Blog Archives - Liz Turner

Insurance story continues

2/27/2013

I found an interesting story on the idea of a 'spy in the cab' to get insurance discounts on the Economist's website. They reckon everyone will end up with a black box - not just young women.
Click here to read the article
Click here to read my story about how young women can reduce their insurance premiums following the EU's decision not to allow preferential premiums for female drivers.

Big cat diary

2/25/2013

I enjoyed a day catching up on Jaguar Land Rover products at the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon.
This was the first time I'd seen the F-type in the metal, and I'm afraid I didn't love it. All that origami around the front makes me think of the Lexus LFA, which some would say is no bad thing, but it doesn't say 'Jaguar' to me. (I know, I know, it's modern, and its all about aerodynamics, but I prefer a more simple line to my beautiful things.)
I do like the lines of the new XF Sportbrake, and enjoyed driving two XF models.
Click here for more

Let's Off-Road!

2/25/2013

Just how did I get myself into this? And where's my famous hat?
Click here for Jaguar Land Rover Experience Day.

The genius behind Goodwood FoS sculptures

2/23/2013

My interview with Gerry Judah, creator of the incredible sculptures at the Goodwood Festival of Speed is available on Goodwood's Motorsport site, FortyOneSix.
Judah is a fascinating man and has created some amazing art that goes straight to the heart and the tear ducts.
When talking about the Goodwood sculptures, he said what I'd always thought. They look dangerous. It's deliberate, he says - motorsport is dangerous.

Click here to read the interview
Click here to see all the sculptures with their stories
Click here to read more about Gerry Judah's other work

Go Danica!

2/21/2013

Very good news that Danica Patrick has become the first woman to take poll position at NASCAR's prestigious Daytona 500 - the Great American Race – on Sunday Feb 24.
   It's not her first poll, nor her first 'first' - She was the first woman to lead laps in the Indianapolis 500, and her third-place finish in that race in 2009 was the highest for a woman. She's also the only woman to win an IndyCar race, which she did in Japan in 2008.
   Click here to hear John Humphreys on Radio 4's Today programme mispronouncing Danica's name, and talking down to Susie Wolff, Williams F1's number three driver this season, and Divina Galica, the only other British woman to have driven in F1, to ask if we'll ever see a female on F1 poll.
    As usual there's lots of chatter on both sides of the Atlantic about whether Danica's sexy advertising shoots in some way degrades what she does. To those people I'd say what about David Beckham in his pants? Or Rafael Nadal's Armani video (Ladies just enjoy...)

Citroen to fit black box as standard

2/19/2013

C1 Connexion will have a standard telematics system to help reduce insurance costs

The French firm will equip its C1 Connexion special edition with a telematics system as standard to help reduce insurance costs. The Smartnav system, provided by Trafficmaster, monitors the way you drive, so you can prove you're not a lunatic.
   Fitting telematics is a growing trend to help young people get insurance - in particular young women hit by an EU ruling that decreed it's discrimination to offer better premiums to women. (!) See my Top Story on this subject, including details of other schemes.
   Citroen is also offering free insurance for the first year of ownership for the C1 Connexion, but with plenty of strings. Drivers must be 19 (or 75 and below), with two years' no-claims, and the car must be funded with Elect 3 or Elect 4 finance. That's a Personal Contract Purchase scheme with low monthly payments, but it leaves a chunk to pay at the end. I have one on my Mini, but I have reservations, Click here to see why.
   This deal would allow a young buyer to drive off in a new Citroën C1 1.0i 68 manual 3-door Connexion for just £109 per month, plus deposit on Elect 3 with free insurance. If they don't have two years' no-claims, Citroen can offer discounted cover.

Rover memories return

2/17/2013

Betsy Lawton from Wiltshire writes:

Hi Liz, when I looked again at your My Cars page, it brought back a few memories as my first car (that I didn’t share with my mum) was a Rover P6 – although I didn’t know that was what it was called.
   It was blue – although at some point I needed to change one of the doors and could only get a white one – and I loved it! It cost me about £75 (those were the days) and, as you’ll know, it had full leather seats – really luxurious and was a dream to drive. I think it must have been automatic but I’m not sure. It was an SC2000.
   I had great fun in it – it looked much more expensive than it was. My friend Frances and I used to drive down to Ealing and ‘hang out’ at Crispin’s wine bar. I remember we pulled up one day, got out and a young lad turned round to his mates and said: "They must be really rich!".
   I got stopped by the police for having a faulty headlamp (in those days they just let you go) then when I pulled away he said: "And you’d better get your exhaust done, too!" The exhaust cost nearly £100 – more than the car had cost – then a few days later I wrote it off! I was gutted. I gave it to the scrappy I’d got the white door from.

Wonderful WOMAC

2/16/2013

Me with fellow motoring journalist Sarah Bradley

Thoroughly enjoyed the annual WOMAC Valentine's party. I'm proud to be a patron of Women on the Move Against Cancer. We are a group of women working within the UK motoring industry who raise money in our spare time for a different cancer charity each year. Naturally we rely on the generosity of our colleagues to donate and raise money.
    WOMAC has raised £800,000 since 1979. It has always chosen to support small, worthwhile charities that find it hard to compete with larger ones. So this year we are raising money for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, recognising that little progress has been made in fighting this form of the disease    compared with other cancers.
    Having been away from the industry for a few years, it was lovely to see so many familiar friendly faces at the party, and to meet some new young ones, including journalist Sophie Williamson-Stothert, and motorsport PR Gaynor Keating.
    It was also touching to see so much cash handed over by motoring journalists and PRs. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far.
For more see www.womac.co.uk

Driving the new Mazda6

2/3/2013

It was strange driving the latest Mazda6, having just sold my 2005 model. It was better to drive, less thirsty with reduced CO2, but it would be trickier to get an Expedit in it.
Click here for more

The Concorde experience

2/3/2013

I never got to fly on Concorde, but on the Mazda6 launch I at least got to sit in one!
Click here for more