Friday, April 29th
Well-maintained Tyres can Save you Money
Apart from the blindingly obvious fact that well cared for tyres will last longer, and therefore not need premature and expensive replacement, there are other things we regularly forget to do to look after our tyres. This past week was a Tyre safety week in America, such were the concerns that people were not aware of how to care for this vital piece of their vehicle. Research showed that roghly 85% of drivers don't properly check tyre pressure. Under-inflated tyres can cut fuel-economy by up to 2% per pound of pressure below the recommended level, it also compromises safe driving...........[
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Thursday, April 28th
Fitting Your New Alloys...
If you're unable to get to a depot for your alloy wheels and are buying by mail order, you'll be fitting them yourself. Here is some information to help you do it correctly: Before you start, you need to ensure you have the right sort of bolts - these have various diameters, threads and seatings. We'll be able to advice you on what specification of bolt you should be using. Next you need to jack your car up, be sure to use axle stands and chock the wheels still in contact with the ground with the parking brake applied. Put...........[
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Wednesday, April 27th
Even more reasons to go to Topgear Hayes
Not only do Topgear Hayes provide quality custom built stainless steel exhausts for any car and the latest designs in alloy wheels and tyres, they can also offer vehicle servicing and in car entertainment installs. So, if you want to be able to watch the latest films frm your car, turn heads with the loudest, baddest bass tones, get down to Topgear Hayes who will be able to sort it for you...........[
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Boy Racers Beware: Girls Invade the Scene
April 2nd was the official start of the car show season, and the Mean Street Cruise was an unofficial kick-off. Held in the Essex Arena in Thurrock, it was a buzz of sports enthusiasts, businesses selling the latest gizmos, tip-swapping sessions and of course a raft of car-owners showing off their creations. On the girlracer.co.uk stand was Amy Slade - a 21 year old student of Media Production from Hemel-Hempstead - with her Peugeot 106. She has added 18in wheels, a full body kit, graphics, a colour coded interior and an Ice system - all of this swallowing roughly £8,000...........[
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Tuesday, April 26th
Alloy Wheel TLC...
Nearly 50% of cars now sit on a pair of alloy wheels, but there are often far from glinting in the sunshine. It's hard to remember to clean what is one of the smallest areas of your car, so close to the ground and surely not nearly as important as ensuring your paintwork is flawless... but alloy wheels need TLC if they're to maintain their finish and appeal. Especially compared to a plastic wheel cover, alloys are a magnet for brake dust, which eventually gets baked on by the brake disc heat and makes cleaning with water and soap completely...........[
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Monday, April 25th
Weekend Support Rally for MG Employees
On Saturday London hosted what was the lastest is a series of rallies for MG and Rover enthusiasts, gathering to show their support for the workers at the Longbridge plant in the British Midlands, who are facing imminent unemployment. This will likely be their last chance for such a show of support for the estimated 25,000 workers who will be affected by recent events at Longbridge. Steve Childs, from the MG and Rover website said, "the demise of MG Rover is a national issue…There is just over 100 years of history of car manufacturing at Longbridge and we do not...........[
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Saturday, April 23rd
Friday, April 22nd
Are False Security Claims Putting Your Vehicle at Risk?
A new survery by a major auto retailer has revealed that one in five motorists have been the victim of car-park related crimes. They have also suggested a possible cause - that over 30% of car parks are poorly lit with no security measures at all. What's perhaps even more worrying is the discovery that even the parks that claim security, are not neccessarily telling the truth. Shireen Fowler from Hull parked her Volkswagen Golf in a supposedly 'safe' car park in the West Midlands - one she had specifically chosen to safe guard some expensive purchases she was making...........[
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Thursday, April 21st
New Wolfrace and Aisa Tec Alloy Wheels
Topgear are pleased to have the latest Aisa-Tec and Wolfrace Alloy wheels available for sale on our website. The new for 2005 designs are the latest in alloy wheel design and look fantastic so make sure you order now to get your car looking great for the summer. Click here for Wolfrace Alloy wheels or Click here for Aisa Tec Alloy wheels...........[
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Wozencroft Takes on the Welsh Forests
The first round of the British Rally Championship ‘Stars of the Future’ takes place in Mid Wales this weekend, where Shropshire driver James Wozencroft will be going for glory in his Suzuki Ignis 1400, with his cordriver Robert Fagg. Despite driving with just a 1400cc engine beneath him, Wozencroft has shown consistent form, including a 3rd placing at the recent BRC Live!Rally Sprint in Nuneaton. For the more serious Panaround Rally James is all business for the 60 stage miles into the Dyfi and Gartheiniog forests near the Rally base in Dolgellau. While confident, Wozencroft knows he cannot presume success...........[
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Wednesday, April 20th
Car or Computer?
It seems the line between the two is getting finer, as GM reveal what they describe as "the most technologically integrated vehicle ever" at the SAE World Congress in Detroit last week. Their Cadillac STS SAE 100 will be used as a working laboratory to aid in future car designs for the company. The technologies they have merged with the car are over 50 in number, here are a select few in detail: - a 3D navigation system, with detail right down to lamposts and trees, imagery produced by satellites. - an oil condition sensor, giving you exact measurements on...........[
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Tuesday, April 19th
Edwards Takes on the Gravel Rally Championship
Jamie Edwards, from Wrexham, is making preparations for the second round of the Formula 1000 Gravel Rally Championship, with his co-driver Pamela Hilton from Farnborough alongside. The duo have maintained consistent form throughout the championship and have a top 3 point standing to defend. "I think the first stage will probably decide the outcome of the rally," said Jamie. "At nearly 20 miles long, it really will be all to play for in that stage. We were extremely cautious on the opening stage of the Astra Stages, losing around 40 seconds to Chris Shaw at the sharp end of the...........[
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Monday, April 18th
2005 Pirelli Kwik Fit British Rally Championship
The 2005 Pirelli Kwik Fit British Rally Championship was held at Brancote barracks in Nuneaton this weekend, with a mix of modern rally cars and some vehicles from the 70's and 80's joining the fray. The morning saw an oppurtunity to peruse the cars of the day, and after lunch the cars took a slow convoy of the stage, to get familiar with the terrain. Apparantly even this was too much for Andy Leece's F2000 Renault Clio, which bowed out with one dark cloud of smoke. After the warmup the cars were let loose, and showmanship ensued. The 18 year-old...........[
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Friday, April 15th
GM Considers Rear-Drive Performance Car
Although plans are in limbo until GM settle on an actual design for this potential car, they have definite plans to continue the tradition of the discontinued Chevrolet Camero and Pontiac Firebird - and create a rear-drive car. Similar plans and experiments were previously halted by GM due to inflated costs, but they are now looking into using an existing car design to house the innovation. At the Society of Automotive Engineer's World Congress, the Vice President of GM Bob Lutz said, "We're going to take another look at high performance rear-wheel drive." Options for the architecture include modified forms...........[
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New Fox alloy wheels at Topgear
Topgear are pleased to now have the latest range of Fox Alloy Wheels available on our website for sale. With beautiful new designs such as the Fox RS7, Fox RS8 and Fox RS10 (see below for pictures) in sizes up to 20 inch there will be a new Fox alloy wheel for everyone. Fox RS7 Fox RS8 Fox RS10 To have a look at the full range of Fox alloy wheels CLICK HERE...........[
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Thursday, April 14th
Tour of Cornwall Title Goes to Appleby
The first round of the GPR MSA National Asphalt Rally Championship has been won by David Appleby, who fought a tough battle for the lead of the Tour Of Cornwall. This is a quick return to form for Appleby who has had a recent break from rallying. In this round he battled closely with Hendy and Aled Davies, but engine trouble with their Ford Escort WRC slowed them down slightly in the final stages and took away their lead. The Tour of Cornwall Round is by definition a difficult round - and less than half of the orginal entries to...........[
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Wednesday, April 13th
Topgear Hayes becomes a Powerflow dealer
Topgear Hayes has just become a Powerflow stainless steel exhaust dealer. People can now go to the depot and have a top quality custom built stainless steel exhaust for virtually any car. With prices ranging from £170 for a custom built back box, almost everyone can afford to improve the look and sound of their vehicle...........[
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Ex-manager of Topgear Basingstoke gets off lightly
Ex-manager of Topgear Basingstoke, Mark Coyles has been lucky to escape a custodial sentance this week. Having being found guilty of theft from Topgear, Coyles received a £1000 fine, 60 hours community service and now has a criminal record. The directors of Topgear now plan to follow the criminal case with a civil case to recover the money that was stolen...........[
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Sales Manager leaves Kahn Design
Topgear are sad to hear that sales manager Ajmad Ali has left Kahn design. Kahn Design are makers of top quality alloy wheels and Topgear have always had an excellent working relationship with Ali and the rest of the sales team at Kahn. He will be greatly missed. To see the fantastic range of Kahn alloy wheels for your vehicle click here...........[
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Tuesday, April 12th
Examples of Topgear's Powerflow Stainless Steel exhaust systems
Topgear now have a comprehensive online library of some of the many vehicles that we have made stainless steel exhaust systems for over the years. If you are wondering what your car might look like with a certain tailpipe then have a look and you may find that we have already made an exhaust for your model of car. CLICK HERE to go to the vehicle listings and see how good your car might look with a new stainless steel exhaust system from Topgear...........[
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Keep Your Car Insured & Looking Good
Car modding is a sport enjoyed all over the UK, but few people understand the regulations relating to their car insurance. It doesn't take much to update your insurer after modifications, and hopefully this article will give you some pointers to enjoying your newly modified car and ensuring you don't get into trouble with your insurance company without even realising it could happen: Car Modifications 'May Invalidate Insurance' By Rachael Crofts As many as 20% of UK drivers could be invalidating their insurance by modifying their vehicles and failing to notify their insurer of the changes, it was claimed today...........[
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Monday, April 11th
Hyundai Coupe Gets Fresh Face For 2005
Inexpensive automobiles have their place in the market, and good, inexpensive ones often prove to be happy surprises.Such is the case with the new 2005 Hyundai Tiburon SE V6. The Tiburon — Spanish for “shark” — is a pleasant and capable front-wheel-drive sports coupe whose road manners belie its bargain-basement price. This new-look Coupe features a redesigned front profile including new headlamps, aggressive looking new front air intake, front bumper and fog lamps, new side ‘shark gills’, new rear light clusters, new door mirrors, 17 inch alloy wheels on the 1,975cc 2.0 SE (as seen up to now on the...........[
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Friday, April 8th
Theatrical Vehicle Design...
A Scion with Aftermarket Attitude Written by Business Wire Creativity is king in the North American automotive aftermarket. Just ask designer Troy Sumitomo, who presides over Huntington Beach, Calif.’s Five Axis Models, one of the premiere fabrication and custom car companies in the business. In an industry pegged to reach the $53 billion mark by 2006, the North American aftermarket is fueled by products and vehicle components sold for both DIY (do-it-yourself) and service provider installation. But what happens when a car company like Scion, recognized as an industry champion for creativity and individuality, asks you to create the most...........[
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Shock news in the car industry
The car industry was left reeling yesterday at the shock announcment that the front nearside wheel of the boss of Topgear's car had been curbed. After lending his BMW M3CSL to a friend for 2 hours, Steve was shocked to hear that in doing a U-Turn, Mark Teideman, of food giant Forest Product had curbed the 19" original BMW wheel. "I just can't believe it, nobody saw this coming" was Steve's only comment. Tiedeman was a little coy as he walked into the Topgear head office, only saying that he heard a big grinding sound and knew immediately what had...........[
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Thursday, April 7th
National Car Care Month...
April actually marks National Car Care Month in America, and for this the NASCAR Automotive Licensing is launching a nationally televised Public Service Announcement promoting regular vehicle care. NASCAR celebrities will be involved with the project, so you may see their faces on your tv screens sometime soon. You can find news, points updates and lots of other NASCAR information at their homepage . It may not be a designated Month in the UK, but it's certainly a focus we would benefit from sharing! You can find all kinds of information and advice at the website of the Car Care...........[
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Tuesday, April 5th
Tyres - The Key to a Healthy Car
Tyres - The Key to a Healthy Car Tyres are one of the most important pieces of equipment on your car. It doesn't matter how well everything else works, engine, transmission, suspension, even brakes... if the tyres cannot grip the road properly then you have no traction, and therefore no control. In order to provide the right traction and control a tyre requires adequate tread to shed water and grip the road effectively. They also have to maintain good inflation, in order to have good contact with the ground and so good cornering. Unfortunately tyres are one aspect of a...........[
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Monday, April 4th
Renault win again in Bahrain
Fernando Alonso has stamped his authority on his second Grand Prix in a row, winning in Bahrain this weekend. In another virtual lights to flag finish Alonso destroyed the rest of the field, finishing 13 seconds in front of Toyota's Jarno Trulli and 32 seconds ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. Ferrari's 2005 car made it's debut and in the early stages looked like it could be a winner in the hands of Michael Schumacher but a spin for him on lap 10 while just behind Alonso put him out of the running and he was forced to retire a lap later...........[
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Friday, April 1st
Choosing Motor Insurance
Choosing Motor Insurance There may be alot of competition in the Car Insurance business, but the vast majority of drivers are still paying far too much for their insurance. There are a number of steps you can take when searching for an insurer, to make sure you get a good deal: - Phone around. the most important thing is trying a number of insurers and getting an idea of their prices; play them against each other. Three direct insurers and a couple of brokers is a good number to talk to. - Alot of insurance firms specialise in a certain...........[
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