Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

CAR Online: a model year facelift for our website

We're getting the new CAR branding, and a spruce-up here and there: a sophisticated colour palette, improved navigation and other tweaks to make CAR Online better By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 16 March 2009 15:05 Yes, we’ve finally launched our new-for-2009 facelifted website. We've rolled out v2.1 of CAR Online – a gently fettled, spruced-up version of your favourite motoring website. We’ve redesigned the site in harmony with the new-look CAR Magazine, so there’s a more sophisticated colour palette, new-look CAR logo branding and tidied-up layouts on most pages.

Hyundai Suicide ‘Advert’ causes a rumpus

It’s not easy advertising your wares and finding the right balance between mainstream and innovative to capture attention, as Hyundai has found out to their cost with an ‘advert’ for the hydrogen powered ix35 FCEV which, rather distastefully, depicts a man trying to commit suicide by running a hose from the tailpipe to the cabin before realising he can’t achieve his aim as the FCEV’s only emissions are water. It’s a proper cock-up from Hyundai – usually so sure-footed with their PR – but, despite Hyundai US putting the blame at the door of Hyundai UK, there’s more to this suicide ‘advert’ than meets the eye. It seems the suicide video was put together by Innocean – a European Ad Agency owned by Hyundai’s Chairman Chung Mong-koo and his daughter, and responsible for much of Hyundai’s marketing output – and was a clumsy attempt to gauge reaction to the somewhat macabre take on the benefits of an FCEV.

July 2: Am I in the wrong?

Last night at the airport, the car was fully charged and no one had stolen the high-tech multi-pronged plug. So I rolled up the extension cord, tossed it in the back and drove home. I hit 140 km/hr, or 86.8 mph on the freeway.