"Scrappage scheme" nonsense strikes again

In the style of scaremongering papers like the Daily Fail, weekly car magazine Auto Express has revealed the latest "blow" to the scrappage scheme. According to the magazine, they have discovered that...

"Vehicle recylers have been selling powerplants from models ditched under the Scrappage Scheme via salvage outlets - effectively putting the polluting units back on the road"

Unfortunately, the writer has somehow managed to miss the blindingly obvious point that engines with no car around them aren't going to do much damage to the evironment at all. In fact, a salvaged engine will do no more damage to the environment sitting on a shelf than a salvage gearknob will. Even if or when the unit is eventually fitted into a car, it will likely be replacing a unit that was in an even poorer state of health and that unit will then be scrapped. Net increase of engines actually on the road: Naught.

Friends of the Earth have also inevitably stuck their nose into another matter they don't understand:

"The initiative should encourage drivers to replace older models with cleaner cars. This is keeping polluting vehicles on the road" (FotE's Richard Dyer)

Even aside from the fact that these salvaged engines will likely be used to replace engines in worse condition, Mr Dyer clearly believes that the production of a whole new car, rather than gaining further use from an existing one, is better for the environment too, and he also appears to be making the mistake of assuming that it's easier to afford a whole new car than it is to replace a few defective engine parts.

Tarmac admittedly isn't a great fan of the scrappage scheme, though we will admit that there are benefits in terms of keeping the industry afloat and keeping people's jobs, but it's clear that a well rounded view on the scheme is clearly beyond the reach of magazines looking for a quick controversy.

(Image: Auto Express)

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Honda CR-Z - video emerges

Continuing Tarmac's coverage of the Honda CR-Z, we felt it necessary to bring you the video that recently emerged from Honda about their pursuit of driving pleasure in the small hybrid.

Some interesting points to note - Honda have apparently bought a MINI, a Volkswagen Scirocco and a Lotus Elise (coincidentally, all of which appear in Tarmac's top ten of the past ten years...) with which to benchmark the sporty CR-Z. They have also apparently brought prototypes to Europe throughout the development process in order to ensure the car handles well on a variety of surfaces.

(Video: Honda, via Carscoop)

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Tarmac's Top Ten 'Till 'Ten

Okay, so we're a little late on the bandwagon, but Tarmac has finally compiled it's list of the top ten cars of the last ten years. From 2000 until the end of 2009 there's been a seismic shift in the kind of cars available to the market, and about the attitudes towards the car that have influenced the characteristics people look for.

Although Tarmac is by and large influenced by smaller and more efficient cars, the list reflects a diverse selection of cars that have all made a big impact on the automotive world over the last ten years. So, in no particular order...

MINI Cooper

The BMW Mini came in for some flak when it was released, much of it from original Mini owners who disliked BMW's cavalier use of "their" brand. The press loved it however. The Cooper version was arguably the best of the bunch (and Evo magazine would agree) because it offered fun in the spirit of the original Mini in a reliable and useable package. They're finally coming down in value on the second hand market now too, so there's never been a better time to buy.

Porsche Cayman

Porsche has done the unthinkable - they've accidentally built a car that, were it not for the (deliberate) deficit in power, completely eclipses their stalwart 911 in all areas. Car journalists barely have a bad word to say about it save for a slightly high price, and it seems to successfully win handling tests the world over. And being a Porsche, it's utterly useable day to day.

smart Roadster

The "My First Porsche"? There's certainly more than a hint of Stuttgart in the sound (and location) of the engine, an 800cc triple mounted inches behind your lower back. The styling is fantastic and it pulls the usual smart trick of a great driving position and loads of space. Unless you happen to be luggage, in which case you'd better be small. Even with the suspect gearbox it's a bundle of fun and 50mpg is there for the taking.

Jaguar XF

The car to prove that Jaguar a) still has "it" and b) still has a future. Thankfully the latter has been secured by Ratan Tata's purchase of the company, but the former is assured in the way that the XF went straight to the top of the class with great styling, supreme comfort and cutting edge technology. A welcome return to form.

Tesla Roadster

Hugely important, the Tesla. A fledgeling company (albeit one with strong financial backing) arrives in the market and immediately creates an electric car exponentially better than any other that's come before. Performance is seriously impressive and it even has a great range. The next few years will see the Model S, a pretty saloon that'll no doubt re-write the electric car rulebook once again.

Audi A2

Arriving right at the start of the millennium, the A2 was apparently ten years too early. A lighweight aluminium body, ultra-efficient engines and cutting-edge styling all went unnoticed when people saw the price, which starting at £12.5k was just too much for a B-segment car competing against Ford Fiestas. Best model was the later 90bhp 1.4 TDI that managed an average of 64mpg and 60mph in ten seconds.

Ferrari 360CS

Unlike the A2 the CS isn't the most fuel efficient car around, but it wins it's top ten slot for being the ultimate expression of one of the ultimate marques. The normal 360 was wonderful but the Challenge Stradale is like the standard model fuelled after a night of Vodka and Red Bull. Louder, meaner, more aggressive and ready to take on the world. There's never been a better car on which to paint go-faster stripes.

Lotus Elise S

Impressive though the Tesla is, the basic Elise proves that you don't need an electric drivetrain to make a sports car efficient. With 1.8 litres of Toyota power, sixty arrives in under six seconds and you're still offered an average of 37mpg when you aren't using all the revs. And being a Toyota engine, there's a strange sense of calm that models with the Rover K-Series never offered. Sublime handling? That's been there all along.

Renaultsport Clio 200 Cup

Renault have probably averaged one hot Clio each year for the past ten, but the latest is definitely the greatest. Sure, the new front end is questionable (Tarmac loves it though), but the giant killing ability certainly isn't. The 200 Cup is a true emperor in a long dynasty of Clios - 16V, Williams, 172, 172 Trophy, 182, 182 Cup, 197,197 Cup, 200...

Volkswagen Scirocco

Who'd have thought it? Trustworthy - if slightly staid - Volkwagen, bringing out one of the most attractive designs of the last decade? Yet that's what they've done with the Scirocco, and yet being based on the old faithful Golf you still get all the comfort and quality you'd expect. It's a car that makes you question the need for a 3-door Golf with style and handling like the Scirocco offers.

Here's to the next ten years...

(Images: Audi, Auto Express, Daimler-Chrysler, Ferrari, Jaguar, MINI, Porsche, Renault, Tesla, Volkswagen)

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Honda CR-Z finally revealed in full

Having been the subject of brochure leaks and other sneak previews for many months now, Honda's hybrid CR-Z has finally been officially unveiled at the Detroit motor show.

The production car, though less dramatic than the concept, still looks great and remains remarkably close to the original design. Sharing styling cues with both the first and second-generation Insight hybrids and the first two generations of CRX, Honda claims that the car will be great fun to drive despite its modest power output of 122bhp and 128lb/ft of torque (at a low 1000-1500rpm). All this is provided by a 1.5 litre VTEC four-cylinder with Honda's IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid system.

The 60mph from rest benchmark comes up in just under ten seconds - not a figure that will set the world alight, but enough in a compact and lightweight hatch to have some fun, especially on UK roads. Honda's intentions for a great drive are spoken loudly by their decision to offer a six-speed manual transmission as well as the CVT typical of normal hybrids, and the CVT itself offers a paddle-shift mode. As with many modern cars with "sporting" intentions, the CR-Z offers a three-mode drive system with normal, sport and economy settings.

Economy on America's EPA cycle is estimated (in UK gallons) at 43mpg city and 46mpg highway for the CVT model and 37mpg/44mpg for the manual transmission, though this is of course determined by whether you choose to drive it like a hot hatch or like a hybrid...

The CR-Z is expected to go on sale in the Summer. If there's one car that Tarmac test drives this year, the CR-Z will be it! (Yes, those promised drives will start happening eventually...)

(All images: AutoBlog)

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Past, present and future in advert form

If you've been watching prime-time TV recently you might well have noticed two particular car adverts that stand out from the usual dross (VW and Honda adverts excepted, as they're usually excellent). These adverts come from Renault and BMW, and both run along a similar theme - that cars are more than simply just transport - they're objects that have changed our lives for the better and continue to do so.

How do you do that without sounding too cheesy? Get respected actors Patrick Stewart and Ewan McGregor (for BMW and Renault respectively) to do the voiceovers, give them an uplifting soundtrack ("Somewhere only we know" by Keane in Renault's case) and place as much emphasis on your past cars as you do on the ones you want to sell today.

Car adverts are an awkward business. Volkswagen usually seem to manage, with German and now international firm Doyle Dane Bernbach having handled most of their advertising since the original Beetle ads in the 1950s. Some of Honda's adverts in the past decade have been excellent - Cog and Choir stand out in particular, and Impossible Dream, which was possibly of some inspiration to Renault and BMW with their recent efforts.

The approach taken by Renault and BMW is refreshing. Of course, it might not be to all tastes, but both adverts seem to take a step back from the self-indulgent and glitzy unreality of normal car adverts and make both companies seem that little bit more down-to-earth.

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Tommy Kaira hybrids

Japanese car tuning and manufacturing firm Tommy Kaira have now turned their attention to hybrids, it seems, in a break from their normal line of hot Nissans. In contrast to the wild GT-Rs, Skylines and Z-cars that usually benefit from Tommy Kaira's body and engine upgrades, the Toyota Prius 3 and Honda Insight might seem a little tame, but the big wheels, beefy exhausts and squat stance used rather suits the shape of each car - especially the Insight.

Of course, one has to question the motive for performance tuning on hybrids. When manufacturers have spent so long perfecting aerodynamic shapes in wind tunnels and choosing low-rolling resistance wheels and tyres, it seems nonsensical to take several steps back by increasing drag and resistance with kits like these.

You also have to wonder who'd actually buy the kits. I certainly can't see them being popular with the Ecomodding crowd, and many car "enthusiasts" seem to take a dim view of hybrids, expecting they'll spell doom and gloom for performance motoring, so there doesn't seem to be an obvious market there earlier.

But of course, the main market is in Tommy Kaira's native Japan, where customers aren't beyond tuning tiny Kei cars, let alone relatively powerful hybrids. Perhaps there, where aerodynamics have little effect in inner-city traffic, the draw of a tuned hybrid is much greater.

And of course, a belated happy New Year to all Tarmac's readers. Best wishes for 2010!

(Images: Tommy Kaira)

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