The car market is still down 1.7 percent on last year

Figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that the new car market in the UK was just 1.7 percent down on last year, with over 150,000 new registrations.

Experts put the continuing stabilisation of the car parc down to decreasing levels of consumer caution, and enticing values for fuel economy and finance.

Paul Everitt, the SMMT’s chief executive praised the efforts of those in the motor trade, and particularly highlighted increasing sales in the fleet and business arena. Meanwhile sales in the private sector continue to fall, declining by 18.9 percent over the year to date.

The SMMT remains hopeful that the industry will reach it’s target of 1.93 million units sold in the UK before the end of the financial year, although it appreciates that the economic market is still uncertain.

Sue Robinson, Director of the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association commented: “Great performances for the fleet and diesel sectors which helped to boost the May new car market. However consumers still have a lack of confidence to buy big ticket items such as new cars and this is causing some weakness in retail car market.

That said, with significant offers with areas such as service plans and finance, there is considerable incentive for consumers and businesses alike to purchase new vehicles.”

The RMI anticipates increasing improvement for the rest of the year and into 2012, hoping for a stronger market in the next year.

Not all products in the range will be affected

3M is announcing a series of price increases across products in its aftermarket range, which will see a prices rise by an average of 5.4 percent. The company says the increases are a response to ever increasing raw materials costs.

However the increases won’t be affecting the entire product range, with best-selling products like Soft Edge Foam Masking Tape and the Scotch-Brite range being held at their current prices.

The company is currently working to update label prices nationwide, ready for the new prices to come into effect from 20^th June.

Mark Deakin, general sales and marketing manager for 3M said: “We have had to review our prices across the range as we are being charged significantly increased prices by our own suppliers for materials such as PET and propylene. This in itself is being driven by rises in crude oil prices over the past 12 months and restricted raw material supply.

Deakin says that the price increases will enable 3M to continue its supply operations uninterrupted to its national network of retailers.

Guns and cars. We like.

There comes a point in every person’s life, no matter what age, race, sex, or profession they may be, when you feel the need to get out there and do something adventurous.

For some, rock climbing holds obvious merits. For others, walking, running or cycling presents an avenue to let off aggression. Some have even been known to buy ludicrously expensive sports cars and then, after a mutual discussion with their partners, trade it back in three days later and buy some new curtains instead.

For the modern professional though, paintballing has become a phenomenon. It’s like being in the middle of an intense firefight, except you don’t get hurt. At all. I took part in a paintballing challenge a few years ago, and whilst I did end up looking like most of the Dulux paint catalogue on the outside, it didn’t hurt at all. And that has almost nothing to do with the fact that I spent most of the time cowering inside a shed, trying to think of a happier place.

But what if you’re both an adrenaline junky, and a petrol head? What on earth are you to do when the inevitable mid-life crisis hits?

Well worry no more, because Chevrolet has you covered with their new sport of car-paintball!

Now make no mistake, this is simply a paintball gun bolted to the bonnet of a Chevvy jeep. But beyond the mechanics, this looks like great fun!

And it’s a team sport too! Passengers can maneuver and aim the gun ready to fire, whilst drivers can send paintballs traveling at 20mph hurtling towards the nearest target from a button inside the cabin.

And those targets are harder to hit than in normal paintball. Because whilst they might be a lot bigger than your average human, they’ll also be delivering some pedal to the metal paintballs to your doorstep as well.

Chevvy aren’t yet sure whether they’re going to be making car-paintball into an official sport just yet. But it seems odd to launch the sport with just over a year to go until the Olympics comes our way…

The new kits are targeted for every budget

Autoglym wants to get dads washing, waxing and polishing this Father’s Day.

The car care manufacturer has brought out a new range of maintenance kits, specifically targeted to dads who like to take care of their motor. With the 19th June fast approaching, Autoglym is hoping to have the ideal present for every dad.

Starting from £12.99 and rising steadily to around the £75 mark, the kits have something for everyone. The Polished Perfection kit is ideal for the casual motorists looking to get the best sparkle from the weekend wash, while the Concours Collection (the most expensive of the kits) is more suited for the ardent motoring enthusiast, and is guaranteed to leave your car in showroom condition.

All of the kits come presented in their own carry cases, ideal for dads on the move or for taking to shows.

As well as the standard kits, Autoglym has also released a set of specific equipment sets for different motoring needs. For example, the Canine Collection (RRP £19.99) contains everything the dog-loving dad needs to clean away stains and remove poochy-pongs from the car.

Paul Caller, Autoglym’s CEO commented: “Our research indicates that Father’s Day falls at that time of year when dads across the country are most inclined to get the bucket and sponge out to treat their car to some TLC.  We’ve worked hard for forty years to develop a comprehensive range of high quality car care products, and to put our favourites into attractive gift packs for all budgets.

Specifically engineered to provide exceptional performance while being easy to use, and to provide a premium quality finish while offering great value, they’re the perfect choice for those who really want to spoil their dads on Fathers Day with a gift that lasts throughout the year.”

Continental says using the right tyre can make all the difference

Motorists in the UK are wasting almost £1 billion every year by not using eco driving techniques, new research conducted by Continental Tyres has revealed.

The tyre manufacturer’s research also found that on average, each motorist could save nearly £300 a year by using eco driving techniques, such as ensuring their tyres are at the correct pressure, and getting rid of unnecessary loads.

Over the course of a lifetime motorists could each save a shocking £18,000 in fuel bills.

A survey conducted as part of the research also found that even though 9 in 10 people are concerned about rising fuel prices in the UK, 4 in 10 admitted to having no idea what eco driving was all about.

Continental is spreading the message to motorists, giving them tips on how to maximise fuel economy. With urban driving for example, the company is asking motorists whether they really need to carry a spare tyre, when a compressor with a tyre sealant will save both weight and room.

Tim Bailey, a driving expert at Continental Tyres said: “As fuel costs continue to rise, affordable motoring is a big concern. By making minor alterations to your driving technique and doing regular basic checks such as tyre pressure, motorists can save hundreds of pounds a year.

Our research also discovered that over two thirds of motorists are unaware that tyres are now made that improve fuel efficiency through lower rolling resistance.”

The survey asked 1700 motorists for their fuel preference

With its high economy values, you might think that diesel cars would be taking over from their petrol counterparts in the mind of the modern motorist.

But a new study has shown that when deciding on their next cars, petrol still proves the most popular choice for motorists.

Vehicle hiring website ContractHireAndLeasing asked almost 2000 motorists whether they’d be choosing petrol or diesel for their next cars. 35 percent of those motorists chose to opt for a petrol option, compared to just 25 percent opting for diesel.

The reason for this is believed to be that despite the higher economy values of diesel engines, motorists are unhappy about paying the higher fuel prices that come with it.

The study also revealed that diesel cars are attracting more men than women, with 29 percent of the people opting for diesel fuel being male. A further 4 percent of people in the study said they didn’t care about what fuel their next car took, instead placing other factors like overall cost and looks in higher importance.

Bad news for EV manufacturers too, with just 2 percent of motorists saying they’d be looking to buy an electric vehicle for their next motor.

Richard Lawton, a spokesperson for the website which conducted the research said: “Although diesel took 46.1 per cent of the new car market last year, this figure included registrations from fleet buyers and business car users who favour diesel because of its fuel efficiency over long trips. Private buyers have shown that they still prefer petrol; for its lower pence per litre cost, suitability to smaller cars and the quietness of petrol engines.”

Holey-hell, Morpeth's B6343 is Britain's most potholed road

Recent cold winters could cost the Government a whopping £13 billion in pothole repairs, a survey from Labour has revealed.

The opposition party has also warned that the state of UK roads could get even worse – almost three quarters of the 111 local authorities surveyed have had their road maintenance budgets cut.

92% of the local authorities also reported having a severe backlog of urgent road repairs, but also said they didn’t have the budget to fix them all.

John Woodcock MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Minister, said: “These new figures reveal the worsening state of England’s roads as a result of the Government’s cuts – potholes have become a £13 billion problem under the Tories.

“Motorists and cyclists are already furious that Ministers have pretended to give councils extra money to repair potholes when all they’ve done is replace a fraction of the £432 million they had axed from road maintenance budgets.”

In further bad news for motorists, a survey by Potholes.co.uk, which monitors and logs the worst roads in the UK, has revealed the five worst roads in Britain.

1. B6343 near Morpeth, Northumberland
2. Fieldhead Lane near Holme, West Yorkshire
3. Long Mill Lane neat Plaxtol, Kent
4. Yattendon Road near Basildon, West Berkshire
5. Fyfield Road near Amport, Hampshire

The B6343 was so bad in fact, that Potholes named it the winner of its “most potholed road” award. Thousands of motorists all over the country nominated their hole-iest roads for consideration.

The Government recently injected £100 million of emergency funding into the budget for local authorities to set about repairing the worst roads, but motorists are still frustrated at the lack of repair work being done by local councils.

Warranty Direct, which ordered the survey, suggests that damaged roads could be costing motorists up to £1 billion every year.

MD Duncan McClure Fisher, commented: “We handle thousands of axle and suspension claims every year involving damage clearly sustained a result of the long-term deterioration of our roads.

“We welcomed the additional money in the Budget, but it needs to be a springboard in establishing a five or 10-year plan to revitalise our Third World local road network.”

Warning, the cyclist is about to make a run for it

We’d certainly like to get our hands on whatever the ladies and gents at Autoglass were sniffing when they thought of this.

The company is calling it the “windscreen of the future”, and it’s a prediction of what it expects windscreens in cars of the near future to be doing.

Features include: integrated on-screen GPS, hazard recognition and augmented reality controls.

What will the aftermarket make of this new development? And do you think it’ll become a reality? Let us know below.

Turtle Wax says it is “over the moon” after signing a promo deal with Paramount Pictures UK

The car care giant will cash in on the kudos of the new Transformers film “Dark of the moon”, set to hit screens in July.

The deal involves exclusive on-pack promotion for a range of car care products in the Turtle Wax catalogue, as well as some new launches at various Halfords stores.

Between May and August the specially branded products will be available both on Halfords’ website and in all of their 408 outlets.

The company says the deal is part of its ongoing communications strategy to improve awareness of the Turtle Wax brand.

Andrew Freeman, European marketing director, said: “This is the first time in the UK that we’ve taken the decision to create links with such a well-known film franchise.

“Recognising that the Transformers series has a massive following, a large proportion of which is made up of our key audience group, it seemed a positive partnership for us to develop alongside Halfords.”

And you can watch the trailer for the Transformers’ latest adventure below:

TomTom's Start 20 SatNav

Customers looking to get their first SatNav device can sometimes find the large range of products daunting. TomTom is hoping to give those customers an easier choice by launching its new TomTom Start 20 series.

The company says it has combined design, a larger screen size and a new operating system for its latest device.

TomTom has added two million kilometers of open road mapping to the Start 20’s already impressive lineup. Tourists will also find an increased number of POI’s (Points of Interest) added to the Start 20, almost twice as many as the previous model, in fact.

The “Help Me!” menu will also save drivers time should their journey take a turn for the worst, giving them local breakdown and emergency contact information.

Corinne Vigreux, managing director consumer at TomTom said: “New SatNav users can benefit from enhanced safety and comfort, all wrapped up in a very stylish, easy-to-use package. No other SatNav provider offers such good looks and intelligent features in a range that is predominantly aimed at first-time buyers.”