Can you spot the difference between these images? The subject is a Sonic Red Lexus LC500, photographed at various London locations. One of the slides is shot in Gran Turismo Sport’s excellent photo mode, the other is a real shot.
To test the theory that modern game graphics are truly lifelike, Lexus enlisted the help of professional photographer Jayson Fong to help create some images in-game, and then retake them in real life. They picked Air Street, Cromwell Place and Wellington Street in London, as featured in the game’s ‘Scapes’ mode.
As for the car? It’s a good one to test both photographer and observer. With a nice mix of clean and harsh lines, we love the way the LC500 looks in certain environments, reflecting what’s around it.
Then, once the images were taken on the game, Jayson and his team noted down the exact geometry, time of day and light settings to replicate the pictures in real life. As Jayson follows, lighting was the biggest challenge.
“For some locations, we had to be on the street at 4am and it was difficult to get the timings right because the sky was always going to be one of the biggest giveaways.”
It proved a tall task practically when it came to shooting the car for real, then. Given the closeness of the results, we wouldn’t blame you for leaving it to the professionals and taking to the PlayStation for some artistic automotive photography.
The results really are spectacular, given that we’re never quite sure which is real. Especially in the case of the Cromwell Place daytime shot. We’re unsure what the giveaway is. The bin bag? The reflections on the car? The yellow lines? The scaffolding? They’ve done a great job of matching the shots.
Prices have been revealed for Smart’s updated range of electric cars. The line-up of Fortwo Coupe and Cabriolet, plus the larger Forfour, will cost between £20,350 and £26,565, before the government plug-in car grant is deducted. After the grant, that equates to between £16,850 and £23,065.
The Smart range opens up with Passion Advanced. This brings as standard a multi-function leather steering wheel, rear parking sensors and a media system. The latter features a seven-inch touchscreen, navigation, charging station finder, Bluetooth, automatic climate control, DAB radio, Android Auto connectivity and Mirrorlink mobile phone mirroring.
All Smarts also come with the ‘acoustic presence indicator’ – to warn unwary pedestrians – and comfort package as standard. On the outside, 15-inch black four-spoke wheels add to the premium effect.
A 22kW on-board charger now comes with all Smarts. That allows for a 70 percent charge-up in 40 minutes from a rapid charger, or six hours if using a home wallbox.
The only issue? This base specification is not available on the Fortwo Cabriolet. Those wanting the wind in their hair will need to pay more.
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Pulse Premium adds £1,150 to the Coupe price. It brings 16-inch wheels, sports pedals, a rear-view camera and, on hard-top models, a panoramic roof with a blind.
Prime Exclusive spec will set you back £2,650 over the base price. It adds 16-inch Y-spoke alloys, ambient lighting, auto-dim mirrors and heated seats. For the first time ever on a Smart, there’s also full LED lighting.
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Edition 1 spec is available only on the two-door Smarts. It adds a healthy £4,145 to the start price, but comes with exclusive colours, black detailing, Brabus body features and sporty alloys.
All Smarts are rated for around 70 miles of range, and have an 82hp electric motor. A single-speed gearbox powers the rear wheels and top speed is limited to 81mph.
Tuning company Roush Performance has collaborated with California-based 5.11 Tactical to produce a special limited-edition version of the Ford F-150.
Launched at the recent 2020 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, the 5.11 Tactical Edition combines a wealth of performance enhancements and bespoke design upgrades.
Roush currently plans to build 150 examples of the 5.11 Tactical Edition, with the truck aimed at those who need a dependable vehicle with a hefty dose of attitude.
Rapid tactical deployment
No self-respecting Roush produce would come without one of the company’s signature superchargers added beneath the hood. The 5.11 Tactical Edition does not disappoint, with a 2.65-liter ‘charger added to the 5.0-liter V-8 engine.
Peak power is upped to an impressive 650 horsepower, with a corresponding 610 lb-ft of torque. This is the same set of figures as found in the record-breaking Roush F-150 Nitemare, meaning performance should not be in doubt here.
Roush also fits a cat-back Active Performance Exhaust system, allowing the driver to change the sound from the tailpipes at the twist of a dial. Picking ‘Touring’ mode quietens the exhaust down, which could be handy for doing important tactical activities.
Suspension upgrades are also included, with a Roush/Fox 2.0 Performance Series setup installed to improve ride comfort. Tire clearance is also said to be enhanced, with the 5.11 Tactical Edition wearing 20-inch wheels fitted with 33-inch General Grabber all-terrain rubber.
Completing the exterior makeover is a wide array of parts from the Roush catalogue. This includes a new front grille with signature lighting, plus fender flares which also house accent lighting elements. Puddle lights also display the Roush logo when the truck is unlocked.
Roush will only offer the 5.11 Tactical Edition is two Ford colors – Agate Black or Abyss Gray. This is combined with digital camouflage graphics and 5.11 Tactical logos applied to the outside of the F-150.
Lock and load up on tactical gear
The Tactical theme continues inside, where Roush has installed a custom-branded vehicle safe in the center console. Fitted with a combination lock, and made from cold-rolled plate steel, it allows for secure storage of important equipment.
Roush-branded leather seats are fitted, along with a Roush instrument cluster and a set of bespoke floor liners made by WeatherTech.
In addition to the special Roush badging fitted on the exterior of the 5.11 Tactical Edition, each of the 150 models will also gain a serialized commemorative plaque on the dashboard.
A collaboration with a tactical clothing and equipment manufacturer would surely be wasted without an accompanying haul of branded goods.
Roush has not disappointed with this special edition. Buyers will receive a branded tactical duffle bag, a custom 5.11 Tactical hard case with a heavy-duty responder’s multi-tool inside, a custom tactical pen, a steel money clip, plus a range hat and USA flag patch.
Each of the 150 trucks will come with a unique serialized certificate of authenticity when leaving the Roush Performance factory in Michigan.
Time to make a tactical decision
The 5.11 Tactical Edition joins the growing number of special outdoor-focussed pickups, with Chevrolet having released the Silverado HD Carhartt Edition at SEMA last year.
Pricing for the 5.11 Tactical Edition is dependent on the base F-150 chosen as a starting point. However, the transformation itself will add $31,000 to the overall price, with Roush only using the 5.0-liter V-8 Lariat model.
All Roush trucks are supplied with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty, and can be ordered now with delivery expected in Spring 2020.
Ferrari has been ranked the world’s strongest brand for the second year in a row. That’s according to the Brand Finance Global 500 report for 2020.
A brand strength index score of 94.1 out of 100 earns Ferrari the top spot on the list. It’s ahead of 11 other brands to have been awarded the highest AAA+ rating. It did, however, drop slightly from its 2019 score of 94.8.
Ferrari is also the only automotive brand to get an AAA+ rating. It defeated second-placed Disney (93.9), which spent more than seven-times the total brand value of Ferrari on film and TV assets owned by Fox.
Coca Cola, meanwhile, came sixth, with a score of 90.9 in the BSI index.
In the name of preserving exclusivity, Ferrari plans to cut licencing agreements by 50 percent, and eliminate 30 percent of its product categories. Could that mean cheap Ferrari aftershave is a thing of the past?
The brand value of Ferrari grew to nearly £7 billion last year: a year-on-year rise of nine percent. The result is that, overall, Ferrari is 206th in the top 500 most valuable brands. It climbs from 220th place in 2019.
Its success partly due to a new model offensive. Last year saw the marque introduce five new cars, including the SF90, a new supercar designed to deliver hybrid-hypercar performance, and the Roma, a higher-volume GT.
In terms of other areas of its business, Ferrari also closed a deal with the Giorgio Armani Group for the manufacturing of its clothing.
“The embodiment of luxury, Ferrari continues to be admired and desired around the world, and its outstanding brand strength reflects this,” said David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance.
“It is no wonder that many consumers, who might never own a Ferrari car, want a bag or a watch emblazoned with the Prancing Horse, but it is also crucial that the company management remain at the steering wheel of the brand’s future and maintain its exclusive positioning by monitoring the licensing output closely.”
A Swedish company specialising in mobile living has launched what it claims is an industry-first bike rack camera.
If you’ve struggled to reverse a motorhome, campervan, estate car or van with a bike rack on the back, the Dometic CAM200 Bike Rack Camera could be the best product of 2020.
It’s a common problem for anyone travelling with a bike rack. With the bikes loaded, the rear-view camera is obscured. This restricts the view for the driver, making it harder to reverse when the bike rack is in use.
Two cameras
Dometic’s patent-protected bike rack camera is the solution. It fits on the lower section of the bike rack to provide a clear rear view for the driver. Dometic says that by mounting it low, the “risk of misjudging the length of the rack can be excluded”.
As a bonus, the camera can be fitted without drilling on most bike racks – it simply slides into the outer rail by tightening the in-built screws.
The CAM2000 features two individually adjustable camera models, allowing the driver to find the best possible viewing angle. It switches between the two cameras to provide a clear view, even when bikes are loaded.
Of interest to UK buyers is the fact that the bike rack camera is waterproof. It’s also dust-proof. The system cable is detachable, so that the bike rack can be removed from the vehicle when not in use.
On sale in February for £320
It goes on sale in February 2020, with prices starting from €379 (£320).
Dometic separated from Electrolux in 2001. The Swedish firm specialises in products designed for the mobile living sector, which includes RVs and boats. Its portfolio includes cameras, monitors, air conditioners, awnings, toilets, blinds, generators, vacuum cleaners and sanitation systems.
The company turned over 18.274m SEK (£14.725m) in 2018 and employs 8,000 people across the world.
The tool works in 3D, and makes use of the fact the new Plus Six is the first Morgan entirely designed using computer aided design (CAD). Users can move around the car and look closer at specific details. The system can run in high, medium or low quality, depending on the speed of your connection.
Morgan claims there are more than a trillion possible specifications. That’s over 1,000 billion, or a million million… When they say you can make your car your own, you really can.
Two initial options are available – standard or Touring. The latter adds a roof and removable windows.
The interior is fully customisable, with different materials, leather stitches, colours and trims. On the outside, you can customise beyond the paint colour, with plenty of different wheel and accessory options.
If you’re not sure where to start when speccing up your Morgan, fear not. Morgan has listed some ‘inspirations’ to serve as starting points.
Price is important, so you’ll be able to keep tabs on the climbing cost as you progress through the configurator. When you’re done, save the spec and a packet of images to show off. And if you want to order, send it to Morgan.
So what does our Plus Six look like? We went for Sport Green over tan leather, with the ‘Speedster’ pepperpot wheels in black. With various trim and colour selections, we got the price up to nearly £83,000.
“We’re immensely proud to bring you our most advanced configurator yet,” said Michael Smith, lead digital designer at Morgan Motor Company.
“It’s the culmination of months of development work, bringing together teams across the business and externally. A highlight for me was working with the CAD engineers and designers to repurpose their work on the Plus Six. What’s been created is an extremely modern tool anyone can use at home or in a Morgan dealership.
“Built using the latest digital rendering technology, users can accurately visualise their dream Morgan in full 3D, utilising realistic paint rendering in incredible quality. We hope our customers and enthusiasts enjoy using the configurator.”
Half a million cars had a late MOT in January 2019, as cash-strapped motorists deferred the test until payday. Of these, around 70,000 cars FAILED with a dangerous fault – that’s 14 percent.
January is a tough period for the household budget, with many families still paying the price for over-indulging at Christmas. The problems mount when the credit card bill arrives towards the end of the month.
Deferring an MOT is illegal and could be expensive. Anyone caught driving a vehicle without an MOT is likely to be fined up to a maximum of £1,000. It’s for this reason that Highways England is urging drivers to make sure their car has a valid MOT.
There’s no excuse for a late MOT. While some garages will contact a customer up to a month prior to the date of expiry, there are some things you can do from the comfort of your home. These include:
Putting a note on the calendar. Make sure you transfer the date when you get a new calendar at the start of the year. Alternatively, use the calendar on your smartphone and set a reminder for a month before the test is due.
Sign up for a free MOT reminder via the government website. You need the vehicle’s registration number and a mobile phone number or email address. If you own a car, van or motorcycle, you’ll receive a text message or email one month before the MOT is due.
Download an app to keep track of your car’s service and maintenance. The AA app includes special offers, a map and information about your car, including when the MOT is due, tyre pressures and the VED renewal date. You’ll receive a reminder before the MOT runs out.
If you’ve lost your MOT certificate, it’s worth remembering that you can check the MOT history of a vehicle at any time via the government website. You’ll need the vehicle’s registration number.
According to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), around 50 percent of all faults found during the MOT test could be avoided by carrying out regular maintenance or by checking some basic items before the test.
Further MOT data reveals that around 40 percent of cars fail their MOT at the first attempt. Check out our guide to 10 easy pre-MOT checks to increase the chances of your car passing first time.
Simple regular checks for drivers
Highways England has issued further advice for drivers, regardless of when the MOT is due. These include:
Check tyres
Prior to a long journey, check your tyre pressures are suitable for the load and the condition of your tyres. Look out for cuts or wear and make sure the tyres have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm.
Check engine oil
Use your dipstick to check oil regularly and before any long journey. Take your car back to the garage if you’re topping up more than usual.
Check water
To ensure you have good visibility, always keep your screenwash topped up so you can clear debris or dirt off your windscreen.
Check lights
If your indicators, hazard lights, headlights, fog lights, reverse lights or brake lights are not functioning properly, you are putting yourself and your family at risk. In addition, light malfunctions can be a reason for your vehicle to fail its MOT.
Check fuel
Before setting out, check your fuel levels and make sure you have enough to reach your destination.
For more hints and tips, please visit our motoring advice section.
Caterham is, for the first time, offering finance packages across its model range – and the packages extend to those who want to go racing in the Caterham Academy.
Developed in partnership with Santander Consumer Finance, the new package allows enthusiasts to now pay for a Caterham via affordable monthly payments (and it includes new and used models).
The PCP-style conditional sale has a balloon payment at the end. Along with Caterham’s famously strong residual values, this helps keep monthly payments low.
The representative APR is 7.9 percent.
Including the Caterham Academy Package in the deal is unique. Priced from £29,995, this comprises a whole season of racing, at famous UK circuits such as Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Knockhill in Scotland.
Strictly for novices, the Caterham Academy turns people into fully-qualified racers – the deal includes an official Association of Racing Driver School (ARDS) test.
Caterham Academy cars are fully road-legal and, if racers pay off the balloon payment, they get to keep their racing car. Alternatively, they can choose to upgrade it onto the next ladder on the series, the Caterham Roadsport championship.
“Cost has always been the biggest hurdle for any racing driver, especially those looking to get started in the sport,” said Caterham CEO Graham Macdonald.
“By splitting the cost of racing a full season in the Caterham Academy across several monthly payments, we are making racing more affordable and open.”
More broadly, said Macdonald, most cars today are purchased on finance. “It was a logical next step for us to include finance offers for our road and race cars.
“By dividing the cost of ownership across low monthly payments, we are aiming to attract a new, wider customer base of driving enthusiasts and aspiring race car drivers.”
Full Caterham Finance example
Cash price of vehicle
£29,995
Customer Deposit
£6,623.60
Amount of credit
£23,371.40
Interest charges
£6,025.62
Fixed rate of interest
4.09% p.a
Representative APR
7.9% APR
48 monthly payments of
£299.99
1 final balloon payment of
£14.997.50
Total amount payable
£36,020.62
Duration of the agreement
49 months
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Sometimes car accidents can’t be avoided. But how much do they actually cost to put right, on average?
Research conducted by MoneySuperMarket found the average cost is around £415. That almost equals the average price of a year’s fully-comprehensive car insurance cover, which is £459.
An accident can add up to nine percent (£69) to a driver’s premium when it comes to renewing.
How much does the average accident cost?
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Of the 37 percent who that said they’d had an accident in the last five years, one in five said they paid up to £100. This goes on repairs and associated insurance costs. A quarter had paid between £201 and £400, while 10 percent said they’d spent considerably more: between £801 and £1,000.
The most common repair is paintwork (45 percent). Bumpers (49 percent) and lights (29 percent) also attract a lot of damage. Of those who said they’d been in an accident during the last five years, a quarter said they didn’t claim on their insurance.
Car insurance: should you claim?
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Deciding whether to claim on your insurance will depend on the kind of accident you have, and the car you drive. If it’s minor damage and the car is safe and drives, it could be in your best interests to handle the cost yourself. Indeed, depending on what your voluntary excess is, it will cost you a certain amount anyway.
However, some cars, and certain repairs, mean it will just be easier to go through your insurance company. It’s also important to note that not claiming and not declaring are two entirely different things.
You must always declare an accident to your insurers. However, you can chose whether the insurer covers the cost of the repair or replacement of your car.
“Our research shows that claiming after an accident could potentially add £69 to your premium, which may explain why a quarter of drivers who have an accident do not make a claim to their insurer,” said Dave Merrick of MoneySuperMarket.
“In some cases, it can be more cost efficient to make a claim rather than paying for the costs yourself. Whatever you decide, you should always let you insurer know. Most policies will have a clause that requires you to declare any incidents, regardless of who is at fault. Failing to do so could invalidate your policy.”
“Distracted driving is a leading cause of road accidents in the UK,” said Nick Lloyd, head of road safety at RoSPA.
“Any secondary activity which takes eyes off the road is potentially dangerous. As well as being a physical distraction, vaping while behind the wheel can create visibility problems if clouds of vapour are produced.”
At the moment, using a vape while driving isn’t illegal. Nor are there points about it in insurance policies. Any accident related to vaping could potentially be considered as distracted driving.
Soon, however, it’s expected that vaping while driving will be clamped down upon, by lawmakers and insurers alike.
A spokesperson for specialist car insurance broker Carbon told AMT: “There could be exclusions written into some insurance policies in the future”.
“Even though our panel of insurers doesn’t currently ask whether drivers vape when they’re looking for a quote, it may well be something that gets asked in the near-future.”
