News

In a time where economic doom and gloom is apparent everywhere, it’s easy to miss the significant milestones that pass by and one of these milestones happened last week… The UK’s car making industry has taken a real beating of late. A multitude of factors have been at play. Whether it is the tightening of emission regulation, the shift away from diesel or that divisive ‘B’ word, Brexit, all of these factors have hit not just the UK’s car makers but the world...

The Geneva International Motorshow is always a hotbed of the latest metal and this year was no different. With the event witnessing a number of high profile car launches and reveals, there were several stars of the show and one particular highlight was this, the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster. To the uninitiated Lamborghini’s creations can look mad bordering on the absurd but to those in the know, this is what Lamborghini does well. A break from the mould, Lamborghini has long been ab...

In the early hours of tomorrow morning, Formula One will burst back into life as the 2019 season kicks off in earnest in Melbourne Park, Australia. The Australian Grand Prix allows us a first tantalising look at just where everybody is and gives the first indications of how the season could play out after months of extensive winter development. It was just a matter of weeks ago now that the ten teams were releasing their 2019 challengers to the public. Expressing their ambitions to the worlds m...

As Britain strives for increasingly stringent emissions rules and regulations, Transport for London is poised to roll out all-new Ultra Low Emissions Zones, (ULEZ), this coming April. With these new rules having implications for road users does your vehicle comply with the new standard and are you ready for this change to come into effect? With the new ULEZ rules designed to lower emissions in the nation's capital and improve air quality, the new Ultra Low Emission Zones will be in place in the...

The original Audi Quattro is often associated with bringing four-wheel drive technology to the mainstream. An everyday saloon vehicle but with the added edge of four-wheel drive technology. The Audi Quattro went on to become a cult classic, but the technology at its heart and what arguably made it so great is a staple in Audi’s current generation of road cars. The Audi Quattro first saw the light of day at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show with production continuing right through until 1991. Tak...

The British Touring Car Championship. Britians premier domestic motorsport series and a series that is one of the most competitive in the world. The 2018 season saw the championships 60th anniversary and throughout that period one manufacturer has seen their cars participate with potent results. That manufacturer is of course BMW. The German marque has long had its badges appear on the BTCC grid. Whilst it may not have constantly ploughed in full manufacturer backed support throughout that time...

European lawmakers have, this month, outlined their ambitions to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions significantly by 2025 and 2030 respectively. Vehicle emissions have been a topic of hot debate ever since the now infamous diesel gate scandal first emerged several years ago. As the scandal has rumbled on the true extent of the emissions cheat device fitment has become more and more apparent in which additional manufacturers are being drawn into the scandal. With these cheat devices fitted it is...

2018 see’s the 70th anniversary of one the automotive industry’s most loved names. Whether you love this brand because of its all-terrain image, it’s go anywhere attitude or the luxury of its higher-end models, this marque has become an iconic name and is loved globally, that brand is of course Land Rover. Founded in a post World War II Britain, Land Rover can trace its roots back an automotive and aeronautical engineer named Maurice Wilks who arguably can be considered the com...

Here at Big Motoring World we were interested to hear that Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced controversial plans to introduce low emission zones in Scotland. The big idea is to penalise drivers who want to drive into some of Scotland’s largest cities unless their vehicles have the latest clean technology - plans that would include most diesel vehicles. Four cities are expected to bring in the new zones, with Glasgow leading the way later this year, followed by Edinbur...

It’s fascinating how quickly the mind gets used to ideas that at one time seemed fantastical - as human beings we are adapting more and more quickly to the incredible rate of change in our lives. While we’re not quite there yet, if you had told us a few years ago here at Big Motoring World that one day autonomous drones would be delivering items we’d ordered the same day, or that our phones would have built in face recognition, we’d never have believed it. But now, in to...

When a market as huge and as economically significant as China makes a decision, the world tends to sit up and take notice. So the recent announcement by the Chinese government, announcing that they are working on a timetable to end the “production and sales of traditional energy vehicles,” certainly made an impact here at Big Motoring World. If the announcement is an accurate indication of Chinese plans - and there is little reason to think it’s not - then it’s hugely s...

Driving licences were first handed out in the UK in 1903 – but it wasn’t until 1935 that the official driving test came into force. It’s been through a few changes since then (there are a few of the older members of our team here at Big Motoring World who remember when hand signals were still a part of the test!). It wasn’t until the 90s that reverse parking became a part of the test, and 1996 before the theory test came in. A new raft of changes are now due – and ...

Here at Big Motoring World, it’s something we’ve heard people say before: “All the best drivers fail their tests a few times.” Whether or not failing your test a number of times before finally passing actually makes you a better driver or not, we don’t know – but recent research suggests that there’s a curious link between being highly qualified and not passing first time. A qualified success The research was carried out Privilege DriveXpert, and the res...

We’re huge fans of alternative fuel vehicles here at Big Motoring World - and it seems that customers are increasingly open to industry innovation in this area. Sales of AFVs (which include everything from pure electric vehicles to hybrids) hit 4.4 per cent in June this year in the UK - higher than ever before. Clearly, alternative fuels are going to be a big part of our motor industry’s future - but judging by some of the things we hear from customers here at Big Motoring World the...

  If you haven’t heard by now that the British government recently introduced new car tax rules, you’ve been living under a rock. It’s been clear for a while that these new rules could make owning a car more expensive for some people, but new research has shown just how bad it could be for some drivers. Big Motoring World asks: how will new car tax running raise your costs in future? New rules The new car tax rules are set to bring sweeping changes. Under the new syste...

Breaking down on the roadside is a lot of peoples’ worst nightmare. What if you could predict a breakdown before it happened, so you could get your car sorted ahead of time? Now you’ll be able to, as breakdown insurance provider AA has launched a new technology which can do exactly that! Breakdown cover If your car goes caput while you’re on the road, it can prove costly. You’ll have to pay, among other things, to get experts to come out and either fix your vehicle at ...

Driving is really rewarding, as it gives you the freedom to go anywhere you want in the UK in just hours. But there are some things about driving that get on even the most patient of motorists’ nerves. Big Motoring World looks at recently released research to ask: what annoys British drivers the most? Biggest annoyance We Brits really believe that we’re the best drivers in Europe. But new research commissioned by RAC suggests that when we say this we’re probably referring to...

You should be aware, if you or your children are learning to drive, that the government will soon be ushering in some changes. Big Motoring World asks how are UK driving tests changing in 2017? UK driving test There are two exams that you need to pass to get a UK driving license. First there’s the theory test, which is used to examine your understanding of the rules of the road. It involves two sections – one where you answer 50 multiple choice questions and one where you are task...

Google Maps is one of the most important tools in the modern driver’s arsenal. Looking to increase the value it provides to customers, Google recently announced that it is planning to roll out an amazing new feature for Maps, which could benefit drivers everywhere. Big Motoring World reports. Innovative tech The rapid advancement of digital technology, has radically changed car ownership. New cars, especially those released by luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, increasingly come w...

It’s illegal to use mobile phones while driving, but many people do. In order to tackle this problem, new reports reveal, The Department for Transport (DfT) is considering utilising technology to block mobile phone signals from drivers, preventing motorists from using their devices while driving. Driver perceptions  In a recent survey, we Brits crowned ourselves the best drivers in Europe. However, the same poll found that British drivers do engage in various bad habits while sitti...