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MOTORCYCLE DIARIES: THE TEST

by TOM SHARPE

“IT was an exemplary test. No minor faults,” said DSA examiner Sue White as I sat in the Barbot Hall test centre after module one of my direct access motorcycle test. They were the words I wanted to hear. Sadly, they came right after the words: “I’m sorry, you’ve faile ...Read on

Motoring News


MOTORCYCLE DIARIES: THE TEST by TOM SHARPE “IT was an exemplary test. No minor faults,” said DSA examiner Sue White as I sat in the Barbot Hall test centre after module one of my direct access motorcycle test.
MOTORCYCLE DIARIES: Testing times in the saddle by TOM SHARPE TWO lessons down and the first hurdle on the way to two-wheeled freedom is looming large. Sunday saw me take to the road for a second lesson under the guidance of Two-wheel Tom hits the road: SLIDESHOW by TOM SHARPE Over the next few weeks, motoring writer Tom Sharpe will be undergoing training towards gaining his full motorcycle licence. Here, he sets out on his first lesson.
Toyota recall 1.8 million cars by TOM SHARPE TOYOTA have been forced to issue a vast recall of 1.8 million cars after identifying a fault which caused accelerator pedals to stick. Now rigorously tested reinforced pedals wi
Pothole poems could scoop an iPod by TOM SHARPE MOTORISTS in Rotherham should be in no shortage of inspiration for a national competition to find the best poem...about a pot hole. The potty contest is the brainchild of road m
Ford focus on the future by TOM SHARPE THE NEXT generation of Ford Focus has made its public debut at the Detroit Motor Show. The upcoming Focus will be available in mini-Mondeo guise, as a four-door saloon, or as a five-door hatchback whe
Stylish sports hybrid wows Detroit by TOM SHARPE HONDA has revealed its new CR-Z, billed as the world's first hybrid sports car, at the Detroit Motor Show. It's powered by a modified version of the powertrain from the Insight
Red hot Aston takes the chill out of winter by TOM SHARPE ASTON Martin's ultra exclusive One-77 supercar has moved closer to setting a new all-time record for the British marque in initial high speed testing. The £1.2 million bal
Volkswagen to control Porsche by TOM SHARPE VOLKSWAGEN have taken a 49.9 per cent stake in Porsche in a 3.9 billion euro deal. The Wolfsburg-based German car giant confirmed that it would move to secure the controlling stake earlier this y
On track on the web by TOM SHARPE LOTUS has opened its doors for an exclusive behind the scenes tour of its famous factory and test track thanks to Google. Lotus invited Google to record a testing session of selected Lotus cars a
Drivers warned over drink and drugs by TOM SHARPE NATIONAL Road Safety Week is underway with a message that drink and drugs drive up the number of casualties and road deaths. Road safety charity Brake is urging individu
MCLAREN VIDEO REVEALS SUPERCAR TEST PROGRAMME by TOM SHARPE MCLAREN Automotive has continued its flow of teaser trailers prior to the launch of their MP4-12C supercar with some on-track footage and a sneaky peek behind-the-scenes at McLaren HQ. Previously
Tom Sharpe's Motorcycle Diaries (Part 1) by TOM SHARPE Togged up to the nines in armour-plated endurance motor-cycle kit I feel like a baby wearing one of those cosy-looking jump suites...it's the same sensation you get when you wrap your head up in
More mileage in disused tyre dump by HOWARD POUCHER A DISUSED Mexborough tyre dump is set for a new lease of life, but first an eyesore used tyre mountain must be removed. New owners of the dump aim to have the site safe, sec
Civic pride heads to Japan by TOM SHARPE SALES of the Swindon-built, three-door Civic Type R have begun in Japan, after the first cars were shipped from Southampton last month. A move to sell the hot hatchback in Japan—where only
Pretty in pink...Lexus' LF-A supercar by TOM SHARPE IT MAY boast a lightweight carbonfibre body, a manic 552bhp V10 engine and a 202mph top speed but Lexus’ long-awaited LF-A supercar can be disarmed with a click of your computer’s mouse th
Rudeness revs up motorists the most by TOM SHARPE Bad manners have been blamed for numerous road rage incidents by a nationwide campaign urging people to drive better. Boy racers, drivers who don't thank you when you let them out and drivers who
SCRAPPAGE SCHEME EXTENDED by TOM SHARPE THE UK car scrappage scheme has been extended by Lord Mandelson to include an additional 100,000 cars. The move, announced by the Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary at the Labour Party Con
R YOU READY FOR THE FASTEST EVER GOLF? by TOM SHARPE THE R32 is dead, long live the R! The bad news: Volkswagen have done what many initially feared and dropped their 3.2-litre V6 from the new Golf line-up. The good news: the
F1 RACER FOR THE ROAD FINALLY BREAKS COVER by TOM SHARPE THE wraps have finally come off McLaren Automotive's first mainstream sports car—Britain's answer to Ferrari's race-bred supercars. The snappily named McLaren MP4-12C will
MINI SENSATION! by TOM SHARPE MINIs 50th anniversary celebrations have continued with the release of these images of its latest concept—the MINI Coupe. Exactly fifty years since the first ever Mini was
HERE'S JOHNNY by TOM SHARPE FORMER F1 and Le Mans racer Johnny Herbert has been signed to drive the Honda Civic Type-R for the final three rounds of the British Touring Car Championship season. The Ex-F1 a
NEW PORSCHE TURBO SET FOR DEBUT by TOM SHARPE PORSCHE'S go anywhere fast in any conditions coupe, the 911 Turbo, is set to benefit from changes that will boost power and efficiency. The latest version of the all-wheel-drive
READER GOES RACING by TOM SHARPE A PETROL-headed IN-GEAR reader is preparing to prove his mettle as a wheelman after winning the opportunity to get on track. Clive Bussey, from Laughton, will be heading onto the
MX-5 REACHES FIGHTING WEIGHT by TOM SHARPE MAZDA are trimming weight in the pursuit of performance with their new MX-5 Superlight. Making its debut at September's Frankfurt Motor Show (15 to 27), the Superlight sees
GET ON-TRACK WITH SHARPIE! by TOM SHARPE HAVE you ever fancied yourself as a match for Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button? Ever watched on the telly and wondered what it would be like to get on track and see how good your car handling s
SCHUMEY TO MAKE F1 RETURN by TOM SHARPE SEVEN-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher is set to make a dramatic return to the sport as a stand-in for injured Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa. The German race legend, w
BMW SET FOR F1 DEPARTURE by TOM SHARPE BMW'S Formula One team will become the second manufacturer-run team to leave the championship. An announcement this morning (Wednesday 29) confirmed that the team, which currentl
NEW FERRARI TO BOAST 202MPH TOP SPEED by TOM SHARPE IT'S not everyday that Ferrari launch a new car but this week the famous Italian supercar maker launched pictures of its latest creation—the 458 Italia. The mid-rear engine
MICHAEL JACKSON FAN BECOMES KING OF PLATES by TOM SHARPE DISTRAUGHT Michael Jackson fan Thomas Slater became the king of 'plates this week when he made what appeared to be a far from dangerous investment. The distraught Jacko fan
JAGUAR ROARS IN WITH NEW XJ by TOM SHARPE JAGUAR'S unveiling of their all new XJ luxury saloon has taken place at a high-profile event packed with celebrities. But the most striking attendee was the British marque's new
ASTON DEVELOPS SUPER EXCLUSIVE SUPERMINI by TOM SHARPE SUPER coupe supremos Aston Martin are in the process of developing a super exclusive £22,000 city car based on Toyota's tiny iQ. Where Aston are renowned for a range of car
F1 SAVED AS COMMON SENSE PREVAILS by TOM SHARPE PLANS for some of Formula One's longest-standing teams to form a rival, breakaway series, appear to have been shelved. Following a meeting of the sport's governing body, the FIA,
TAKEOVER PLANS ARE SWEDE MUSIC FOR SAAB by TOM SHARPE SUPERCAR specialists Koenigsegg have come to the rescue of fellow Swedes Saab. The executive car manufacturer was left floundering after the financial meltdown of GM but the
OPEN WEEKEND AT NEW LOTUS SILVERSTONE DEALERSHIP by ADVERTISER MOTORING Silverstone Circuit, the home of British Motor Racing, is due to open the doors to its first franchised dealership on its 800 acre Northamptonshire site on Saturday 6 June.
NEAL IN DRIVING SEAT AS BTCC HEADS TO OULTON PARK by TOM SHARPE VX Racing's Matt Neal leads the title chase as the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to Oulton Park this weekend. The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) is the
MCLAREN RACE TOWARDS SUCCESS...OFF THE TRACK by TOM SHARPE MORE than 800 motor industry workers will be joining former Formula One team boss Ron Dennis to create a stunning new range of McLaren supercars. McLaren Automotive have set
MINI CAR PROMPTS MASSIVE CELEBRATION by TOM SHARPE IT'S 50 years since the first ever Mini rolled off the production line at Cowley. Now thousands of Mini fans from across the globe are preparing to celebrate the iconic little c
VAUXHALL ANNOUNCE BTCC DEPARTURE by TOM SHARPE THE British Touring Car Championship has been dealt a severe blow with news that the championship-leading VX Racing team will withdraw from the competition at the end of the 2009 season.
HECTIC SEASON AHEAD FOR DONNINGTON PARK by ADVERTISER MOTORING The highlights of another action-packed racing season at Donington Park will be provided by the British Motorcycle Grand Prix and the British round of the World Superbike Championship, wh

MOTORCYCLE DIARIES: THE TEST

by TOM SHARPE

“IT was an exemplary test. No minor faults,” said DSA examiner Sue White as I sat in the Barbot Hall test centre after module one of my direct access motorcycle test.

MOTORCYCLE DIARIES: Testing times in the saddle

by TOM SHARPE

TWO lessons down and the first hurdle on the way to two-wheeled freedom is looming large.

Sunday saw me take to the road for a second lesson under the guidance of Two-wheel Tom hits the road: SLIDESHOW

by TOM SHARPE

Over the next few weeks, motoring writer Tom Sharpe will be undergoing training towards gaining his full motorcycle licence. Here, he sets out on his first lesson.

Toyota recall 1.8 million cars

by TOM SHARPE

TOYOTA have been forced to issue a vast recall of 1.8 million cars after identifying a fault which caused accelerator pedals to stick.

Now rigorously tested reinforced pedals wi

Pothole poems could scoop an iPod

by TOM SHARPE

MOTORISTS in Rotherham should be in no shortage of inspiration for a national competition to find the best poem...about a pot hole.

The potty contest is the brainchild of road m

Ford focus on the future

by TOM SHARPE
THE NEXT generation of Ford Focus has made its public debut at the Detroit Motor Show. The upcoming Focus will be available in mini-Mondeo guise, as a four-door saloon, or as a five-door hatchback whe

Stylish sports hybrid wows Detroit

by TOM SHARPE

HONDA has revealed its new CR-Z, billed as the world's first hybrid sports car, at the Detroit Motor Show.

It's powered by a modified version of the powertrain from the Insight

Red hot Aston takes the chill out of winter

by TOM SHARPE

ASTON Martin's ultra exclusive One-77 supercar has moved closer to setting a new all-time record for the British marque in initial high speed testing.

The £1.2 million bal

Volkswagen to control Porsche

by TOM SHARPE
VOLKSWAGEN have taken a 49.9 per cent stake in Porsche in a 3.9 billion euro deal.
The Wolfsburg-based German car giant confirmed that it would move to secure the controlling stake earlier this y

On track on the web

by TOM SHARPE
LOTUS has opened its doors for an exclusive behind the scenes tour of its famous factory and test track thanks to Google.
Lotus invited Google to record a testing session of selected Lotus cars a

Drivers warned over drink and drugs

by TOM SHARPE

NATIONAL Road Safety Week is underway with a message that drink and drugs drive up the number of casualties and road deaths.

Road safety charity Brake is urging individu

MCLAREN VIDEO REVEALS SUPERCAR TEST PROGRAMME

by TOM SHARPE
MCLAREN Automotive has continued its flow of teaser trailers prior to the launch of their MP4-12C supercar with some on-track footage and a sneaky peek behind-the-scenes at McLaren HQ.
Previously

Tom Sharpe's Motorcycle Diaries (Part 1)

by TOM SHARPE

Togged up to the nines in armour-plated endurance motor-cycle kit I feel like a baby wearing one of those cosy-looking jump suites...it's the same sensation you get when you wrap your head up in

More mileage in disused tyre dump

by HOWARD POUCHER

A DISUSED Mexborough tyre dump is set for a new lease of life, but first an eyesore used tyre mountain must be removed.
New owners of the dump aim to have the site safe, sec

Civic pride heads to Japan

by TOM SHARPE
SALES of the Swindon-built, three-door Civic Type R have begun in Japan, after the first cars were shipped from Southampton last month.
A move to sell the hot hatchback in Japan—where only

Pretty in pink...Lexus' LF-A supercar

by TOM SHARPE
IT MAY boast a lightweight carbonfibre body, a manic 552bhp V10 engine and a 202mph top speed but Lexus’ long-awaited LF-A supercar can be disarmed with a click of your computer’s mouse th

Rudeness revs up motorists the most

by TOM SHARPE
Bad manners have been blamed for numerous road rage incidents by a nationwide campaign urging people to drive better.
Boy racers, drivers who don't thank you when you let them out and drivers who

SCRAPPAGE SCHEME EXTENDED

by TOM SHARPE
THE UK car scrappage scheme has been extended by Lord Mandelson to include an additional 100,000 cars.
The move, announced by the Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary at the Labour Party Con

R YOU READY FOR THE FASTEST EVER GOLF?

by TOM SHARPE
THE R32 is dead, long live the R!
The bad news: Volkswagen have done what many initially feared and dropped their 3.2-litre V6 from the new Golf line-up.
The good news: the

F1 RACER FOR THE ROAD FINALLY BREAKS COVER

by TOM SHARPE
THE wraps have finally come off McLaren Automotive's first mainstream sports car—Britain's answer to Ferrari's race-bred supercars.
The snappily named McLaren MP4-12C will

MINI SENSATION!

by TOM SHARPE
MINIs 50th anniversary celebrations have continued with the release of these images of its latest concept—the MINI Coupe.
Exactly fifty years since the first ever Mini was

HERE'S JOHNNY

by TOM SHARPE
FORMER F1 and Le Mans racer Johnny Herbert has been signed to drive the Honda Civic Type-R for the final three rounds of the British Touring Car Championship season.
The Ex-F1 a

NEW PORSCHE TURBO SET FOR DEBUT

by TOM SHARPE
PORSCHE'S go anywhere fast in any conditions coupe, the 911 Turbo, is set to benefit from changes that will boost power and efficiency.
The latest version of the all-wheel-drive

READER GOES RACING

by TOM SHARPE
A PETROL-headed IN-GEAR reader is preparing to prove his mettle as a wheelman after winning the opportunity to get on track.
Clive Bussey, from Laughton, will be heading onto the

MX-5 REACHES FIGHTING WEIGHT

by TOM SHARPE

MAZDA are trimming weight in the pursuit of performance with their new MX-5 Superlight.
Making its debut at September's Frankfurt Motor Show (15 to 27), the Superlight sees

GET ON-TRACK WITH SHARPIE!

by TOM SHARPE
HAVE you ever fancied yourself as a match for Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button? Ever watched on the telly and wondered what it would be like to get on track and see how good your car handling s

SCHUMEY TO MAKE F1 RETURN

by TOM SHARPE
SEVEN-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher is set to make a dramatic return to the sport as a stand-in for injured Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa.
The German race legend, w

BMW SET FOR F1 DEPARTURE

by TOM SHARPE
BMW'S Formula One team will become the second manufacturer-run team to leave the championship.
An announcement this morning (Wednesday 29) confirmed that the team, which currentl

NEW FERRARI TO BOAST 202MPH TOP SPEED

by TOM SHARPE
IT'S not everyday that Ferrari launch a new car but this week the famous Italian supercar maker launched pictures of its latest creation—the 458 Italia.
The mid-rear engine

MICHAEL JACKSON FAN BECOMES KING OF PLATES

by TOM SHARPE

DISTRAUGHT Michael Jackson fan Thomas Slater became the king of 'plates this week when he made what appeared to be a far from dangerous investment.
The distraught Jacko fan

JAGUAR ROARS IN WITH NEW XJ

by TOM SHARPE
JAGUAR'S unveiling of their all new XJ luxury saloon has taken place at a high-profile event packed with celebrities.
But the most striking attendee was the British marque's new

ASTON DEVELOPS SUPER EXCLUSIVE SUPERMINI

by TOM SHARPE
SUPER coupe supremos Aston Martin are in the process of developing a super exclusive £22,000 city car based on Toyota's tiny iQ.
Where Aston are renowned for a range of car

F1 SAVED AS COMMON SENSE PREVAILS

by TOM SHARPE
PLANS for some of Formula One's longest-standing teams to form a rival, breakaway series, appear to have been shelved.
Following a meeting of the sport's governing body, the FIA,

TAKEOVER PLANS ARE SWEDE MUSIC FOR SAAB

by TOM SHARPE
SUPERCAR specialists Koenigsegg have come to the rescue of fellow Swedes Saab.
The executive car manufacturer was left floundering after the financial meltdown of GM
but the

OPEN WEEKEND AT NEW LOTUS SILVERSTONE DEALERSHIP

by ADVERTISER MOTORING

Silverstone Circuit, the home of British Motor Racing, is due to open the doors to its first franchised dealership on its 800 acre Northamptonshire site on Saturday 6 June.

NEAL IN DRIVING SEAT AS BTCC HEADS TO OULTON PARK

by TOM SHARPE
VX Racing's Matt Neal leads the title chase as the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to Oulton Park this weekend.
The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) is the

MCLAREN RACE TOWARDS SUCCESS...OFF THE TRACK

by TOM SHARPE

MORE than 800 motor industry workers will be joining former Formula One team boss Ron Dennis to create a stunning new range of McLaren supercars.
McLaren Automotive have set

MINI CAR PROMPTS MASSIVE CELEBRATION

by TOM SHARPE
IT'S 50 years since the first ever Mini rolled off the production line at Cowley.
Now thousands of Mini fans from across the globe are preparing to celebrate the iconic little c

VAUXHALL ANNOUNCE BTCC DEPARTURE

by TOM SHARPE
THE British Touring Car Championship has been dealt a severe blow with news that the championship-leading VX Racing team will withdraw from the competition at the end of the 2009 season.

HECTIC SEASON AHEAD FOR DONNINGTON PARK

by ADVERTISER MOTORING

The highlights of another action-packed racing season at Donington Park will be provided by the British Motorcycle Grand Prix and the British round of the World Superbike Championship, wh