Although I’m a...
Although I’m a city boy at heart, these days I live out in the sticks. I moved partly because my London garage couldn’t cope with the strain I put on it. Today, I have a stately three-vehicle lock-up to keep my toys in. It houses my recently restored Volvo P1800, Lambretta GP200 and a kit car, which is my new winter project. Sadly, living out in the country does take its toll on my somewhat fragile motors. Farmers are constantly pulling mud out of fields and on to the roads, the miserable summer has dirtied up the lanes and the birds round here are like flying cattle, leaving a mark that only a chisel can remove.
It"s a hole in one for...
It"s a hole in one for the new Volkswagen Golf, as it has been awarded the maximum five stars in European safety tests.
The German firm announced the results last week ň€“ ahead of their official release in November by testing body Euro NCAP. They show that the model has beaten its predecessorň€™s score.
Although the Golf MkV had a five-star rating, the new car has been awarded 36 out of 37 points for adult occupant protection ň€“ three more than the old model.
A VW spokesman attributed the newcomerň€™s score to the firmň€™s ň€śdedication to accident research and pioneering safety standardsň€ť, such as the carň€™s first knee airbag. The Golf also scooped four out of five stars for child passenger safety, but only three out of four for pedestrian protection. Euro NCAP plans to place greater emphasis on this part of the test in a tougher version of its rating scheme, due to be announced in February.
The Golf MkVI is also one of the first cars to get a score for whiplash protection. This test is carried out by UK research centre Thatcham on behalf of Euro NCAP. The full results will be published in November.