Motoring: Audi A6; Abarth; Hollywood’s veteran run
FRUGAL is the new luxury for Audi as it launches a new ultra-efficient A6 to raise its standing in the executive car market.
Meanwhile Great British Baker Paul Hollywood joins competitors in this year’s London to Brighton Run, while we also find out what is the surprising choice as the UK’s most exciting car to drive.
In the ultra competitive race to be number one in the executive car sector, frugal appears to be the new ‘luxury’.
Manufacturers are increasing having to find the right blend of performance, comfort, price and efficiency in order to entice buyers – and with company car tax rates as they are, any advantage is a blessing.
Perhaps not surprisingly then, Audi is marketing its latest A6 on its fuel-saving benefits.
The popular mid-range executive competes with the likes of the Mercedes E Class, BMW’s 5 Series and the Jaguar XF and in the bid to be top of this particular tree, Audi engineers have incorporated an even more frugal version of the A6 in its UK range.
Priced from £31,955 OTR in saloon form or £33,955 as an Avant (estate), the latest 2.0 TDI claims consumption of 67mpg with emissions as low as 109g/km of CO2.
The even more fuel-sparing models join a line-up which has been bolstered by styling revisions, upgraded lighting options, a new infotainment system and new transmissions. Like all other A6 and A6 allroad variants they are open for order now, with the first deliveries expected in December. High performance S6, S6 Avant and RS 6 Avant models will follow shortly afterwards.
Hollywood adds glamour to the Great British car run
BRITAIN’S favourite baker steps back from kneading his dough this weekend to join participants in the Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
Paul Hollywood is joining hundreds of other intrepid motorists taking an evocative trip down memory lane for the historic event.
The annual Run on Sunday features more than 400 automobiles, some dating back to the turn of the last century. It celebrates the original Emancipation Run, held on
November 14, 1896. This marked the introduction of the Locomotives on the Highway Act that raised the speed limit for ‘light locomotives’ from 4 to 14mph and abolished the need for a man walking ahead of the cars waving a red flag.
Along with all the other participants, Hollywood will be setting out from Hyde Park just after dawn and heading for the Sussex seafront aboard a pioneering car from the pre-1905 era. He will be driving a two-seater 1904 De Dion Bouton powered by a single-cylinder 6hp engine kindly loaned by the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu.
Other familiar faces joining Hollywood on the historic 60-mile route include Olympic legends Sir Ben Ainslie and Sir Steve Redgrave, multiple world championship winning F1 team boss Ross Brawn and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason.
Can’t get no satisfaction? Try an Abarth
IT may have a scorpion on its badge, but an Abarth is highly unlikely to sting… indeed, if you own one of company’s cars then the chances are that you’ll be among the happiest drivers in the UK, at least according to a new survey.
Owners of the Italian sporting brand’s cars, with its range of Fiat 500-based performance models, have been found to be among the most satisfied in the UK, earning Abarth the title of ‘Rising Star of the Year 2014’ in the WeLoveAnyCar.com National Car Awards 2014.
The independently-rated awards are based on owner experience and are judged in various categories such as excitement, comfort, driver fun and running costs. Abarth saw a huge leap in its ratings in the 2014 awards, as well as coming top overall in the ‘Exciting to Drive’ category.
A spokesman for WeLoveAnyCar.com said: “The Abarth range is clearly aimed at enthusiasts and, from the reviews we’ve seen on our site, the latest model range has certainly hit the spot. It’s great to see a car brand that is aimed so squarely at people who love cars achieving what they set out to achieve, and that’s one of the main reasons we’re proud to call Abarth our Rising Star in 2014.”
