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.

We Don't Want to Set the World on Fire

Please check out my new parody song about global warming"We Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" to the tune of "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire".  Come on people, we can do this!

Thanks to Fred Ewing for playing the piano and coaching the singing, and to Brooks Larsen for compiling the photos!

Fiat 8V Supersonic Coupe by Ghia

V8 / 1.996 cc / 106 PS / Vmax: 112 mph (180 km/h)

Ghia sold the same design to Jaguar as well:

Jaguar XK 120 Ghia Supersonic - 1

Jaguar XK 120 Ghia Supersonic - 2

(click images for a larger view)

Faralli & Mazzanti Evantra Twin Turbo

B6 / 3.498 cc / 603 PS / twin turbo / 0 - 62 mph (100 km/h): 3,7 s

(click images for a larger view)

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...

Deception!

Haha! We have to admit it, we got caught out, we fell for it hook line and sinker! Do you remember when we wrote about our local council insulting us all by telling us to "just leave the car at home" when Xmas shopping. We wrote stuff like:

The retail sector in Aberdeen "City and Shire" has designed itself around mass-motoring. Our huge city-centre carparks servicing the huge city-centre indoor shopping malls. And, of course, driving about a lot and using lots of petrol supports the oil industry - our major employer. And everyone knows that the retail sector in Aberdeen is one of the key drivers of economic growth - contributing to a real "buzz" in the city providing the vibrancy which will kick-start the economy of the whole country, pulling UK plc out of recession. Not only that, vibrant Aberdeen now has by far the highest house prices in Scotland, and all that economic activity demonstrated by the highly economically active motorists of Aberdeen "City and Shire" as they vibrantly drive about the place helps to keep house prices high, showing the way for the whole of Scotland - what with average house prices in Aberdeen now approaching 20% higher than even Edinburgh!

So, for this Gordon McIntosh to critically undermine the engine of vibrant house-price growth demonstrates beyond any shadow of doubt that he is anti-car, anti-free-market, anti-growth and anti-Aberdeen. But then, what do you expect from a public-sector employee, featherbedded as he is with his gold-plated pension? How dare he presume tell us what to do! If he likes totalitarian communism so much he should move to North Korea, where hardly anyone has a car (coincidence?). Then he'd be happy, wouldn't he?

But now, we take it all back. Because just the other day, citizen contributor 'Ali' clicked the CitizenContribution HotLink (on the right-hand sidebar there) and told us the truth about this scandalous deception in a shocking exposé e-mail:

Dear Mr Skidmark,

I read your recent post with some interest "Just Leave the Car At Home" - Insult from Council

I fear what has happened here is those lazy journalists at the evening express are trying to cause trouble.  If you read the very cleverly worded press release on which the story was based:
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/CouncilNews/ci_cns/pr_traffic_011211.asp

You will see the council does not really mean it - yes there is lots of stuff about the bargain park and ride, but the real truth is towards the bottom of the article where it reveals how many car park spaces and even some impromptu highway code advice.  What more can the motorist wish for? 

The economics speak for themselves, even at the discounted rate, for myself, husband and three children to park and ride costs £6 - this would pay for more than enough time in Union Square parking to do all my shopping and have a coffee!  Aberdeen city council should be recognised for allowing Union Square to charge such low parking charges in an urban area!

I trust you will bring this scandalous reporting to to your readers attention.

Regards
"Ali"

Yes, we fell for it, we actually believed the greenwash and then got all hot under the collar about it. Yes, it looks like the mischivious jouralists at the Press and Journal and Evening Express were looking to stir up trouble. And they got us hook, line and sinker. Yes, we didn't do our research properly. If we had done, we would have seen that our council knows which side its bread's buttered on. As 'Ali' says: "what more can the motorist wish for?"

Thank-you, 'Ali', what indeed?