Subaru WRX STI beats Tony Pond’s Isle of Man lap record

Mark Higgins beats the TT course in to submission Tony Pond was a rally driver in the 1970s and ’80s, and he was rather good. Good enough to give the likes of Jimmy McRae a spanking from time to time and to drive in umpteen works cars, from Ford to Rover via Datsun. But Tony Pond is probably best remembered for piloting a Rover 827 Vitesse round the Isle of Man TT Circuit in 1990 at an average speed of over 100mph, the first time that had been done.

One Lap of the Web: Bugatti state of mind

-- Last week, we looked at the new Bugatti exhibit at the Mullin Museum, which taught us more about Bugatti in an afternoon than the last three years of idly flipping through Pebble Beach programs. Having thus immersed ourselves in the House That Ettore Built, we'd really like to drive to work in a faithful Type 35 replica by the aptly named Pur Sang, which Mark Dixon of Octane drove for his 140-mile commute. "You need to keep the revs up while the engine clears its throat and warms its plugs," he writes.

Fuel discount proposed for rural areas

MOTORISTS in exceptionally rural areas could see their fuel bills cut by up to 5p a litre under proposals aimed at easing the burden on the UK's remotest families. The UK Government has asked the European Commission to consider seven new regions across Scotland and in a part of north-east England. Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander, a Highlands MP, said: "High fuel prices in areas where cars are a necessity, not a luxury, is a major issue in rural communities across the UK.