging things but if you live anywhere near Rainford, give them a ring on 01744 882749 if you need a repair.

Why 2012 is shaping up to be a great year for events

IF ancient Mayan tradition and a rather poor disaster movie are to be believed then 2012 is going to be your last year on Earth.

Luckily, there's more than enough in the way of motoring events to keep you going over the next year, which is no mean feat given 2011 was a bit of a bumper year for car and bike shows in itself. Whatever your tastes you're bound to find something to look forward to later this year.

For starters there's another Woodvale Rally to look forward to, although when it takes off at RAF Woodvale near Formby on August 4 and 5 the organisers will have the tricky task of topping last year's magnificent Battle of Britain flypast, which at last year's 40th anniversary event literally stopped the show in its tracks. The good news is that I haven't been to a bad Rally yet, and with the show's usual blend of cars, bikes, planes and traders it doesn't look like there's one on the way.

A classic car event with a charity twist also returns to the region later this year, when the Lydiate Classic Car and Bike Show returns to the village's parish hall. All proceeds from the event go to Cancer Research UK, so you get to help a good cause while checking out a great selection of cars and bikes from years gone by.

There's also tantalising talk - but as yet no firm confirmation - that a repeat of last year's Ormskirk MotorFest is on the cards, with a provisional date of Sunday, August 26 for the full throttle event. Of all the events I went to last year, this was by far the one most enthusiasts told me they'd love to see happening again. With last summere's event offering up the surreal sight of a Ferrari Enzo, a SEAT touring car and a 40-year-old F1 car roaring around Ormskirk's one way system, I completely understand why.

And if you're prepared to jump into your car and drive a little there's a wealth of shows right across the north west, with everything from the Cholmondley Pageant of Power in Cheshire, the Totally Transport Festival in Blackpool, and every bike show, autojumble and indoor exhibition you can think of in between.

All you need now is some sunshine!

If you've got a motoring event taking place in 2012 you'd like to share with Life On Cars get in touch with us by sending an email to david.simister@champnews.com or call 01704 392404. For a full list of events visit www.lifeoncars.blogspot.com

Saab isn't dead yet, former chairman insists

DON'T write Saab off as a name consigned to the history books because the company and its models aren't dead yet.

That's the message former chairman Victor Muller has told the world after most turbulent month in the Swedish firm's history, and suggested that a buyer for the beleaguered company may yet be found.

After personally declaring Saab bankrupt, Mr Muller told national media: “Under the new situation of bankruptcy, perhaps another type of scenario could be conceived, one where perhaps no Chinese parties are involved because that seems to be the sensitive element for General Motors.

"Perhaps Saab can find a new lease of life in a new structure with new ownership."

General Motors, the American automotive giant which owned Saab until 2010, still supplies Sweden with parts and technology for the 9-3 and 9-5 models, and has vetoed interest in the firm from Chinese firms after fearing that GM intellectual property would end up in the wrong hands.

Following the bankrupty declaration Saab's operations have been put under the control of receivers, but Swedish law allows companies that are in bankruptcy to be revived if an investor is found.

Do you own a Saab? Have you been affected? Let us know by sending an email to david.simister@champnews.com or by calling 01704 392404.

Fire up the... Volkswagen Polo GTI

DEAR AUDI, I'm sorry that I didn't like the A1 which got given the Life On Cars roadtest treatment recently. It's a smartly styled car, don't get me wrong, but I just didn't enjoy the ride.

It's not even as though I don't enjoy the engineering that's gone into it, because I've also driven Volkswagen's Polo GTI, which takes the same basic technology and takes a different approach to making it sporty and fun to drive. At £18,275 for the three-door version I tried, it's also roughly the same price as the A1.

The Audi badge is always going to offer you a more polished air of prestige than the familiar Volkswagen logo, but the GTI name's got a special appeal all of its own, and when you clock the most potent of the Polo range you're in no doubt it's a bit of a treat to look at. With the five-spoke alloys and the subtle red rim around the radiator grille, matched up to the trendy tartan trim (no, seriously) on the inside, it's a car that's sporty in a subtle away, gently implying what it can do rather than shouting about it.

It's also a traditional hot hatch in the way it goes; thanks to the 1.4 TFSI engine up front being mated to a supercharger, it knocks out 180bhp, so it's got more than enough straight line speed to keep you entertained. More tellingly it also takes you through the corners smoothly and sweetly, and while it's not as manic as some of its rivals - particularly MINI's Cooper S and Citroen's DS3 - it's also smoother and more reassuring when the going gets tricky.

The great thing is that once you've stopping having fun the Polo GTI stops being a GTI and becomes a Polo, which last year impressed the motoring scribes enough to be crowned European Car of the Year. It might not be Earth-shatteringly innovative, but it's a polished, practical supermini that's tough enough to take whatever challenges you throw its way. It's just that this version's a lot faster than the others.

Should you buy one? That depends on how raw you like your hot hatches to be, because I reckon some of its rivals give you more smiles per mile by losing the Polo's smooth edges. None of them though have the same quietly menacing style or sense of impeccable quality as the Polo, which will still impress you on the right road.

It is as impressive as the fundamentally very similar A1 wasn't.

Merry Christmas from Life On Cars

AS a special festive treat for both our readers a Christmas edition of the Life On Cars magazine to choose the car of the year is finally ready!

This bumper 20-page edition not only looks back at some of the best new cars, but memorable events, roads and shows from across the north west and further afield. Car and bike nuts are already looking forward to a great 2012, and Life On Cars is looking forward to reflecting that, but if you just can't wait until then put your Christmas turkey down and take a look back at some of the motoring highlights of 2011.

Sit back and enjoy the read...

Open publication - Free publishing - More cars

Honda Goldwing parade planned for Southport in 2012

THE region's car connoisseurs have already had an early Christmas treat - now it's the turn of the bikers to get a bit of seasonal good news.

I've just had word from a group of Honda Gullwing enthusiasts that they're planning a Light Parade - a gathering of the giant Japanese machines with plenty of strobe lighting - to help raise funds for Queenscourt Hospice, with plans to ride scores of their machines through Southport town centre during a closed parade next September.

Jeff Thornton of Goldwings North West, who will be organising the event, said:

"Following a hugely successful event in Llandudno this year, it has just been announced by the Federation of UK GoldWing Clubs that their premier Light Parade will move to Southport for 2012.

"All the fundamentals for a great Light Parade Weekend are already in place with a keen and cooperative Town Council, excellent cooperation from Merseyside Police and a cracking venue, the 154 bedroom Prince of Wales Hotel on Lord Street, the Town’s main street, in Southport."

I know this column's called Life On Cars but if it's a motoring event - and especially one to help good causes in the north west - we at The Champion are only too happy to give it a boost, so I'll keep you posted with any more details as soon as I get them.

Watch this space...

Champion exclusive: Ormskirk MotorFest set for 2012 revival

COUNCILLORS will next month discuss plans to bring a celebration of classic cars and motorsport machines back to Ormskirk in 2012, The Champion can exclusively reveal.

Members of West Lancashire Borough Council's cabinet will meet on January 17 to discuss whether the Ormskirk MotorFest, which attracted thousands of visitors to the market town over the August Bank Holiday, should be held again following the success of the inaugural event.

Mike Ashcroft, chairman of Aintree Circuit Club, which organised the event in collaboration with the council, said:

“We were obviously delighted with the way the event went earlier this year and it was a great success which exceeded everybody's expectations, with businesses in Ormskirk benefitting from all the extra trade which came into the town.

"We are delighted that West Lancashire Borough Council are thinking of working with us again on another event for 2012, and we're looking forward to the outcome of the cabinet's discussions next month."


The MotorFest attracted more than 200 classic cars and motorbikes when it was held in Ormskirk town centre and Coronation Park on August 28, with over 10,000 visitors turning up to see a host of static displays - including a Ferrari Enzo formely owned by rocker Rod Stewart - as well as a series of parade laps on the town's one-way system.

The Champion understands that the 2012 event will be held once again on the August Bank Holiday Sunday subject to budgetary considerations, with the potential for corporate sponsors to help underwrite the costs of hosting a second event.

Members of the borough council welcomed the success of the inaugural event and the boost it brought to the West Lancashire economy, and shortly after the weekend Councillor Ian Grant, the councill's leader, said:

"This was a fantastic event which really put Ormskirk - and the whole of West Lancashire - on the map. Not only did it attract thousands of visitors into the town during a bank holiday weekend, but it proved a bonus for local businesses, who had a real boost to their trade.

“It was a great day out for people of all ages and the council is incredibly proud to have supported it and look forward to the possibility of another similar event in the future.”

West Lancashire Borough Council has not yet responded to requests from The Champion for a comment on the MotorFest plans, but a full follow up will be included in the next edition published on December 28.

Life On Cars, which in August 2010 was the first motoring website to reveal details of the inaugural MotorFest, produced an offically-backed magazine to help accompany the event earlier this year.

Old cars with no MOT? Count me out

CHRISTMAS, as everyone with an old car knows, isn't just a time for giving. It's a chance to get the spanners out and get a bit of automotive nip ‘n' tuck underway.

As you'll read this my old MG will be hidden away in a garage with its wheels in the air as part of a two-pronged effort to keep it out of the winter weather and to get it through the MOT in the spring, although I'll freely admit I know absolutely nothing about mechanics and have to rely on a team of friends and family to help keep the old girl going. I envy people who have even the slightest bit of mechanical nouse, because they can work miracles with carburettors.

But if you own a car older than 50 years old, new Government proposals will mean you won't have to bother any more. In what's possibly the loopiest bit of legislation ever to come out of Westminster, cars made before 1960 will no longer be required to go through the MOT. Ever.

The Government's argument is that all classic car owners are like my dad; timeless tinkerers, who spend entire weekends in their boiler suits, endlessly mending things that BMC, Rootes and all those other long-gone car companies didn't get right in the Forties and Fifties. For them, happiness is a Triumph TR3 that comes out twice a year on the back of a trailer, on its way to a car show.

But what about the likes of me, to whom mechanics might as well be voodoo? I like to keep my own motors mechanically prim and proper but I bet there's plenty of people out there who simply won't bother if there's no legal requirement for it to pass an MOT. I know it's a simplistic argument, but surely there's something reassuring in knowing that ALL cars - and especially ones with the stopping abilities of an ocean tanker - have been into a garage at least once in the past 12 months? Even a Jaguar XK150, which I reckon is about the fastest, most advanced car to fall into this bracket of golden oldies, will be comprehensively outdragged, outbraked and out-Euro-NCAPped by a three-year-old Focus or Astra, so surely it needs an MOT just as much.

I know the chances of coming across a rusty Morris Minor with no MOT on it whatsoever are slim to nonexistent, but it's still a chance I wouldn't want to take.

Coming soon - a great year of classic car events and shows

A SUMMER of spectacular motoring moments is just a few months away!

There's an astounding array of events already being organised for 2011, and Life On Cars is looking to bring you details of all the best shows not only in Sefton and West Lancashire, but further afield as well.

In all cases it's advised to get in touch with the organisers sooner rather than later, as popular events get fully booked quicker than you might you think!

Here are a just a few of the many events being planned for later this year: There's an astounding array of events already being organised for 2011, and Life On Cars is looking to bring you details of all the best shows not only in Sefton and West Lancashire, but further afield as well.

In all cases it's advised to get in touch with the organisers sooner rather than later, as popular events get fully booked quicker than you might you think!

Here are a just a few of the many events being planned for later this year:

JANUARY

Sunday 15th: Wirral to Llandudno Mini Run

Sunday 29th: Mini Fair 2011, Staffordshire Showground, Stafford

FEBRUARY

Sunday 12th: Skipton Car and Bike Autojumble, Auction Mart, Skipton, North Yorkshire, 01697 451882


MARCH

Saturday 17th, Rainy City Custom Car Show, Event City, Urmston, Greater Manchester. 01484 667776.

Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th, North West Indoor Classic Car Show, Event City, Urmston, Greater Manchester. 01565 723863.

APRIL

Sunday 15th: MGB 50th Anniversary Run, Historic Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire. 01926 641188.

Sunday 22nd: St George’s Day Drive-it-Day Rally, Lancashire Auto Club

MAY

May Bank Holiday 2012: North Wales Splash Dash, Cumbrian Cruisers (www.splashdash.cumbriaminicruisers.co.uk)

Sunday 20th: Garstang Car and Bike Autojumble. Hamilton House, Garstang, Lancashire. 01697 451882.

Saturday 26th: The Fellsman Rally, Lancashire Auto Club.

Sunday 27th: Cheshire Classic Car and Bike Show. Includes Jaguar Day. Capestone Hall, Cheshire. 01484 667776.

JUNE

Monday 4th: Yorkshire Classic Car and Bike Show. Ripley Castle. 01697 451882.

Sunday 10th: Garstang Classic Car Show. Hamilton House, Garstang, Lancashire. 01697 451882.

Date TBC: The Lakeland Tour 2012, Ullswater, Cumbria

Friday 15th - Sunday 17th: Cholmondley Pageant of Power. 01829 222432.

Sunday 24th: Totally Transport Festival and Blackpool Run, South Promenade, Blackpool

Sunday 24th: Lancashire Classic Car Show: Hoghton Tower, near Preston, Lancashire. 01484
667776.

Saturday 30th - July 1st: Classic American Car Show. Tatton Park, Cheshire. 01565 723863.

JULY

Sunday 8th, Garstang Car and Bike Autojumble. Hamilton House, Garstang, Lancashire. 01697 451882.

Sunday 8th, Lydiate Classic Car and Bike Show, 288 Southport Rd, Lydiate, Lancashire

Saturday 14th, The 17th Coast to Coast Rally, Lancashire Auto Club

Sunday 22nd, North Wales Classic Car Show, Bodelwyddan Castle, Denbighshire. 01484 667776.

Sunday 29th: Classic Sports Car Sunday and North West Mini Show. Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire. 01484 667776.

AUGUST

Saturday 4th - Sunday 5th: Woodvale Rally, RAF Woodvale, Southport

Sunday 5th: Yorkshire Classsic Car Show. Ripley Castle, North Yorkshire.

Sunday 5th: 3 Sisters Run, Lancashire Auto Club, Three Sisters Racetrack, Wigan

Sunday 12th: Lytham Hall Classic Car and Bike Show. Lytham, Lancashire. 01697 451882.

Sunday 26th: Cheshire Classic Car and Bike Show. Capestone Hall, Cheshire. 01484 667776.

Sunday 27th: Lakeland Classic Show. Hutton In The Forest, Cumbria. 01697 451882.


SEPTEMBER

Sunday 16th: Garstang Car and Bike Autojumble. Hamilton House, Garstang, Lancashire. 01697
451882.

Friday 21st - Sunday 23rd: Highland Scottish Tour, Lancashire Auto Club

Details correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change. If you spot a detail that needs changing or would like to get in touch with details of your own event, send an email to david.simister@hotmail.co.uk

Fire up the... Audi A1

IF you've got a hankering for history then you'll know the A1 isn't Audi's first attempt to crack the small car nut.

More than thirty years ago the engineers in Ingolstadt created a well-crafted three door hatchback to take on the likes of Renault's 5 and Fiat's 127, but when sister company Volkswagen created its own version the first generation of supermini buyers flocked to the cheaper car instead. It's a top bit of pub trivia; the very first Volkswagen Polo was a rebadged Audi.

You might be more familiar with the similarly ill-fated A2, Audi's innovative and beautifully built answer to the Mercedes A-Class, but the company are hoping it'll be third time lucky with their latest effort. Thanks to the MINI and the Fiat 500 premium small cars are all the rage, and the A1 wants a slice of the action.

The first thing you'll note is that it strays away from the deliberately retro touches of its rivals and goes for a much more modern style, looking more like a smaller A3 embellished with some neat touches like the silver roof pillars and the headlights which curve around the front corners of the car. It's a smartly-styled thing, and it's the same story when you move onto the sophisticated and well-crafted interior.

It's just a shame that the trade-off for polished looks is poor packaging, with the the rear accommodation in particular feeling dark and claustrophobic, while the boot is smaller than many of its supermini rivals and hampered by a high sill. If you're taken though with the A1's looks, build quality and badge value, these are small gripes you'll easily overlook.

But I couldn't - at least with the 1.4 TFSI Sport version I tried - forgive its ride, which is unbelievably hard. Yes, the A1 handles corners sweetly enough, but everywhere else it crashes and bangs over bumps and potholes, while the seven-speed automatic makes for jerkier progress than you might expect. While I'd hope it's a problem confined to just the particular version I tried, I can't recommend something with a ride that hard.

Besides, you can take the same basic ingredients of the A1 and successfully make them sporty in another car I actually enjoyed.

Tune in next week to find out what it is...

The TVR Griffith is back...

...but let's get straight to the point. If you want to buy a new one, you'd better have the thick end of £100,000 to set aside.

That's how much TVR Motors, a company that's recently risen like a phoenix from the ashes, would like to charge you for their reincarnation of Blackpool's most famous automotive export. One of the few cars that - like an E-Type, an F40 or an XJ220 - I would do just anything to get behind the wheel of.

The new logo used by TVR Motors on its cars

The Griffith, I honestly thought, had gone for good in 2001, when TVR replaced it with the equally loud but arguably uglier Tamora, but now both are back thanks to TVR Motors' plans, as are the Tuscan, T350, Sagaris and - for those of who like TVRs a tad older - the Cerbera and Chimaera. But rather than being built by Blackpool by a team of plucky craftsmen in a collection of pre-fabs, they're now made to order in Austria, which is why they now cost Aston Vantage money.

A statement on the company's website - which also gives enthusiasts the chance to rebuild their existing TVRs with 6.2 litre V8 engines - says:

"TVR now offers customers to build the models Sagaris, Tuscan convertible, Tuscan MK II, Cerbera, Chimaera and Griffith to individual specifications.

"All cars feature a new 6.2 litre, 426 bhp, 420 lb/ft V8 engine, and a reinforced 5 gear gearbox at a fixed price."

I can see the logic; if you're a) as passionately in love with TVR's classics as I am and b) rich then you'll happily pay £100,000 for what will be the world's best Griffith, because it'll be faster, newer and better-built than any Griffith that's ever gone before. People will happily pay upwards of £100,000 for a reconditioned Jensen Interceptor, and even though it's barely 20 years old the Griffith arguably has a dedicated enough following to justify a costly reinvention.

It's just a shame the pricetage ruins a bit of the old TVR magic. When it was launched in the early Nineties a Griffith - and it didn't matter whether it was the 4.3 or the later 500 - could embarrass a Ferrari 348 for less than half the price. Price was a big part of the TVR's appeal, because a brand new Cerbera was "the fastest, noisiest thing this side of a Lamborghini Diablo" - as Clarkson put it - despite costing less than £50,000.

Jeremy Clarkson's test of the TVR Cerbera for BBC Top Gear in 1995

Being asked to stump up £100,000 for a car that cost a third of that in its heyday might make sense but it still doesn't seem very 'TVR' in its philosophy.

Would you?

A Christmas gift for all you readers

CHANCES are if you're a car fan you'll like this a bit more than Mistletoe and Wine.

Yes, the not-at-all-prestigious Life On Cars Car of the Year Award is back, and as usual it comes gift-wrapped in a Christmas special edition magazine. With so many great cars launched this year it's been a right old nightmare trying to pick a favourite, but after a lot of agonising I've finally picked a winner which I reckon is just as impressive as Honda's CR-Z was this time last year.

If you liked the effort I came up with last Christmas then you'll be pleased to know all the additional awards - best road, best event, and so on - are all back as well, in what should be an enjoyable read once you've polished off your pigs in blankets and got tired of eating turkey.

The new edition will be ready in time for Christmas. Hope you like it...

Fire up the... Jeep Grand Cherokee

DESPITE its all-American pretensions the biggest bruiser Jeep sells in Britain speaks to you with a curiously continental inflection.

Peel away the glitzy and defiantly stateside bodywork and the latest version of the company's Grand Cherokee has more than a few components any Mercedes mechanic will easily clock; yep, underneath it's got an awful lot in common with the latest M-Class off-roader. Yet, for better and for worse, the Americans have managed to make it feel reassuringly different.

The way the diesel-propelled 3.0 litre V6 Overland drives is that it doesn't pretend to be a low-slung sports car, and it's defiantly off-roader in the way it rolls and lurches if you really press on when you're driving. If you want revolutionary handling from something so high-riding, look elsewhere.

Yet I can forgive it that because the Grand Cherokee was clearly designed for conquering territories a tad tougher than Tesco's car parks, something immediately obvious when you glance at the centre console. On say, a BMW X3 you're met with a slick and sophisticated iDrive computer system, but the Jeep instead offers you a big, chunky switch, which lets you choose whether to put it up against snow, mud, sand or the M58. It's touches like this that let you know it's a proper mudplugger more than capable of coming out to play in the rough stuff.

You'll also either love or loathe its interior which seems to modelled more on the world of luxury yachts than motoring. With smoked black wood and lightest of beige leather trimmings it is a very American sort of place to be, but it keeps up the Stateside feel by being wonderfully comfortable and more spacious than any of the rivals I've driven.

At a whisker under £45,000 it isn't the cheapest 4x4 you're likely to come across, but it has a commanding driving position and a sense of imperiousness thrown in as standard, alongside all manner of gadgets and gizmos.

The Grand Cherokee isn't the best off-roader I've driven but perplexingly it is my favourite, which has got more to do with its indomitable spirit than any ability to tick the boxes.

Subaru switches to rear wheel drive for BRZ coupe

THE sleek sister car of the muscular new Toyota coupe featured on here last week will arrive in Britain next July, it has been confirmed.

Subaru said its BRZ coupe, the result of a joint project with Toyota, will arrive here next summer and pack the same 200bhp flat four engine as the GT-86 coupe produced by its Japanese counterpart. Unusually for a Subaru the BRZ sticks with the Toyota's front engined, rear wheel drive layout - the company is renowned for using four wheel drive systems on its models.

A Subaru spokesperson said of the new coupe: “With 200bhp and 151 lb/ft of torque in a car weighing just 1,220kg, the BRZ has been designed for maximum – and accessible – driving enjoyment.

"The result of a Subaru-led joint-engineering venture with Toyota, the BRZ delivers a sensational and engaging driving experience, thanks in large part to an engineering and development programme that focused on achieving the lowest possible centre of gravity."

The Subaru BRZ is scheduled to go on sale in the UK in July 2012.

Fire up the... Citroen C-Zero

IN THE dead of last winter, while everyone else was groaning about how much gritting wasn't being done, this little Citroen set a unique record.

The C-Zero, believe it or not, was the first electric car ever to successfully use Eurotunnel to make a cross-channel crossing between England and France. However, taking Le Shuttle isn't exactly hard for most cars, so in order to impress motorists on this side of Le Manche it's going to have to manage more than just the drive into a railway carriage.

Luckily the C-Zero's got green credentials on its side, being one of a trio of volt-powered vehicles all based around the design of Mitsubishi's petrol-engined I car (the other ones, in case you're interested, are Peugeot's iOn and Mitsubishi's own iMiev, which are almost identical in spec). It therefore comes with the gift of a Government grant, and an exemption from London's congestion charge if you're venturing down to the capital.

Unfortunately it also comes with the same snag that's bugging all electric cars on offer right now; you're not going to get to London without a series of lengthy recharges. It's not any fault of the car's, more a lack of charging points that'll let you recharge your batteries. Citroen's city slicker is just that; a city slicker that'll do 100 miles before you run out.

Yet - and I think this is the first time I've said this about an electric car - I like it. Unlike the Nissan LEAF, which is entirely conventional in its size and styling, the C-Zero's creators have remembered that it's unlikely to venture outside of the urban jungle and designed it to survive in its natural habitat. It's small and easy to park, the steering is light and responsive, it packs five people into a very small package and has styling that's just about cheeky enough to stand out. You forget it's an electric car. It's a small, simple car that makes you smile for small, simple reasons.

It is a fun little city car I'd happily spend £10,000 on as an eco-friendly city runabout. It's just a shame it costs £28,000, then.

A great car, then, ruined by a ridiculous pricetag.

A Life On Cars guide to petrolhead Christmas presents

AS THE final bits of tinsel went up in The Champion office it dawned on me that it's December and Christmas is upon us. Mince pies, mulled wine, sleigh bells and Band Aid are back firmly on the festive menu.

The only problem is that I'm a petrolhead and - if you're reading this column, so are you - which means running the risk of getting a petrolhead present from a non-petrolhead partner, mum or mate down the pub. Which this year will almost certainly be , the latest in a long line of Jeremy Clarkson DVDs. It is the default Christmas gift if you know someone who likes their cars.

I haven't seen Powered Up yet but I've seen all of the fifteen or so DVDs and videos which preceded it, which have each ended up on my shelf after someone bought it me as a Christmas present. I can therefore safely bet this month's salary that Powered Up will contain the following; a race between some shiny new supercars, an appearance by The Stig, an unloved old car getting destroyed in a new and novel way and an analogy which winds up at least one celebrity. It is Police Academy 7 following Police Academy 6.

You could, of course, get the petrolhead in your life something for Christmas which isn't Clarkson's DVD; how about, for instance, a Land Rover branded lambswool wrap? Or a set of BMW-branded Bluetooth earphones? Or the oldest festive favourite of all, a Ferrari-branded baseball cap? There is no more surefire way of letting people passing you in the street know that you can't afford the car you're advertising at your own expense. Car-branded gifts are not cool. Don't do it.

If you really are stuck for Christmas ideas for the car nut in your family or group of friends then I'll happily suggest any of the following; a track day package, a day's off-roading tuition, a year's subscription to a decent car mag, a glossily-produced coffee table book on your car bore's marque of choice, an artwork from the Steve McQueen or Michael Caine movie of your choice or - if you're really desperate - one of those car care kits available from any department store worth their salt.

I await my DVD-shaped Christmas present from Santa later this month...

Fire up the.... Toyota Yaris 1.3 SR

A LONG time ago, in a factory far, far away, Toyota made some epically reliable but unbelievably boring cars.

Chief among these was the Starlet, which back in the early Nineties failed to tempt the supermini faithful out of their Fiestas, largely because it looked so dull. That's why its successor, the original Yaris of 1999, was such a class act. In a stroke the company cracked the small car nut with something stylish and innovatively packaged, and it hasn't looked back since.

It's clear the company still knows how to make an engaging small car - you only need to look at the ingeniously packaged IQ and the cheeky Aygo for proof - but the latest version of the Yaris has some awfully big small car boots to fill.

The main thing you'll notice aboard the new arrival is just how roomy it is.

Admittedly, finding room for people and luggage where you mightn't have expected it has always been a Yaris party trick, but with the 2011 model the world's biggest car company has moved the goalposts again. If you're one of those freakishly tall people who find the Fiesta and Corsa a bit of a squeeze, the extra inches Toyota's eaked out of the Yaris might just swing it for you.

What you also notice is that the likes of the 1.3 SR version I tested are definitely aiming for the upmarket segment of the supermini sector - where people care more for equipment and bombproof reliability than image or driveability - and I doubt anyone familiar with the outgoing model are going to be dissapointed by the quality of the materials and the way it's been screwed together. It's also very generously equipped, with the stereo/satnav interface garnering particular praise, but then it needs to be for almost £15k.

Yet for everything it gains the new Yaris loses some of the ineffable magic which made its two immediate predecessors such a hit, lacking both the cheeky looks of the original and the sparkle that came across on every journey. It's by no means a bad car, but nor is it one that you'd choose over a Fiesta, a Polo or a Jazz.

Unless you're freakishly tall, that is.

Honda to offer go-faster version of CR-Z

HONDA'S just announced the sportiest hybrid it makes will be made a little hotter with the announcement that a performance version will arrive next year.

The company said that it has teamed up with tuning firm MUGEN to offer go-faster version of the CR-Z hybrid coupe, which will offer up 50% more power than the existing car and rocket to sixty no less than three seconds faster.

Martin Moll, Head of Honda (UK) marketing said: “MUGEN Euro magic has created a super responsive yet eco-conscious model building on our sporting credentials and giving us the ability to compete in the hot hatch marketplace as we move into 2012.”

The standard CR-Z is the current Life On Cars car of the year, after impressing last year with its blend of performance and eco-friendliness.

The Ford Capri's back, and it's Japanese this time

STICK your men's fragrances back on the shelf and unplug your smoothie maker. Metrosexual is out and hairy-chested is back in this season.

I know this because the Ford Capri, that most medallion-wearing, bitter-swigging, cigar-chomping of cars is back, even if it isn't actually a Capri. Or a Ford, for that matter. The only way isn't Essex (or more specifically, Dagenham) anymore. Thanks to Toyota, the only way if you want an outrageously powerful but surprisingly affordable performance car is their new sports coupe.

Yes, I know the newly announced GT-86 - the worst kept secret in motoring until this week - might be Japanese but it really is the iconic Ford reincarnated. It is, like a Capri, rear-wheel-drive, which I know from experience is intoxicating and intimidating in roughly equal measure, depending on the conditions and the weight of your right foot.

Like the later Capris, it's got a big, beefy engine (197bhp 2.0 litre flat four, if you're interested) under an endlessly long bonnet, and just like Essex Man's favourite it's got a swoopy coupe bodyshell. Prices haven't been announced yet but if the pundits' predictions of about £25,000 are on the money, it'll be the performance car bargain of the year. Like a Capri.

The funny thing is that there's a remake of The Sweeney on the way next year, but rather than going for the spiritual successor to all those leather-jacketed Fords of decades gone by they've gone with an actual Ford, in the shape of the front-wheel-drive Focus ST. A hot hatch which I'm sure will be brilliant in the best fast Ford tradition, but can you see the original Regan and Carter riding around in one? Or The Professionals, for that matter? Really? I'm not too sure, Guv.

I suspect Essex Man Junior - if such a medallion-wearing, unbelievably Seventies throwback of a bloke actually exists - would go for the hairy-chested rear wheel driver. I can only hope the baddies in the new Sweeney film, which comes out next year, do pick a GT-86 as their getaway car of choice, in the hope we'll at least be promised the Focus ST being involved in some proper car chases.

Which would be faster? Answers on a postcard to the usual Champion address...

You're nicked!

THE latest in a long line of fast Fords has been given a starring role in a remake of a classic Seventies cop show destined for the big screen next year.

Ford confirmed last week that its new Focus ST will be appearing alongside Ray Winstone and Plan B in a feature-length remake of The Sweeney, the classic police procedural starring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. The company said its new model, which goes on sale next year and musters up 250bhp from a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine, will be powerful enough to ensure the film's crooks “will always struggle to make a clean getaway”.

The original version of The Sweeney has enjoyed a longstanding association with Ford, after its main characters used a variety of Consuls, Cortinas and Granadas to reel in London's villains.

The film version of The Sweeney is due to arrive in cinemas next September but real life Regans and Carters will be able to enjoy the car earlier, when the Focus ST screeches into the showrooms next summer.

Fire up the... Renaultsport Twingo Silverstone GP Edition

GILLIAN McKeith, I reckon, would be a big fan of this sporty little number from Renault.

This latest version of the Twingo, you see, has been on a bit of a crash diet, in a bid to get rid of any uneccessary blubber and get into great hot hatch shape. In fact, the only place its piled on the pounds is in the price; this run-out Silverstone GP edition weighs in at £14,995 - more than two grand more than the standard model.

But don't think this is all limited edition badges and no trousers - this run-out version comes with a host of options chosen to appeal to the keen driver, including a stainless steel exhaust system and a performance monitoring system which lets you record your favourite boy racer stats, including your lap times and the amount of time it takes to shoot from nought to sixty. Tip for anyone thinking of thrashing one; 8.7 seconds is your target time.

Despite all the options and the wonderfully cossetting bucket seats, however, this is definitely a hatchback designed for thrills rather than frills, something you can't fail to notice with the rather cheap-feeling interior. Spartan on equipment and clad in tacky grey plastics, it's not a car you buy if you enjoy being pampered in your spare time.

Where this car really shines is not on the motorway - where it's just too noisy to be a comfortable companion - but on the B roads, where it's clear that all the crash dieting and the company's Cup chassis really come good as you dart from corner to corner. It is a fanatically fit streetfighter of a car, and always feels far more frantic than its 133bhp 1.6 litre engine initially suggests.

While it's a bit too raucous for my tastes - for my money I'd still go for the slightly more polished Suzuki Swift Sport tested earlier this year for Life On Cars - it is undoubtedly a true hot hatch in the old school sense, and more than capable of giving weightier rivals a run for their money.

Just don't load it up with too much luggage, otherwise you'll undo all of Renault's hard work!

Unpimp My Ride

XZIBIT and Tim Westwood would be disappointed. The first thing I've done with my new MX-5 is to look at the bling accessories on offer and decide not to fit them.

In fact I'm almost going the other way, because at least four of the bits added on by previous owners - the alloy wheels, the steering wheel, the gearknob and the front splitter - are all coming off. As you can probably gather from the photo above, I'm going for a slightly more traditional look.

The wheel on the left is the one that came with the car, and while I know plenty of people like that sort of thing sprouting from their steering column I couldn't shake the Sega Rally connotations, so it had to come off. As anyone who reads this column will already know, one of the things I love most about my MGB GT is its wonderfully traditional wooden wheel, which is why I've fitted a very similar one to the Mazzer. It not only looks the part, but feels it too.

I've also swapped the five-spoke aftermarket alloys for the smaller, standard MX-5 ones (which not only look better, and give a softer ride too) but the not-at-all-gaudy blue gearknob is being replaced by something a little more fitting for a retro sports car, and there's some wooden trim on the way to make the interior slightly more sumptuous.

Don't get me wrong, I don't dissaprove at all of modifying cars, but it'd be a dull old world if we all liked the same things and I just think a traditionalist sports car looks better with wood, leather and chrome than boy racer alloys and a Playstation steering wheel. Hopefully the finished result will look as good in the pictures as I imagine it!

It's amazing how a few bits bought relatively cheaply can take your classic from The Fast and The Furious to Heartbeat in an instant.

The reinvented Lambretta is a scooter I'd happily ride

AS A rule of thumb I don't really do bikes, but every so often I'll make an exception.

Especially if the bike - sorry, scooter - in question happens to be a bit of an Italian icon that seems to have slipped under the petrolhead radar until now. Maybe that's because this is Life On Cars and I'm not exactly known for leafing through Scootering while loitering in WH Smith, but even so this relaunched Lambretta looks very alluring!

I've always been a bit of a Mod at heart, even going so far as to own a Vespa in my student days, but Lambrettas have always had a bit of an elusive quality because they're rare, treasured by their owners and therefore almost always an expensive thing to purchase. In fact, with the original scooters going out of production in the early 1970s your only chance to own a new Lambretta lately has been by popping down to your nearest trendy clothes shop.

But now someone's finally cottoned on that Lambretta is a cool brand, which is why the reinvented versions apparently proven such a hit sinch its UK relaunch earlier this year. What they've produced is what surely must be to motorbikes what the MINI and Fiat 500 are to cars; timeless and achingly trendy styling matched to modern day mechanicals. Throw in 50cc and 125cc engines almost tailor-made to fit the UK's learner riders and you've got a very cool and surprisingly green way of getting to work.

It's almost enough to enough to tempt me back onto two wheels. Shame my garage is full...

For more information about the relaunched Lambretta scooter go to the company's website www.lambrettamotorcycles.com

Forget the looks, the best bit about the new Honda Civic is the doors

THE outgoing Honda Civic was always a car I'd buy with my heart. Yet - as anyone who's ever tried to get into the back of one will testify - it's absolutely not one you can buy with your head.

I had this point proven to me at a Honda dealership last night, when I was invited to play Spot The Difference between the Civic you know and love, and the new model, which goes on sale at the end of the year. I haven't driven the new model yet but after poring over both in nauseatingly boring detail I can tell you Honda has eliminated the old car's biggest problem; that you bang your head if you're getting in the back.

The old car's worst feature, amazingly, is a byproduct of its best; that its styling is such a brilliant aesthetic achievement. In 2006, just as Ford's restyled Focus was losing its Blake's Seven looks, along came Honda with something that looked like it'd been stolen from the set of Bladerunner. Here was, in a field of humdrum hatchbacks, something which looked and felt genuinely radical and edgy. It's just a shame the rear doors had a roofline which cut right across where your head naturally goes as you're getting into the back seats. I don't think I've ever got into one without ending up with a very sorry feeling scalp!

However, Honda's engineers realised this, and set the best boffins at their Minor Injuries Avoidance Department to the task of eliminating it from the new model. There are, if you're thinking of buying a 2012 Civic, many things which count in its favour, but its single biggest advancement is the saving you'll make in packets of frozen peas and Elastoplast. The funding crisis hitting the NHS hard will surely be softened as the queue of Honda Civic rear passengers at Accident and Emergency departments up and down the land disappears as the Honda faithful flock to the new arrival. People who wear hats will no longer fear for their headgear if they're asked to get into the back of a Civic.

Whether the new arrival's as appealing as the old one is something I'll only know once I've driven it, and I've got high hopes for Honda's latest effort. If its handling, performance and refinement are anything like as good as its rear door access, it'll be a hit.

For a car that's retained the original's wedgy shape, the Minor Injuries Avoidance Department have done a cracking job.

Fire up the.... BMW X3 3.0d

AS I clambered into the big BMW's leather-lined cockpit and fired up its 3.0 litre turbodiesel engine, I made sure I'd left my preconceptions at the side of the road.

It's not that I've anything against the Bavarian motor maker's line up of ‘X' branded off-roaders, but more that since the first X5s appeared on British roads in 2000 I've spent years trying to remove them from their natural habitat of a few feet from the back bumper of whatever I'm driving. As someone who's spent years being tormented by drivers of BMW's off-roaders I am perfectly placed to absolutely hate the company's new and much improved X3.

But - having worn the boot on the other foot and driven it - I don't. In fact, I actually rather like it.

It is, for something roughly the same size of my old student flat, usefully brisk when you put your foot down. The X3 3.0d is emphatically not a fast car - for that you'll be wanting the meatier and thirstier petrol-propelled versions - but its turn of speed is enough to power down the middle lane of a motorway of your choice, looking down quite literally on other road users. It has that classic commanding driving position so beloved of White Van Man and off-roader owners.

But where it differs from both their vehicles is that you can also aim at an X3 at the twisty corners of a country lane and it'll respond not like an off-roader, but like a BMW, which in layman's terms means its a fine handler for something so tall. BMW's made this trick its schtick with all its off roaders, and it's business as usual with the new arrival.

It's also wonderfully accomodating inside, with plenty of space and gadgets aplenty - although you'd expect that for the £40,000 pricetag. More tastefully upholstered than Linda Barker's living room and built like a nuclear bunker, it is a lovely place to soak up the miles.

Is the £40,000 off-roader I'd buy? No, because I've test driven a rival I'd rather have which will be appearing on Life On Cars in the near future. But the big BMW's biggest achievement is that I really, really wanted not to like it, and I do.

It's that good a car.

Forget the midlife crisis, the Mazda MX-5 is a brilliant sports car

MY MIDLIFE crisis has arrived at least a decade early.

That's the reckoning of my Facebook friends, reacting to the news that I've bought what I reckon is a seminal small sports car. After a lot of saving up and careful searching, I've finally got myself a Mazda MX-5!

Regular readers will remember that last week I failed in my pub-based exploits to buy an early MK1 on eBay (thanks for all your tips and suggestions, everyone who emailed in) but in the end I found what I was looking for in the classifieds of this very newspaper. A tidy blue roadster which, despite having clocked up over 100,000 miles in its 20 year life, felt tight as a drum to drive.

I've already braced myself for the armchair pundits' argument; the MX-5, lots of you have already told me, is either a girl's car or a flashing belisha beacon alerting other road users to an impending midlife crisis. Luckily, I have my ripposte ready to go, and it comes in the form of a question to all you MX-5 cynics. Have you actually driven one?

If you have then you'll have felt the finesse of its handling, revelled in the go-kart responsiveness of its steering and enjoyed what I reckon has always been its best feature; the flick-of-the-wrist gearchange. The first time I drove two years ago, is forever etched into my memory as a masterclass of how well a good car can handle.

True, these are features you'll find fitted to my MGB as standard, but the difference between a British sports car and a Japanese one is that the latter is built properly. MX-5s, in a nutshell, are fun sports cars that work properly. That's why it is by far and away the world's best selling sports car and why every car maker on Earth has copied it; if it wasn't for the MX-5 there wouldn't have been an MGF, an SLK or a Boxster.

When I was lucky enough to take a brand new one into the wilds of Wales last year, I fell in love with it, and that's why I decided to take the plunge and actually get one all of my own. Will it be better to drive, to own, and to live with than the Minis I'm used to? I look forward to letting you know.

If a midlife crisis is anywhere near as much as fun as an MX-5 is mid-corner on some twisty mountain road, then bring it on.

Fire up the... Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet 1.6 TDI

GOLF, as anyone who's enjoyed a couple of rounds at the Royal Birkdale knows, is best enjoyed outdoors.

I reckon it's as true for the car as it is for the game, which is why it's so refreshing to see the good old Golf Cabriolet name making a comeback to Volkswagen's showrooms. In much the same way that the Golf GTI is synonymous with the hot hatchback, so the Golf Cabriolet is one of the icons of the open-top world.

You might have thought the company had played all its cabriolet cards with the Eos and its slick metal roof, but the smaller, soft-top Golf is positioned slightly below its older sister, in a bid to appeal to younger style-conscious buyers.

Costing roughly a grand less than the Eos across the range, it's giving fans of al fresco Volkswagens more choice than ever before.

The great thing the Golf, based on the proven mechanicals of the sixth-generation hatchback, has in its favour are its looks. Unusually for a cabriolet it's appealing with the roof up AND down, with the steep rake of the canvas hood giving it an almost coupe-like look when it's raining. The folding metal roofs which are de rigeur amongst its rivals might offer you more security, but on style alone the Golf's got ‘em licked.

The 1.6 diesel version I tested didn't offer a spectactulary exciting drive but there's plenty else to count in its favour, pulling well throughout the rev range while remaining quiet at higher speeds. Importantly for a cabriolet there's very little in the way of buffeting - the unwanted gust of wind that messes your hair up - and decision to decapitate the Golf doesn't seem to have spoilt any of its handling or composure.

Would one buy one? That depends on how badly you want a fancy folding metal roof with your flash cabriolet, in which case it's the older and slightly larger Eos you'll want.

In terms of driving, looks and packaging though I reckon the Golf's the better buy. But only slightly.

I still haven't found what I'm looking for

LAST Sunday night I did something very stupid. I should have heeded the warnings. Cars, drink and mobile phones are a dangerous combination.

Luckily, I'd had just the one pint of Guinness so I realised when I'd had a lucky escape. I sauntered sadly back to the bar, ordered another and stuck the change in the jukebox. As I dipped my lips into the creamy froth I contemplated what I'd very nearly just done; I'd very nearly bought an old sports car over a pint with a smartphone.

Again.

The problem, your honour, started a couple of months ago when I realised that what my life was missing was a Mazda MX-5, the little soft top sports cars you see being driven around in the height of summer with their pop-up headlights and their grinning owners. So I sold the Mini and started saving up. Eventually, the day came when I realised I'd earned just about enough to get a tidy little runner.

That's how, over a quiet pint, a mate whipped out his smartphone, fired up eBay and introduced me to a world into which I've never previously ventured; buying cars on eBay. He had just the thing for me - a nice, clean MX-5 with 85,000 alleged miles on the clock, and mine for just £660. As long as nobody else outbid me in the minute the auction had left to go.

"£750," I chirped confidently. "Nobody's going to offer more than that with a minute to go."

But they did. Some smug so-and-so immediately offered £770. It was getting tense, and I was lost in the cerebral buzz of it all.

"£800. Thirty seconds."

The bargain MX-5 of the century was mine. Then it wasn't. The smug so-and-so chipped in with £820. The final 15 seconds were fading fast.

"£850," I nodded to my smartphone-wielding mate. "I'll give you the money for it tomorr..."

"Sorry mate, it's gone", my mate replied with a sympathetic expression. "Someone's got a bargain for £820."

And that was it. I'd either missed it or survived a close call with destiny. Either way, I'd just tried to buy a car on the other side of the country, completely unseen, with a smartphone and a pint of Guinness Extra Cold to guide me.

I escaped buying an old car on eBay and realised my lucky escape. I celebrated immediately with another pint.

Lexus hots up its hybrid hatchback

LEXUS, it seems, are way ahead of me.

When I test drove the CT-200h earlier this year I walked away impressed but slightly frustrated; it was a hugely impressive hybrid hatchback, but "it isn't the last word in excitement". It was, I wrongly concluded, business as usual when it came to Japan's 1-Series bater. Even Kylie Minogue struggled to make the standard version look exciting.

But now the Japanese luxury car master's just spiced up the smallest of its models, meaning you can now enjoy a sports version of its hybrid hatchback.

The CT-200h Sport comes with the same eco-friendly powerplant as the normal version but it's been blessed with a tasty set of 17-inch alloy wheels, a new rear spoiler, flared sideskirts and a racy mesh grille among other cosmetic updates, meaning that while it doesn't have any extra go it offers plenty more show.

The company is, however, promising sportier handling, and said it's tuned the CT 200h F-Sport’s suspension for a more engaging drive, and fitted a lateral damping system as standard.

Yet for all the aggressive styling it's still an automotive eco activist thanks to its clever petrol/electric technology, meaning that it'll still return 68mpg and - thanks to its low emissions - cost nothing at all to tax.

In a stroke Lexus has just eliminated my main criticism of the CT-200h; that, for all its clever features, it was a bit boring. It's now just a little more Fast and Furious and a little less Friends of the Earth, and that's all I'd ask of it.

The CT-200h is available to order from Lexus showrooms now and costs £27,850.

Life On Cars, Issue Seven!

THE LATEST edition of the Life On Cars magazine is ready!

Packed with the latest motoring reviews, news and features, it's an edition with winter in mind, and there's plenty behind the snowy cover to keep you entertained as the nights draw in.

Enjoy the read and let us know what you think...

Open publication - Free publishing - More cars

Life On Cars: the next issue

EAGLE-eyed readers might have already spotted that the Ferrari Enzo on this very blog is now a brand new Skoda.

That's because there's a new issue of the Life On Cars Magazine on the way, and this rather wintry cover is all I can offer as a bit of a sneak preview. The finished product should be ready to read in the next couple of days.

Hope you're looking forward to it...

The older editions, including the Ormskirk MotorFest preview edition, can still be read by clicking here.

Fire up the... Vauxhall Insignia VXR

THERE was a cracking piece in The Champion a couple of weeks ago about a man who used to keep a lion in his back garden every night.

Admittedly he did work for Southport Zoo but he still must be one of the few prepared to put up with a hard-earned reputation as one of the world's most ferocious and powerful predators, in a world where most people would opt for a slightly tamer tabby as a pet. It's exactly the same scenario with the Vauxhall VXR8 I tested earlier this year. I absolutely loved the growl from its V8 engine and its leopard-like talent for sheer speed, but it's a beast I'd struggle to own. It really is using a nuclear warhead to crack a nut.

Vauxhall however realise this and have just the thing for speed freaks grounded in reality, in the sleek shape of the Insignia VXR. As nutcrackers go this is one I doubt you'll be dissappointed with; it really is one of the world's great ground coverers.

Take the VXR8 out for a spin and it feels as though it's constantly on the verge of exploding into a surge of shotgun acceleration, which is exciting when you're in the mood for it but I'd imagine would start to grate slightly on the Monday morning commute. The Insignia's 2.8 V6 is much better, being docile and quiet enough for everyday jobs but you always know that you've no less than 325bhp at your disposal, ready to deploy at the slightest twitch of the right foot. It's particularly handy on motorways, where it'll effortlessly cruise for miles at a time.

But where the range-topping Insignia really shines is when you hunker down into its bucket seats and set if off along a twisty country road, where its four wheel drive and the composure of its chassis really starts to shine. For such a big car it really is a delight to drive, and with plenty of room and gizmos insides it's unlikely your passengers are going to start complaining.

You might think the VXR's £36,000 is its biggest problem but in fact it's its styling; the Insignia is a finely styled saloon, but somehow I can't help thinking the VXR cosmetics make it look like it was made by Nike rather than Vauxhall. Park it up next to say, a Jag XF and it's knocked for six in terms of style and prestige.

But you would have said the same thing about the Lotus Carlton twenty years ago, a car that's gone onto become a classic on account of its ability to effortlessly devour any road it comes across in a way which puts a huge smile on your face.

The Insignia VXR follows in that noble tradition, which is why I'd have one over its cartoonish big brother any day.

The great British insurance ripoff

LIFE ON CARS has been innundated this week with responses from readers who say they are being crippled by the soaring cost of car insurance.

Last week we reported on a Commons enquiry which has been set up to investigate the rising cost of premiums, particularly for younger drivers, and residents from across the region have got in touch to share their thoughts on the issue.

Maureen Gladhill reported difficulties in getting quotes for her two daughters, and said:

"I feel that it is onerous and extremely difficult to pass a driving test nowadays and yet the greedy insurers still penalise young drivers, I feel so sorry for our young people, hammered with extortionate tuition fees, no job prospects and hammered by the insurance industry, it is about time for a parliamentary enquiry.

"I expect the insurers will claim the amount of claims (fraudulent or otherwise) account for premium increases, but I know that the government has tightened up on no win no fee with the new insurance portal system, so come on."

Last week a Transport Select Committee was set up in Westminster to look at the cost of car insurance, armed with new research which suggests a whopping 96% of younger drivers feel they are being "priced off the road" due to high insurance premiums.

A reader from Maghull, who did not wish to be named, agreed with that view and said:

"I fear these insurance companies are seeing an easy target within the driving community not only with young drivers but all drivers in general.

"All in all its a complete rip off. Not only for being young, male, female the car you drive but also dependent where you live. You are discriminated for where you live which I also feel is totally unacceptable. It's a joke and although i dont agree with having no insurance and driving around, I can see why it's an option. The insurance companies need a strip tearing from them and told to drop their prices."

The car insurance industry responded to the Parliamentary enquiry by saying that the rise in claims from personal injury lawsuits and an increase in uninsured driving had helped to drive costs up.

Otto Thoresen, director general of the Association of British Insurers, said:

"Rising claims costs from personal injury claims, excessive legal costs, insurance fraud and uninsured driving, coupled with lower investment returns in recent years, have unfortunately led to rising motor insurance bills for many customers.

"In fact the motor insurance sector has not been profitable for the last sixteen years because the amount paid out in claims and expenses has been greater than that received in premiums."

Younger motorists have reported paying premiums which are hundreds - if not thousands - of pounds in order to get insured, which has led to worries being discussed at the committee that increasing numbers of motorists are resorting to driving with no insurance at all.

Sue Bruce was another parent who complained of crippling prices to insure her children, and told Life On Cars:

"I have paid £3,500 for my 18 year old son to be on the road in this Citroen C1 which incidentally is not much more than the car cost. I do appreciate that the insurance companies have to cover themselves for the small amount of young people that do drive erratic on the roads, but when my daughter passed her test the insurance was £1,900 which is a big difference.

"Maybe these insurance companies. could come up with some kind of scheme where they would accept the driver paying monthly then earning some kind of a no claims bonus month by month therefore making it more affordable for young drivers to get on the road."