How did it, in Britain 2013, come to a state where families are having to think seriously about whether they can afford to visit extended family members in other cities? How has it come to a point where petrol is becoming more expensive than weekly shops? How has it come to pass, in just ten years, that fuel has all but doubled in price?!

Investigators from the European Commission are asking similar questions. The EC raided a number of major oil companies this week to investigate claims that petrol prices have been kept artificially high for more than a decade.

Just months after the UK’s Office of Fair Trading claimed price fixing of petrol was not an issue, The European Commission’s move has Davey sound biting by the gallon: ‘oil companies will feel the full force of the law’. (Davey’s comments are a little puzzling when the Government’s public coffers continue to enjoy an incredibly high 40p in every pound spent at the pumps.

Did the OFT get it wrong?

The OFT employed price reporting agency Platts, official publishers of fuel prices. Platts use a method called Market On Close (MOC) which asks traders to provide the prices paid to buy and sell fuel etc. This, however, only happens at the end of the day, leaving a window of opportunity for manipulation of the figures during the rest of the working day.

A statement by the European Commission confirmed that the smallest changes in petrol price would have ‘a huge impact on the prices of crude oil, refined oil products and biofuels purchases and sales, potentially harming final consumers’.

It is alleged that the likes of the likes of BP, Shell and Statoil got together to collude on prices, keeping them artificially high.

Tory MP Robert Halfon is leading the outrage bandwagon talking about prison sentences and fines, both largely unworkable responses to multi-national organisations able to afford the world’s brightest legal minds.

Quentin Willson, FairFuelUK added: ”The oil market isn’t transparent or accountable enough. There is an urgent need for a powerful and independent watchdog to ensure that there’s no market manipulation and that UK families and businesses pay a fair price for their fuel.’

AA spokesman Luke Bosdet also noted: “The AA has been warning since 2005 about the activity of speculation in oil and fuel markets.”

The ‘OX’ is a ready-to-build all-terrain truck, designed for remote villages, for use across parts of the world without a culture of automation. The OX has been designed here in Britain, by The Global Vehicle Trust, and is the first of its kind. The Camden-based organisation, who exist to improve the lives of those in the developing world, put any profits generated by sales of the OX into further development of its charitable endeavours.

As you might expect from the world’s first flat-pack vehicle, and the name, the OX is robust and simple. Panels are largely interchangeable and components have been stripped back to their fewest number.

It takes just three people around five and half hours to create the flatpack version of the OX here in the UK. It takes another three people around 11 and a half hours to get the vehicle on the road once it lands in its destination. The OX has been designed so that those without engineering skills are able to build it without the need for specialist equipment.

Perhaps even more cleverly, the OX can been flat-packed itself, doing away with the need for expensive containers, and half a dozen of the vehicles can fit inside a standard container.

Performance

The OX can drive through water the best part of metre deep. It can carry two tonnes, seat 13 people, over 360 pints of liquid and has a power unit that can pump water, saw wood or run a generator!

High clearance and short overhangs mean the OX can tackle steep inclines. There’s independent front and rear suspension, and an uncluttered underside to avoid snagging on sand, mud etc

The front-wheel drive OX weighs in at a miserly 1.5 tonnes and houses a manual transmission 2.2 litre diesel engine. Without any weight, the front axle takes three quarters of the vehicles burden. When full it’s laden, there’s a near perfect 50-50 split front to back, offering perfect traction.

Project leader Sir Torquil Norman explained:

“My inspiration for the OX goes back to the ‘Africar’ project of the 1980s.  OX became a dream three years ago and is now a realistic ambition with a working prototype that has already completed its initial testing programme. Our sole objective at GVT is to help people in the developing world.  As part of an aid programme, the OX could provide an essential element of infrastructure to enable the local population to raise the community’s standard of living and to assert its independence by gaining control of its transportation needs and costs.  The OX could also be an enormous help in transporting medicines, doctors, patients and other materials in emergencies and at times of natural disaster.”

The OX prototype cost £1million. The organisation are looking for £3 million more to get the vehicle production ready.That money might come from the UK. While the OX has been built for developing countries, the OX is creating real interest amongst farmers and estate owners a little closer to home.

Peugeot has provided drivers with a first look at their New 308, an updated compact family hatchback designed to wrestle market share away from Ford’s Focus, VW’s Golf, Skoda’s Octavia and Toyota’s Prius.

The new 308 will make a public debut on 10th September at The Frankfurt Motor Show. Sales will start in the UK from January 2014.

“The new Peugeot 308 has a pure and technological exterior design that speaks of high strength and high quality,” enthused Gilles Vidal, Design Director, Peugeot.”

A relatively bjiou 4.25 metres in length, the New 308′s frontage houses a modern nod to the company’s floating front grille. Slim full-LED headlamps squint out topped by a line of what looks like glittering eyeliner. The rear is equally androgynous. Peugeot are calling the three stripes on the read LED lamps ‘claws’. To the untrained eye, there’s more than a hint of eyelash.

Vincent Devos, Peugeot’s New 308 Product Manager described the interior:

“When inside the car, one discovers a world of refined style, completely original in the world of hatchback cars, with a cockpit that is intense, innovative and intuitive; it is the Peugeot i-cockpit.”

Peugeot’s i-cockpit is designed to create an experience that is ‘intuitive, relaxing the driver to focus entirely on the road ahead’ (which seems a little like describing a new chocolate bar as ‘designed to be sweet in the mouth, melty on the tongue and fattening on the waist – i.e. stating the bleeding obvious). That being said, the steering wheel is compact and display easy to read, and the new i-cockpit contains a rather splendid 9.7″ touch-screen, which reduces considerably the amount of clutter and number of dashboard buttons.

Laurent Declerck, Peugeot’s New 308 Project Director weighed in with a note on driving characteristics:

“On the road, driving pleasure is enhanced by the new EMP2 modular platform. With its considerable reduction in weight, it contributes to the dynamism and easy handling of the New Peugeot 308.”

There are, apparently, 116 patent applications in the New 308. That’s impressive. But not as impressive as the weight reduction in the 2014 car: the New 308 has shed around 140kg per car when compared to similar vehicles in the current range.

How has the car become so Kate Mossian? Well, Peugeot have reduced many of the car’s major parts in size. Nifty. The ‘dieting’ also means less CO2 emissions, as low as 85g/km.

The interior has a richer feel and the chrome/gloss detailing adds a certain amount of mature luxury to the design.

Cool, stylish, slim and eco. Nice.

When you get caught doing something utterly stupid, you’re likely to say anything to try and get you out of trouble. Suddenly it’s like you’re 8 years old again and discovered with half a pack of Jaffa Cakes crammed into your gob. And it’s even worse when your indiscretion occurs behind the wheel, and a member of Her Majesty’s Constabulary decides to get involved. But let’s hope that your stuttering, pathetic reasons for going too fast or talking on your phone are slightly more believable than this lot…

DRUM ‘N’ BASS

When Aaron Cogley was pulled over in Bristol for driving erratically and running two red lights, he undertook the usual battery of tests for drink and drugs. But he was found to be completely clean. Instead, he claimed the reason he was performing so poorly behind the wheel was due to being “high on drum and bass”. The intoxicating rhythms of the music led him to also cut up another driver and take a corner on two wheels, due to his speed.

CAT RESCUE

He’s known for professionally throwing curve balls, but spin bowler Graeme Swann produced a monumental googly when he was pulled over by Nottinghamshire police and found to be over the legal drink drive limit. Swann explained that he’d been celebrating his birthday, when he returned home and realised his cat was trapped under the floorboards. He rushed out to buy a screwdriver to free the feline, when the coppers caught him. Luckily, his whole defense didn’t solely rest on this bizarre story. He actually escaped prosecution on a technicality.

UFO SIGHTING
A motorist in Southwark South London claimed the only reason he illegally swerved into a bus lane was to avoid an alien spaceship that had been hurtling towards him. To avoid a collision with the craft and possibly destroying our first contact with a creature from another planet, he did the wrong, though possibly civilization advancing, thing. Magistrates pointed out that he was seen on CCTV, where as the UFO was not and he was fined £120.

PRAWN CRACKER

A motorist in Purbeck, Dorset was pulled over when spotted driving while using their mobile phone. The driver insisted that this was simply impossible as they didn’t have a phone with them and instead the police had seen them eating a prawn cracker and mistaken the large crispy treat as a bog standard Samsung. But the clever copper had a plan, called the driver’s number and instantly heard the phone ring in the car. The driver apologised, offered the police officer a cracker and was given an on the spot fine.

PHONE JOKE

Usually when a police officer says ‘I see we have a comedian here’, he’s probably not greatly amused and something bad is about to happen. But actual comedian Jimmy Carr was able to use his profession as his defense when he was seen driving while speaking into his iPhone. He claimed that rather than having a conversation, he was actually recording a joke he’d just thought up, for use later. Amazingly, Magistrates agreed and the case was dismissed.

TARANTULA ATTACK

A Minnesota man crashed his car into another vehicle and a mailbox then quickly sped away. When the authorities finally caught up with him, he claimed the reason he’d crashed was that his passenger had a large spider in the motor which proceeded to escape and bite him. He didn’t really say why he needed to hit-and-run because of this, possibly it was due to PTSD. Sadly the police failed to find the spider or any evidence of a Tarantula bite on the man and he was prosecuted.

SPEEDOMETER DYSLEXIA

A driver in East Sussex was seen driving at a mammoth 103MPH as well as weaving in between cars and waving a cigarette at other drivers. When finally tracked down, he claimed the reason he was travelling so speedily was that he had dyslexia and couldn’t read the speed dial. Because that is the only indication of speed isn’t it? The fact that he was passing all the other cars and the terrified expressions on the other drivers’ faces didn’t make an impression. The authorities didn’t buy this and he was banned from driving for three years.

SQUIRREL INTERFERENCE

A Florida man was pulled over when his truck was witnessed swerving through traffic and nearly hitting a parked car head on. Police believed he was drunk, but he disagreed. He claimed the reason he’s been driving so poorly was that there was a squirrel eating him. Officers assumed this was crazy drunk talk, but sure enough, the man opened his shirt to reveal a small squirrel nestling there. He didn’t appear to have any reason for there being a rodent in his clothing, but it might have been connected with him being totally wasted. He was arrested for driving under the influence. The squirrel was released without charge.

The Volkswagen Beetle GSR was first made in 1973. Almost 40 years on, the Chicago Auto Show unveiled a modern take on the popular classic. Based on the Beetle 1303 X, GSR stands for Gelb-Schwarze Renner (Gold Black Racer). Similarly, only 3,500 of the original were produced.

The new car re-interprets the Seventies ride. Both cars are head-turning yellow (gold) black, however a platinum grey and black can also be ordered in the new version. Upgrading the ‘73 edition, wheels go from 15” steel to 19” alloy. The black yellow interior is now leather. There are R-Line racing seats in the new model and the steering wheel has a badge with special edition number on it. There’s an R-Line dash, GSR stick, leather handbrake etc.

In terms of performance, the new GSR has over four times the power of its predecessor – 50 PS has become a 2.0-litre turbocharged 210 PS engine. The new GSR goes 0-62 in 7.3 second and has a respectable top speed of 142 mph, 38.7 mpg and CO2 of 169 g/km.

From September of this year, the new GSR can be ordered with six-speed manual or DSG gearbox and £24,900 or £26,400 to add DSG.

Christened, the Design Vision Golf GTI, VW’s new ride not only looks every inch performance, it also lives up the billing under the hood – packing the best part of 500bhp!

The VW Design Vision Golf GTI will be launched at Volkswagen’s corporate get-together, at Wörthersee.

The car is all about blue sky thinking. A 3.0 turbo V6 chucks out 496bhp thanks to 4WD and a six-speed dual-clutch TX. The VW Design Vision Golf GTI rockets along 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds – just over the time it takes to say that last sentence! VW’s standard GTI reaches 62mph in just under twice that time.

The VWDVG GTI (as we’re now calling it) will appear with 20” alloys. Ceramic breaks will feature in a bid to rein in all that breakneck speed.

It’s wider than previous models, around 2.5”, a smidgen shorter and 2¼” lower than predecessors. The result is a Golf GTI that looks more about powerful driving than a mid-iron from the fairway.

Inside, VW have given the VWDVG GTI all the carbon fibre and Alcantara it can handle. There’s red fabric door pulls to reduce and seat belts replaced by X-shaped braces. There’s even space below the seats for crash helmets! Clue.

Even more exciting/terrifying/worrying is the fact that the VWDVG GTI dashboard shows which circuit on which it is currently being driven along with times and splits etc. There are paddle shifters, centre console controls, and three drive modes: Track, Sport, and Street. In addition, there is also an electric kill switch and a button that triggers a fire extinguisher.

So, will it be available to me and thee?

Not at the moment. This GTI is more concept than production. Even track drivers are going to have to wait for the ideas to come to fruition.

The car is part of a VW training project for year four’s leading designers. Prof. Werner Neubauer, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand Manager for the Business Component(!) commented:

“With projects like this, our students learn an incredible amount; for their GTI they could choose from a variety of components. (With) high stakes, solid knowledge and good ideas they have created a unique piece, the car driver’s heart beat faster.”

Car design company Terrafugia had already looked set to win the race to create the world’s flying car after its Transition prototype, aka a roadable airplane, successfully came through flight tests last year. However, it is the newer TF-X that has been given all-important clearance by the United States Federal Aviation Authority.

The vertical take-off and landing vehicle has been given the acronym VTOL and, disappointingly, needs a runway to take-off and land.

The technology it needs to satisfy conditions for road and air is, as you might expect, headache inducingly clever.

The TF-X features wings which fold into itself, allowing it to safely drive on roads when in fully-electric ground mode. At take-off, those wings extend into flight position, and propellers open out. At the point where it is ready to take off, the props point upwards, allowing them to pull the TF-X off the ground. Once the VTOL is airborne, the props rotate forward, allowing it to travel. Once the TF-X has gained enough forward momentum, the propellers are retracted, and a 300-hp engine powers a rear-mounted ducted prop.

Those hoping to take the TF-X from their home to work need to hold their horses. The TF-X needs at least 100 feet diameter space for take-off, which means it is likely that designated take-off site, as used by conventional helicopters, will be the only take off points.

Terrafugia estimate that it will take just half a day to learn how to fly their new helicar, in part thanks to the addition of an automatic mode. At take-off, fly-drivers simply need to input the destination of their landing site then leave the navigation to their TF-X. The auto mode will work with air traffic control to avoid other air crafts, difficult weather conditions and restricted space. Should the TF-X stall while in flight, there’s a James Bond style parachute and, even more Bond-esque, if the carplane is being driven erratically, authorities will be informed and the vehicle will automatically land itself.

The TF-X will toddle through the air at around 200mph and will cover as much as 500 miles without need for a recharge.

However, Terrafugia estimate that this technology will not be available to the general public for around a decade.

Hopefully, there’ll be some of us still alive who’ll be able to take off and utter to ourselves: “Where we’re going Marty, we don’t need roads.”

Both from a point of view of increased industrial development and the coagulation of communities, in countries across the world, human beings are becoming increasingly urban. As a result, manufacturers are building leaner, lighter, greener and more compact cars.

The latest car to appear on the urban horizon is Peugeot’s Urban Crossover Concept

While the Peugeot press release is full of the usual superlatives: elegant, refined, sporty and seductive etc. the move marks yet another step towards an admission that motorway and urban driving splits further and further apart with each passing month.

The Urban Crossover Concept is super light, lending it the green credentials in demand from urban drivers and environments. Part SUV, part saloon, Peugeot’s Urban Crossover is just over 4 metres long and just under two meters wide combining Peugeot’s small vehicle know-how with the increased demand for genre-splitting cars. Raised body and wheels mean that access is simple for every member of the family. As for design, to the rear, LED lamps are embedded into the body, presenting three ‘floating claws’. An aluminium spoiler and roof nod to Peugeot’s RCZ Sports Coupé.

Inevitably, the Peugeot press release reads like it’s been through a hyperbole machine.

“(The Urban Crossover) is the synthesis of Peugeot’s know-how in creating a small vehicle combining agility, compactness, multi-role ability and confident styling at the service of young city dwellers that like the city, live the city, creating the city, while still loving to escape it.”

Whatever the say, The Urban Crossover is yet the latest choice for drivers looking to whiz about town with occasional trips on the M1.

The green qualities of Volkswagens’ 2013 Golf BlueMotion are irrefutable. Up to 88.3 mpg and CO2 emissions of just 85 g/km, this new Golf is 15% more fuel efficient than previous generations. Last year’s Golf 1.6-litre TDI limboed under the congestion-charge thanks to 99 g/km.

Thanks to a 50-litre fuel tank and that 88.3 mpg, the new Golf has a range (in theory at least) just shy of 1,000 miles. Consider going from London to Edinburgh and back on a single tank! Putting things another way, consider driving 200 miles a week and only having to refuel once a month! That’s not the only saving, as the Golf BlueMotion is in Band A, road tax will set you back exactly, erm, nothing.

How is this possible? Well, the new Golf Bluemotion is superlight, 63kg less than predecessors when you tot up the running gear and body. There’s also low resistance tyres with higher air pressure and longer gear ratios. The increasingly standard stop/start technology is no less annoying though aerodynamic modifications should put a smile on your face. There’s around a tenth less drag on the front thanks, in part, to a lowered ride height, 1.5cm lower also produces a racier, firmer feel. Adding to the sense of refinement, there’s also a roof spoiler, lateral air guides to the rear, masked front grille, semi-closed air inlet screens, cooling system, underfloor panels, brake cooling channels and a C-pillar spoiler.

Back to the engines, the Golf BlueMotion range’s pride and joy is the 1.6-litre 110 PS common rail TDI from the new EA288 engine series. Four cylinder 16V, it offers maximum torque of 250 from a teeny 1,500 rpm right up to 3,000 rpm.

There’s plenty of other headache inducing technology to mention. The new Bluemotion offer reduced internal friction, a thermal management system with a shortened warm-up. There’s exhaust gas recirculation, a cylinder pressure sensor, two-stage oil pump, switchable electric water pump and water-cooled intercooler right in the intake manifold successfully reducing fuel consumption and emissions. VW has even added an oxidation catalytic converter, diesel particulate filter and a NOx storage catalytic converter. Is this the cleanest machine ever or what?

Now to the slightly grisly bit: the new Golf BlueMotion (standard Golf S trim) start at £20,335 (OTR) for three-door and £20,990 for five. Neither price will prevent UK VW retailers from taking orders of which first deliveries are expected no later than August.