Oulton Park Gold Cup 2012

YOU simply can't say no to the sight of a rally-prepared MK2 Escort going sideways.

Yes, I know that the Oulton Park Gold Cup was held last weekend - an eternity ago in news terms. I also know that, despite numerous invitations to go, I couldn't make it because newspapers don't really do Bank Holidays, so while everyone else was getting soaked at a race circuit in Cheshire I was in Southport, typing away at my desk.

Petrolhead and friend of Life On Cars Katie Massam did make it to the event, though, and sent these pictures over for anyone into a Scandinavian flick:

Have you got a story you'd like to share with Life On Cars send an email to david.simister@hotmail.co.uk or simply leave a comment below...

The Nissan Juke is the modifier's car of the moment

IT WAS as tall as a wardrobe and some might argue about as pretty, but by gum it was quick. In the right hands, the Nissan Juke R could give most supercars a run for their money.

I'm not one of the journalists lucky enough to be given a go in the GTR-engined Ferrari basher but the first time I came across it I heard it before I saw it, an almighty, industrial roar, following seconds later by an unlikely black blur rocketing past on a private test track. Offering the sort of pace Porsche customers are more familiar with in a high-riding hatchback off-roader thing is, you've got to admit, an incredible engineering achievement.

But the Juke R's real success - and I know Nissan's marketing men are probably nodding smugly at this - is that the Juke seems to have become, out of nowhere, the modifier's car of the moment. On increasingly frequent occasions, pimped-out Jukes have become visitors at car shows. The quirkily-styled SUV from Sunderland is treading the same territory the Ford Capri, the Vauxhall Nova and the Citroen Saxo used to call their own.

This is unfortunate, because not only am I yet to drive a Juke (although I've got a little experience of the bigger, duller and even more ubiquitous Qashqai), but, two years on, I'm still struggling to form an opinion on it. One moment I hate its gawky face and faux Paris-Dakar wheelarches, but then the next I'm quietly admiring the direction the stylists took, because while you'll either love it or hate it, you'll have an opinion of some sort on it. Try saying that about the Volkswagen Touran.

But - and I think it's one of the few cars I can say this about - the Juke does seem to take the Pimp My Ride stuff in its stride. Those wheelarches, for instance, are so enormous they make the standard model look a bit underwheeled, but I've seen a couple with enormous alloys and whitewall tyres that look the business. It also, because it looks like a bit bonkers to begin with, seems to suit silly spoilers and tinted windows. I've no idea why, but it's increasingly becoming one of those cult cars that encourages all sorts of automotive creativity.

Which is a good thing. Let me know if you think yours is a bit of a blank canvas...

Fire up the... Vauxhall Astra GTC

YOU know you're living in more stylish times when you can freely use “Vauxhall Astra” and “good looking” in the same sentence, but it's true. This new Vauxhall Astra is genuinely good looking.

There are, even if this aesthetically enlightened age plenty of cars you could call striking or challenging but the Astra GTC achieves something much more remarkable, it is one of those coupes that rings all the right visual eyes with almost everyone who takes it in.

Then again, twenty years ago the company's Calibra dissapointed drivers when it was launched, because under its equally striking skin were unexcitingly ordinary Cavalier mechanicals. In order to impress against the likes of Volkswagen's Scirocco and Hyundai's Veloster - which also offer sleek coupe lines with a hint of hatchback practicality - it'll have to offer substance to back its style up.

Like the Veedub and the Hyundai, the GTC's really more of a three-door hatchback with added glitz than a truly no compromises coupe, and while that means you might lose a little in glamour what you gain is big practicality, with genuinely useful headroom and legroom inside, even in the back, where most of its rivals lose out.

The 1.7 diesel version I tried offers plenty of punch too - it's a shame about the slightly tractoresque soundtrack you get when you start it up, but the tradeoff is a claimed 62 to the gallon and lots of low down torque to play with. Even more impressively, it's well equipped, coming with no less than six airbags and a stash of gadgets as standard.

Is it worth spending your £21,200 on? If you're looking for something with a lot of pose factor probably not - it's attractive but not attention-grabbingly so and interior's little staid for all its solidity, but if you're looking for a great looking car which appeals to your head and heart in equal measure it's well worth a look.

I'd still go for a Scirocco first but if the VW's not your bag, you'll love it.

Motorbike parade in memory of Ben Gautrey is a poignant success

A POIGNANT parade which paid tribute to a Southport motorbike racer who died last year has helped to raise hundreds of pounds for a charity set up in his memory.

The Benjamin Gautrey Foundation, set up by friends and family of the 18-year-old rider who was killed at a race at Cadwell Park in August last year, said that a fundraising stall and tribute parade at last weekend's Ormskirk MotorFest had been seen by thousands of visitors, with more than £255 being raised to help the charity's aims of promoting grassroots sports.

Ben's mother Lorraine told Life On Cars: "The event was excellent and went far better for the foundation than any of us could have expected, with lots of people coming over to have a look and find out more about the charity. It isn't just about motorbike racing, but about all the sports Ben took such a keen interest in.

"The parade in particular went really well, with the bikes looking spectacular as they went around the streets of Ormskirk. Everything was done in a very poignant way and it was very emotional for everyone involved, but I'm delighted that it went so well and that so many people took an interest in what we're doing."

The charity not only had a stall set up in Coronation Park, where thousands of visitors to the event went to see the classic cars and bikes on display, but also had a special parade around the town centre, which was led by a replica of the 600cc Gearlink Kawasaki which Ben rode during his final race.

An additional tribute to Ben was also paid at Cadwell Park, the Lincolnshire circuit where he was killed in a race a year ago, with supporters planting a tree in his memory.

Charity supporter Alisdair Croft, who took also took part in last year's MotorFest, said: ”The foundation's supporters are absolutely delighted with how it all went, and it's clear that a lot of interest was generated and that a lot of merchandise to promote the charity's work was sold on the day.

"The parade too was a big success, and we're adament that the Benjamin Gautrey Foundation will be back at the Ormskirk MotorFest next year, and hopefully with some big names riding some of the bikes in the parade."

If you'd like to find out more about the Benjamin Gautrey Foundation, visit the charity's website at www.thebenjamingautreyfoundation.org.uk.

Picture courtesy of West Lancashire Borough Council

Video: Ormskirk MotorFest 2012

AS the raindrops bounced their way across the table and into my coffee I'd already come to a sad conclusion; this year's Ormskirk MotorFest would be a washout. It was only then the Lamborghini Countach started up.

I only saw it once last Sunday buit it was one of my highlights of a show packed with scores of cars and bikes; a brooding, black Italian supercar with silly scissor doors and a big, defiantly noisy V12 engine which ricocheted off the buildings in the otherwise quiet market town.

As it happened my bribe to the Met Office paid off; just as the show opened a few hours after my coffee, at about eleven, the sun broke through the clouds and with it came hundreds of spectators. Then it became thousands. Ormskirk, even compared to last year's inaugural event, was absolutely heaving with people who like nothing more than looking longingly at a Ferrari or three.

There was bit of automotive exotica to suit every taste - for instance, I was particularly taken by Gary Hewitt's Metro 6R4 and by an immaculate Aston DB4 - but for me the highlight was taking my own museum exhibit, the Life On Cars MGB GT, onto the streets of Ormskirk for one of the six parades taking place that afternoon. I might have been sandwiched in between a bright red Morgan and a BMW M6 - all 560bhp of it - but I reckon the MG, with its offbeat burble and polished chromework, did Ormskirk proud.

Even though I've done hundreds of laps of Ormskirk's one-way system it's a bit of a surreal experience threading a forty year old sports car through windy streets packed with spectators, especially if you've got a BMW M car doing powerslides in your rear view mirror. It might have demanded a lot of concentration but I absolutely loved it and, judging by the comments I got afterwards, so did you.

This year's MotorFest wasn't an awkward sequal to the original - it was an awesome, unforgettable event which gave everyone the chance to see F1 racers and Group B rally cars letting rip on their doorstep. Naturally, the region's petrolheads are already eagerly awaiting next year's event.

Better start saving up for my Met Office bribe, then...

  

P.S: Apologies to the bikers who pointed out yesterday's pictures were a little lacking on the motorcycle. Plenty of bike footage in the video though...

Ormskirk MotorFest 2012 - the day in pictures

THOUSANDS of petrolheads have packed into Ormskirk to make the market town’s second MotorFest event a spectacular success.

The event, organised jointly by Aintree Circuit Club and West Lancashire Borough Council, saw scores of classic cars and bikes, including Grand Prix racers and Group B rally cars, take to the town’s one way system for the climax of a day of motorsport-themed action, in what has been one of the town’s busiest trading days.

Councillor Paul Greenall, the mayor of West Lancashire, told Life On Cars: “It’s been really good, and fortunately the weather held off. There have been lots of very good cars here, and they’ve brought thousands of people into Ormskirk.

“There’s been a lot of interest in both our charities, and for Ormskirk the number of people speaks for itself. I hope there’s another event next year, because this one’s been a big success.”

Among the highlights for visitors was the chance to watch rally star Becky Kirvan put her motorsport-prepared Ford Fiesta through its paces, the parade of supercars, including the McLaren MP4-12C, and a poignant motorcycle parade held in memory of Southport superbike racer Ben Gautrey, who was killed at a race in Cadwell Park last year.

Although the threat of bad weather had loomed over the event, with participants being treated to downpours early on, sunshine during the parades later on helped to attract as many 15,000 visitors into the town centre to see the displays near the clock tower and in Coronation Park, as well as a series of parades around the town’s one way system.

Neville Hay, event commentator, said:  “I thought it went very well, especially given the limited amount of time you have to work with, the amount you have to do and the sheer number of cars involved. It’s not something that happens every day, but I think it went extremely well.

“Last year’s event went very well, but this year’s show has gone even better. I really hope it happens again next year.”

Life On Cars took these pictures at the event:

Keep an eye on Life On Cars for a video from the event, and read more in next Wednesday’s edition of The Champion newspaper (August 29 edition).

Getting ready for Ormskirk MotorFest 2012

IT'S been a busy day at Life On Cars HQ!

Not only have I nudged the Rover 214 through its MOT for a second time - at the same garage in Rainford which did such a great job of mending the MX-5 last Christmas - but I've spent an exhausting afternoon making sure my beloved MGB GT is looking its best for an event I've spent months looking forward to.


The 2012 Ormskirk MotorFest.

I'm not sure which is more likely to misbehave tomorrow - the MG or the weather - but either way I'm looking forward to seeing the surreal sight of Grand Prix cars roaring around the streets of Ormskirk, and Group B rally cars parading past the parish church.

I've been given special permission by the show's organisers to post updates on the event's Twitter feed, so if you're keen to know what's going on tomorrow or to share your thoughts either head to @2012MotorFest on the Twitter website or simply look at the cunning feed below, which will be updated throughout the show:


The official launch magazine, made by Life On Cars, has also had a great reception, with more than 1,000 people reading it since it was published last week. If you haven't had a look through it already, by means have a read whether you're planning on visiting the show or not - it's a good read (then again, I would say that, because I wrote it).

There'll also be posters at the event promoting the magazine, which you can read while you're there by simply looking for this QR code on the poster and scanning it with your smartphone:

The F1 cars, the acres of motorsport metal, the banter with the enthusiasts, the Group B rally contenders or just the chance to show off the MG to thousands of petrolheads - I'm not sure what I'm looking forward to most.

If you're planning on going to tomorrow's event, by all means pop over for a natter...

For a full follow up visit Life On Cars tomorrow (Sunday, August 26) and read next Wednesday's edition of The Champion newspaper.

Threat to car modifiers as EU considers changing MOT rules

IS YOUR car a bit of a blank canvas or should it be left as its creators intended?

That's the thorny question which has been thrown up this week by the Association of Car Enthusiasts, who have launched a campaign against plans to bring in new European proposals which would, they claim, make it almost impossible to get a modified motor through an MOT.

The group said this week in a statement on its website: “ACE has always been of the opinion that modifying of vehicles would eventually end by the ability to do so being slowly eroded by small pieces of legislation rather than one single regulation.

"We have unfortunately now been proved correct with a single item before the EC parliament that will prevent any modifying and will, currently, render already modified cars illegal. Without a large effort over the next six weeks this 'proposal' will pass into law very shortly afterwards."

While the proposals, it is being suggested, would exempt classic cars over 30 years old, it could spell disaster for enthusiasts who modify younger cars, and for new car buyers who choose to either up their performance or improve their fuel economy by taking their vehicles to tuning specialists.

A Department for Transport statement responding to the proposals, currently being considered by the European Commission, state: "The Commission proposes to introduce a definition for a roadworthiness test that components of the vehicle must comply with characteristics at the time of first registration. This may prevent most modifications to vehicles without further approval of the vehicle. (this will apply to many components and to all types of vehicle)

“The Commission proposes to change the definition of an Historic Vehicle that may be exempt from periodic testing. This may allow vehicles older than 30 years to be exempt from testing providing the vehicle has been maintained in its original condition, including its appearance.”

What do you think? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below or send an email to david.simister@hotmail.co.uk

2012 Ormskirk MotorFest set to attract thousands of visitors this weekend

THOUSANDS are expected to attend a full-throttle motorsport spectacular when it returns to Ormskirk town centre this Bank Holiday weekend.

The Ormskirk MotorFest, which is being held for the second time this Sunday (August 26) is expected to attract around 15,000 visitors as hundreds of exotic cars and motorbikes take part in displays and parades to celebrate more than a century of motorsport in the council-backed event.

Councillor Martin Forshaw, the council's portfolio holder for planning and development, said: “The Ormskirk MotorFest is a great day out for car enthusiasts and for the whole family.

"I am really looking forward to it and would encourage everyone to come along and enjoy the event. If you don’t, you will be missing out on a really special day."

A roll call of some of the mouthwatering motorsport machines are set to attend this Sunday's event, including a McLaren MP4-12C supercar, Metro 6R4 Group B rally cars, a Santa Pod top fuel dragster and classic Jaguar C-Type and E-Type sports cars among others. The bubble cars which proved a hit last year (pictured) are also set to wow the crowds once again.

This year's event will also help to support several charities, with a visit from the North West Air Ambulance - one of the mayor's charities this year - on the cards and a poignant parade in tribute to Southport superbike racer Ben Gautrey to help raise awareness of a charity set up in his memory.

Visitors to the show can also help to raise funds for the charities by entering a draw to win a ride round the town centre in one of the exciting cars taking part in the parade, while those volunteering to be safety marshals at the event will be entered into a draw to win £150.

Mike Ashcroft, Aintree Circuit Club Chairman, said: "I would urge everyone to come to the MotorFest and I am pleased we can support these charities.

"The draw we have organised will give an opportunity for visitors to ride in one of these unique machines."

The show starts at 11am, with displays along Moor Street, Aughton Street and in Coronation Park, with parades taking place around the town's one-way system later that afternoon.

A special launch magazine made by Life On Cars is now available to read on the Ormskirk MotorFest website. To find out more click here.

BMW Z4 gets the Zagato treatment

YOU know when you see the evocative slashes of the Zagato badge on a car's flanks that you're in for a bit of a visual treat.

The Italian coachbuilder has in the past treated Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin and Bentley models among others to his distinctive lines and unusual swoops, and now the Milan company's been given a BMW Z4 to play with. The striking sports car you see here, which is going on show at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, is the result.

Andrea Zagato said: "Our success in finishing the car in such a short space of time shows what is possible when two successful companies pool their resources.

“BMW is a high-achieving carmaker boasting a vast well of knowledge and technical capability in this area. When you combine that with our expertise in the creation of micro-series cars and our streamlined production processes, everything is in place to produce a beautiful model like the BMW Zagato Roadster in double-quick time”.

Among the features you won't find on an ordinary Z4 are the rear lights hidden behind a sheet of smoked black glass, the trademark Zagato 'double bubble' metalwork on the bootlid, new air outlets among the car's flanks, and a - let's say distinctive - brown and creme interior.

Among the cars Zagato has previously got the pens out for are the Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato, the Alfa Romeo SZ, the Spyker C12 Zagato and the Ferrari 575 GTZ.

2012 Ormskirk MotorFest - Read the official magazine here!

IF YOU'RE looking forward to this year's Ormskirk MotorFest then has Life On Cars got a treat for you!

For the second year running I've been given the green light to team up with Aintree Circuit Club, the event's organisers, and produce the only magazine which has their official backing, and it's packed full of news, features and information all about the motorsport-themed event on August 26.

More than twice as long as previous Life On Cars magazines, it's a delve behind the scenes of the full throttle event taking place in Ormskirk on the Bank Holiday Sunday which I hope you'll enjoy reading as much as I've enjoyed creating.

See you there...

Open publication - Free publishing - More automotive

P.S: If you missed the chance to read the official magazine on last year's show you can check it out here.

The all new Range Rover easily beats an express train. If only I could afford one

MY FAVOURITE means of lounging in luxury on the way down to London might be no more, but that's okay because Land Rover's come up with a solution.

I have to admit to feeling a slight tinge of sadness when I read that as of December the express train services along the West Coast Mainline will no longer be run by Virgin, because for the best part of a decade it's been the quickest, comfiest way to get to the capital. The car, as much as I like to sing its praises, simply can't shift you from the north west to central London in a shade over two hours.

That said, the car offers you a privacy even the swishest trains can't and if you're rich enough to regularly travel Virgin First Class then there's a new contender for your considerable amount of cash; the first new Range Rover in 11 years. Pedants, I know, will point out there's been 2005's Sport and last year's Evoque for anybody after a fresher car with those famous capital letters spelt out across the bonnet, but this is the big, proper Range Rover.

The big news for anyone planning on using one to impress their fellow golf club members/tow a horsebox/feature in a hip hop video (delete as appropriate) is that Land Rover have listened to the environmentalists and used a blend of lightweight materials and clever engines to make it less offensive to Greenpeace activists. The old one weighed twice as much as a Ford Mondeo and was so big it could qualify for its own postcode, but the new one manages to shave nearly half a tonne when it sits on the EU's set of scales.

It's also a credit to the designers of the outgoing one that it doesn't look dated and it seems it's business as usual with the new one - maybe it's not quite as bluntly imposing, but it's sleeker and showier, although I'm not entirely sure about the curious slats running down the front doors. A Range Rover is like one of those flats you see Kevin McCloud getting excited about; the elegance is in its simplicity.

There's only one problem. The new Range Rover's going to be more upmarket - or in layman's English, even more expensive - than the old one, so it means that for me at least the comfiest way to get to London is still going to be by train.

First West Coast Ltd, please don't ruin it...

The Mini show at Santa Pod was a drag for all the right reasons

YOU really needed earplugs to watch the jet car. The sound it made as it screamed past was utterly magnificent, but so loud it was actually painful.

Yesterday I thought I'd do something completely different to get my petrolhead kicks, which is why I jumped in the back of a mate's Saab for the long journey down the M1 to Santa Pod in Northamptonshire. The UK's home of drag racing was having one of its ‘Run What Ya Brung' days for Mini owners, called Mini In The Park.

The event does pretty much what it says on the tin - you pay a couple of quid, line your pride and joy up alongside someone else's pride and joy at the start of a quarter mile dragstrip, and see who gets to the other end first.

Even though I wasn't driving it was a joy to watch, particularly because there was definitely an unofficial element of Mini (the cheeky Brit runaround I've owned a couple of) versus MINI (the BMW-engineered city slicker of today). It was genuinely close stuff in some of the races - yes, the modern motor's got more power as standard, but the older cars came with all sorts of weird and wonderful modifications to make them go even faster. When one new MINI made a blistering start, only to make a large bang and deposit several expensive-looking bits of intercooler along the run, I wasn't sure if I was meant to laugh or cry.

A really quick run in a hotted-up Mini was somewhere between 10 and 15 seconds, but to appreciate the difference between really quick and a proper dragster you just had to see the jet car, a machine which manages to bend time because it's so brutally fast. I simply cannot believe it did a quarter of a mile in less than FIVE seconds, but it did, doing 265mph when it crossed the line! To put it into perspective, that's nought to the top speed of a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport in a quarter of the length of Lord Street in Southport in less than the time it'll have taken you to read this sentence. Surreal stuff.

Even though I'll make sure I bring some earplugs again next time, drag racing's definitely worth the 350 mile round trip. In car nut terms it was like Christmas had come early, only there was a different sort of Santa involved.

Life On Cars took these pictures of the event:

Fire up the... MINI Cooper S Roadster

DID the Great British Summer end ages ago or is yet to begin? Thanks to heatwaves, floods, droughts, downpours and landslides, I doubt anyone's really sure.

One thing, however, continues unabated during the country' greener months - our unusually optimistic take on it all, probably best expressed automotively through our generations of small and not-at-all-leaky sports cars. It's a mantle MINI's keen to take on with their latest addition to the small car family, a two-seater ragtop roadster aimed at the keen driver.

Posing's a big part of what sporty cars like this are all about and on this front it's usual MINI fare, with a short, stubby stylishness on the outside and lots of chunky rocker switches on the inside. To my mind it looks better than its tintop sister, the MINI Coupe, because it swaps that car's hideous baseball hat roof for neat, electrically-powered soft top that's a doddle to operate.

It's also a doddle to drive and as keen to attack corners as the rest of its MINI sisters, although I can't help feeling that if it's driving fun you're after than the 2.0 litre version of Mazda's MX-5 will offer you more thrills for the same sort of money as the Cooper S version's £19,000 asking price. That said, the rear-wheel-drive roadster can't compete with the MINI on looks or interior ambience.

Ironically, the MINI Roadster's biggest rival in my books comes from within, in the larger and more familiar shape of the MINI Cabriolet. No, the Cabriolet can't offer the same sharpness in the corners but it's still an absolute joy to drive, and it offers space for four and a bit more space for your bags. If I wanted a sports car I'd go for that infernal Mazda, but if I wanted an open-top MINI, hand on heart, I'd go for the Cabriolet.

That said, if your heart's set on enjoying the added aesthetics and agility of the MINI Roadster during what's left of summer, you won't be disappointed.

Woodvale Rally organisers "confident" of return to RAF Woodvale for 2013

PLENTY of you have got in touch about this year's Woodvale Rally, which for the first time in its forty year history wasn't actually held in Woodvale.
Thanks to everyone for your comments about this year's show, which was held this year not at its traditional home of RAF Woodvale, but at the home of the Southport Flower Show, at Victoria Park. From the feedback both on Life On Cars and at The Champion, the Victoria Park event has definitely had a mixed reaction from visitors - some loved it, others, like yourself, didn't find it as impressive as previous years.

The organisers have, however, told me since the event that they are 'confident' this year's Woodvale Rally will return to RAF Woodvale for the 2013 event, although probably the best bet is to check with the official website at www.woodvalerally.com for any official announcements about next year's show. If I hear anything, however, I'll post it on here as soon as I can.

On another note, here's some more pictures from the show, which were taken after I'd cleaned the dust on my camera lens which made the first lot of shots look a bit weird and hazy to the untrained eye: