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A Ghostly Tale – Time Spent With Rolls-Royce’s New Saloon
I have been lucky enough over the years to spend some time behind the wheel of the Rolls-Royce Ghost. Always a delight, the memories never fade. There was little wrong with the old model but that has not stopped the good folk at Goodwood from going back to the drawing board…
My Morgan Adventure
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
I have been lucky enough to drive an enormous variety of vehicles in my long and varied driving career. However, I had never driven a Morgan. I rather carelessly ignored kind invitations to visit the factory and test drive a car or two. How remiss of me! The situation was remedied…
11:28 AM 28th November 2020
Cumbria/North Lancashire Roadworks Monday 30 November to Sunday 6 December
The following summary of planned new and ongoing roadworks over the coming week is correct as of Friday 27 November but could be subject to change due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances. Drivers looking for roadworks information (such as overnight carriageway closures) for individual schemes should now visit…
3:49 PM 27th November 2020
Arctic Truck On Manoeuvres – Unstoppable!
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
The pickup truck market in the UK is changing. Mercedes-Benz has withdrawn its pricy X-Class from sale and for the time being the Volkswagen Amarok has also disappeared. The latter will return as a joint venture with Ford. Mitsubishi has recently launched its new L200 (review coming soon) and Isuzu’s new…
12:11 PM 21st November 2020
£1bn A66 Northern Trans-pennine Update Goes ‘Live’
As part of today’s update the A66 project team has produced a new video providing a What’s Next report (above) and a second video (below) explaining the steps Highways England has to follow in terms of planning, designing and securing permission before any construction can start
An update on progress with £1 billion plans to dual the remaining sections of the vital A66 trans-Pennine route between the M6 in Cumbria and A1(M) in North Yorkshire has been published today (Monday 16 November). The Highways England update includes new videos, brochures and access to web chats –…
12:29 PM 16th November 2020
Overnight Carriageway Closure To Set Up Start Of M56 Upgrade
Drivers are being reminded that a section of the M56 will be closed overnight from 10pm on Friday (13 November). The closure – along the westbound carriageway from junction 5 at Manchester Airport to junction 7 at Bowdon – is being used by Highways England to start installing a contraflow lanes…
12:50 PM 13th November 2020
Is Your Car Ready For Winter? Time To Check
With the country in lockdown once again, many of us have plenty of time on our hands. Time then to give your car the once over, ahead of the winter period. Many of my tips require no expertise, just a little time and if you are not sure, then garages…
11:23 AM 11th November 2020
‘What’s Next?’ A66 Communities Update On £1 Billion Dualling Progress
Designers, surveyors and engineers have been carrying out specialist work as a £1 billion project to transform Trans-Pennine journeys takes shape. Next week, communities along the route of the A66 will be able to find out the latest update on the project, when new videos, web chats and brochures about the…
11:46 AM 9th November 2020
Construction Milestone For M56 Upgrade
The main construction work on the region’s latest motorway upgrade, along the M56 in Greater Manchester and Cheshire, will get underway this month. The four-mile section of motorway between junction 6 at Hale and junction 8 at Bowdon is one of the busiest in the North West – carrying 100,000 vehicles…
11:40 AM 7th November 2020
Lexus Luxury In A Smaller Package – UX On Test
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
I am not sure that many of us are ready for a fully electric car. Lack of efficient and available public charging is just one of the main issues especially in more rural locations. No doubt this will change in time, but for now a EV adopter needs to have…
9:56 AM 30th October 2020
Breath Tests At Lowest Level For 18 Years – AA
Just 285,380 tests conducted in 2019 compared to 481,561 in 2002 More than 2.2 million speeding fines issued Fines for not wearing a seatbelt up 84.3% Figures released by the Home Office this week* show that the number of roadside breath tests are at their lowest point…
12:20 PM 29th October 2020
Facelifted F-TYPE Under The Spotlight
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Photos by Will Larmour
Back in 2013, when the world seemed a better place, Jaguar launched the F-TYPE, a spiritual successor for the iconic E-TYPE. I have been lucky enough to drive the car in various guises from V6 Coupe to a frankly rather scary SVR. All have provided thrills aplenty, and thankfully no…
3:04 PM 28th October 2020
Talking The High Road As Cumbria’s Scenic M6 Reaches 50
The M6 through the Lune Gorge. Photo by Highways England
It’s one of the highest and most beautiful stretches of motorway in the country - part of a post-war motorway construction jigsaw that, piece-by-concrete-piece, revolutionised road travel in Britain. And retired engineers across the country are remembering their role in its birth 50 years ago today (Friday 23 October 2020). When…
10:57 AM 23rd October 2020
MINI Electric – A Fully Charged First Drive Review
The modern MINI has been a common sight on our roads for almost twenty years and it has been my pleasure to own a couple and drive many more. What is it? I first saw the MINI Electric in concept form at the Frankfurt Motor Show three years ago. Quite why…
8:00 AM 22nd October 2020
Kia Sorento – UK First Drive Review
A chance to drive a newly launched car from Kia was not to be missed, so I made the long trek south in order to be one of the first to get behind the wheel. What is it? The Sorento is Kia’s range-topping SUV and sits alongside the Stonic, Niro and Sportage.…
2:36 AM 16th October 2020
Audi’s S5 Coupe Gets A Makeover
The original Audi S5 used to come with a powerful V8 engine as standard. My neighbour had one for many years and it was a delight to hear the warble from the engine as he headed for home. Performance was brisk, fuel economy poor. A V6 petrol motor was next to…
6:15 PM 13th October 2020
The Sparky New Electric 208 From Peugeot On Test
Peugeot has undergone a transformation in recent years and now produces some excellent cars. Not only do they look good, but surveys prove that they are reliable too. Sales were slightly up in 2019 against a gloomy backdrop, with many manufactures experiencing a marked decline in cars sold in the…
9:24 AM 13th October 2020
Mazda CX-30 – A Week Behind The Wheel
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Mazda is already well served with SUVs, the CX-3 and CX-5 models having been with us for quite some time. Last year the CX-30 joined the line-up, slotting in nicely between the two. With little size difference between the models, there is a question mark as to the CX-30’s relevance.…
2:09 AM 5th October 2020
New Gritters Take To The Road
New state of the art Highways England gritter
October 1 marks start of the Highways England winter season Patrols ready across the country Ninety-three new state of the art gritters will be patrolling England’s motorways and major A roads this winter as part of a multi-million investment to help keep traffic moving in severe weather. The new gritters will…
7:00 AM 1st October 2020
On The Road With The New Porsche Panamera
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Many of the UK car launches take place in the south of England, so it was a pleasant surprise to be invited to spend a day with the good folk at Porsche on home turf. The roads would be good, the weather forecast was excellent and hey, it was a…
8:30 AM 29th September 2020
Renault’s Charge To Full Electrification
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Like most manufacturers, Renault is introducing an increasing number of hybrid cars, some with the ability to plug in. Renault is better placed than most to do this as it has offered a variety of fully electric cars for some time. It has been ahead of the game. So, what is…
10:02 AM 26th September 2020
Ferrari Portofino Driven – Stupendo!
As a small boy I was obsessed with cars. I could name them all and the highlight of my year was my annual trip to the Earls Court Motor Show. All the cars excited me, though of course some more than others. The Ferrari stand always drew a crowd and…
7:49 AM 24th September 2020
Suzuki’s Ignis Gets A Makeover
Suzuki has a reputation for making excellent small cars. I have driven most, and they definitely punch above their weight in terms of affordability, equipment levels and driving characteristics. I was lucky enough to travel to Rome to drive the current Ignis when it was launched in January 2017 and I…
8:29 AM 23rd September 2020
Czech Mate - New Family-Friendly Skoda Octavia Driven
The Octavia has been at the heart of the Skoda brand for more than six decades and has established itself as a key pillar of the brand’s ongoing success in the UK. 2020 marks the arrival of an all-new fourth-generation model. The all-new Octavia range launched with two body styles, two…
8:35 AM 16th September 2020
Porsche Macan – Still The One To Beat
Let us turn the clock back. Porsche, renowned maker of desirable sports cars wanted to expand. Much to many aficionados’ consternation, jumping on the SUV bandwagon was seen to be the way forward. But what a smart move this was. Cayenne was the first to be launched, with the smaller…
9:09 AM 9th September 2020
The Wait Is Over – New Land Rover Defender Driven
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
How do you reinvent an icon? This is something that has vexed the good folk at Land Rover for many a year. The much-loved old version had clearly reached the end of its life, though good examples will be sought after for ever and a day. A vehicle with global appeal…
8:56 PM 1st September 2020
Stinger – Time To Catch Up With Kia’s Range-topper
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Kia is South Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles, now producing over 1.5 million vehicles in 13 plants in 8 different countries. Rewind a decade or two and the cars on offer were undoubtedly worthy, affordable and just a bit dull. How times have changed as the current range encompasses stylish…
10:45 AM 30th August 2020
Time To Get Whizzy With A Twizy!
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
A recent Renault drive day presented the opportunity to reacquaint myself with Renault’s funky Twizy microcar. It has been on sale in the UK for quite a number of years and yet it remains a rare sight, which is a shame especially as electric cars are rapidly gaining in popularity. Let’s…
11:54 AM 28th August 2020
Kia Soul EV First Drive Review
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
The movement towards fully electric cars continues apace and last year I spent time with one of the best – the Kia e-Niro. Here was an electric family car with an easy 250-mile range, more than enough for most drivers. What is it? On test here is the Kia Soul EV,…
11:47 AM 17th August 2020
Volkswagen Golf – The 8th Generation On Test
It seems hard to believe that it is 45 years since the first Golf rolled off the production line, with some 35 million examples built. A top seller in Europe, UK buyers have always warmly embraced the Golf and therefore the importance of an all-new version cannot be underestimated. The…
9:01 AM 12th August 2020
The Focus Of My Attention – Sporty ST On Test
Ford has a history of making hot hatches that offer high performance thrills, coupled with affordable pricing and practicality. The concept still works today and allows the enthusiastic driver to own a car that will be suitable for family duties one minute and excite on a favourite piece of B-road…
6:03 PM 11th August 2020
Gocycle – That’s Just What I Did!
I was a keen cyclist in my early teens and spent many a happy hour in the saddle. I journeyed to school and back for many years, a 6-mile round trip and enjoyed many a leisure ride. It was all about personal freedom and it meant I could steer clear…
9:13 AM 5th August 2020
Gocycle – That’s Just What I Did!
I was a keen cyclist in my early teens and spent many a happy hour in the saddle. I journeyed to school and back for many years, a 6-mile round trip and enjoyed many a leisure ride. It was all about personal freedom and it meant I could steer clear…
9:05 AM 5th August 2020
Electric Dreams - Honda e First Drive
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
The new Honda e has been a while in the making. First seen as a concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019, the showroom-ready model was unveiled last September at Frankfurt and much to everyone’s delight it had remained unchanged and was bristling with cool features. It attracted…
2:17 AM 27th July 2020
Thrill’s Aplenty With The Lotus Exige
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
The email came in from Lotus. Would I like to join them at the motoring mecca known as Caffeine and Machine for a little sportscar fun? Having been locked away for the last few months, my hasty acceptance duly followed. All too soon I was heading south to Stratford Upon Avon,…
8:16 AM 23rd July 2020
Lockdown Wheels - Land Rover Discovery Sport On Test
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
I was lucky enough to watch the first Land Rover Discovery Sport roll off the production line at Halewood way back in 2014. It is now the company’s best-selling model. Last year saw an all-new version hit the showrooms, using Land Rover’s premium transverse architecture, the aim being to deliver greater…
8:54 AM 22nd July 2020
Touareg Tales – VW’s Super SUV On Test
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
The third generation of Volkswagen’s Touareg has been on sale for a couple of years and it sits at the top of company’s range of SUVs. It is a comprehensive collection too comprising T-Cross, T-Roc, Tiguan and Tiguan Allspace. Plenty to choose from… What is it? In order to broaden the Touareg’s…
5:25 PM 13th July 2020
Hard Top Name Returns For Commercial Land Rover Defender
Land Rover has confirmed the new commercial Defender 90 and 110 models will restore the Hard Top name to its rugged 4x4 family. The versatile and durable Defender Hard Top will be launched later this year, combining unstoppable all-terrain capability with 21st-century connectivity to give professionals a unique combination of…
1:00 AM 30th June 2020
The Italian Job Comes To Yorkshire – Be Part Of It!
I am a great fan of the Italian Job and was excited to find out about an exciting event coming to Yorkshire later this year. Inspired by the 1969 Michael Caine film of the same name, the Italian Job motoring holiday has been (for the last 30 years) a road trip…
11:50 AM 29th June 2020
Farewell Mercedes X-Class. It Has Been A Pleasure
As lockdown eased in England, I was lucky enough to spend a week with the Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickup. It came at a useful time, with plenty of runs to the tip and assorted errands to catch up with. What is it? Mercedes decided to enter the pickup market just a few years…
4:21 AM 22nd June 2020
50 Years Of Range Rover - A Celebratory Model
On 17th June 1970, we witnessed the arrival of the Range Rover. The story however begins in the mid-1960s when Rover’s new projects engineering chief, Charles Spencer ‘Spen’ King hatched a plan to combine the comfort and on-road ability of a Rover saloon with the off-road ability of a Land…
7:51 AM 17th June 2020
Sizzling Summer Offers From Suzuki
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Suzuki is keen to see buyers return to its showrooms and so have announced a range of tempting offers. 0% PCP offers across the range (excluding Jimny) 7-day return offer until September 30th New hybrid models now on sale Suzuki dealers in England are now open for business and hopefully other regions of…
1:31 PM 8th June 2020
Estate Car Excellence From Peugeot – 508 SW On Test
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Once the default family conveyance, the estate car has faded from prominence over the last decade or so as buyers increasing turn to SUVs to cater for their needs. Keener drivers may have been missing out as most wagons will comfortably outhandle their loftier cousins. Peugeot has never abandoned the estate…
1:57 PM 19th May 2020
Audi’s Supersize Q8 On Test
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
The march of the SUV seems endless as all manufacturers battle it out for a share of the growing market. A raised driving position, looks and practicality seem to be the driving factor. Time then, for another test! What is it? The Q8 is Audi’s range-topping SUV and one which puts stylish…
12:18 PM 18th May 2020
Mazda’s First Fully Electric Car Available To Order – Behold The MX-30
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
In a year that sees Mazda celebrate its centenary, Mazda UK is also looking to the future with the announcement of pricing for the Mazda MX-30 First Edition – the debut model in the MX-30 range. Limited to 500 examples, the Mazda MX-30 First Edition is available to pre-order now…
7:06 AM 15th May 2020
Czech Out The New Octavia – From SKODA Of Course
Fourth-generation Octavia launches with two First Edition models SE Tech trim created to appeal to business users New design, plus a raft of new safety and assistance systems Hatch and estate versions available Three engine options from launch SE First Edition trim starts from £22,390 OTR Additional derivatives and powertrains join later this year, including entry…
2:16 PM 4th May 2020
The New Vantage – An Astonishing Car!
There are not many things that would get me up at 5.30am on a cold, dark autumnal morning. However, the prospect of a day with Aston Martin and the opportunity to drive the then new Vantage was not to be missed. Although used to driving myself to car events, the lovely…
11:36 AM 17th April 2020
Coronavirus - A Motorists' Guide
We live in unprecedented times. Nothing is as it used to be, and it is hard to see the situation returning to normal any time soon. Our personal freedom has been curtailed, but for many the car still remains a lifeline. A trip to the shops, a means of getting…
1:51 AM 25th March 2020
D-Max XTR - Isuzu's Popular Pickup On Test
Pickup sales in the UK remain strong and buyers tend to fall into two distinct camps. There are those involved in construction or agricultural industries and then there are the lifestyle buyers. Isuzu’s D-Max has found favour with the former group, drawn to the marque’s reputation for reliability and toughness. In…
3:40 PM 4th March 2020
Bonjour Mon Ami – Urban Mobility From Citroen
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
This year will see a whole new generation of electric cars hit the streets and for the urban motorist, this is undoubtedly a good thing. Councils are working hard to improve air quality in the inner cities, which means slowly rolling out ever more draconian measures to persuade us to…
12:19 PM 1st March 2020
Winter Driving Tips - Stay Safe
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
With snow forecast, there can be no doubt that winter is upon us. To help you keep moving whatever the weather, I have compiled a guide full of timely reminders and helpful tips! Winter Tyres Winter tyres have much to commend them and have great benefits when temperatures drop below 7…
2:00 PM 26th February 2020
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