The Silence of the Meganes
There aren’t many in its class that travel Irish roads without mussing up a quiet programme on Lyric FM, writes Brian Byrne. Without being very audible about the potholes from Kerry to Kildare.

Is there a raging tiger in YOUR tank
You probably agree that there’s an increasing level of anger out there on the roads as you commute through your own personal gridlocks, writes Brian Byrne. It’s making it really tough on the rest of us that there are so many bad-tempered people currently behind the wheels of their motor cars.

Fuel cells are on the move
Next year, a fleet of 30 DaimlerChrysler buses will operate in ten major European cities, writes Raymond Bernard. Not a big deal, that ... except that all the vehicles will be powered by fuel cells. At the same time, 60 Mercedes-Benz A-Class cars powered by fuel cell technology will be deployed to DC customers in Europe, the USA, Japan and Singapore.

If Ford did beers, they would probably ...
There’s a TV ad for a car where the driver leaves a cheap pen in an office, and then does a very long drive back to collect it, writes Brian Byrne. I know the feeling.

When the tough Getz going ...
"Another washing machine car," a friend suggested about the Getz, Hyundai's new entrant to the supermini market, writes Brian Byrne. Maybe. But every home has a washing machine.

Slow dance Disco wins a lady's heart
The secret to driving the big Land Rover Discovery is to take it easy! Don't rush, was the advice given, writes Trish Whelan. It was put to good use when I drove the big 4x4 during that week which saw severe flooding in counties Meath, Dublin and North Kildare.

Mazda bats a 6
It is not hard to see why this replacement for the 626 has done so well already, writes Bill Trapman. Developed under the guiding hand of Ford, which has run the company for a number of years, the new 6 is everything the predecessor car was not.

MINI Cooper S is a modern fun car
D’you know, even at so many decades remove, the downsides of the original Morris Mini can haunt a brand to the point that one isn’t entirely looking forward to a run in the new version? writes Brian Byrne. Not fair, really.

Jag XK is a 'Happy Birthday' car
Seeing another car coming up fast in the mirror, I slipped the XK into a gap between two vehicles in the slower lane, writes Brian Byrne. My car slowed and matched itself to the traffic speed in that lane, without my touching any of the pedal controls.

Superb is a laptop in luxury
There’s one way to describe the most interesting attribute of the Skoda Superb, writes Brian Byrne. I’m sitting here in the back, behind a driver’s seat that is set for all 6’2” of me. And there’s room enough to comfortably use my laptop.

Fiesta aims at its accustomed position
Fiesta IS a new car, writes Brian Byrne. Through and through, with some reflection from the old guard in the form of the entry-level 1.3-litre engine. I kind of think they should have done the same as the shift from Escort to Focus, and changed the name.

They won't use their batons, so give ’em guns
I’m not particularly against penalty points in principle, writes Brian Byrne. I just don’t think we need them. It’s only setting down another layer of bureaucracy on one already there that’s not being used.

A big car with a full view
It’s not very often I get to see much of the bonnet of a car when I’m behind the wheel, because of my smaller height or due to the steep slope of the car front, writes Trish Whelan. So being able to see so much of the front metal of the Saab 9-5 made a big impact on me.

Lada hasn't gone away, you know
I was switching on the engine when I realised that those Lada jokes might be true after all, writes Brian Byrne. It was raining outside. And then it was raining INSIDE, as the water dripped through the roof of the Riva estate.It wasn’t long after that Lada bailed out of Ireland.

A sharper Celica
It is arguable that the current Toyota Celica is one of the most beautiful sports coupes currently on our road, writes Brian Byrne. However, it is also arguable that the 140bhp of the basic car’s engine isn’t enough to give a driving experience that lives up to the looks.

Diesel injection 75th approaches
The 75th anniversary of diesel fuel injection is just a month away, writes Raymond Bernard. On 30 November 1927, Bosch embarked on the first ever large-scale production of diesel injection pumps and injectors.

A rub of the relic
Who could possibly want one? Any Bristol is such an old-fashioned looking piece of motoring machinery that its customers must be rapidly dying out or losing their driving licences through age, writes Brian Byrne.

Stilo is a good car that grows on you
Forget that hoary old prejudice against bigger Fiats, writes Trish Whelan. It's time you grew up. Fiat has, in this segment, and it deserves at least an unbiased trial.

Ford focuses on the fuel cell
When a Ford Focus powered by a fuel cell system is shown at the upcoming British International Motor Show, it will already have proved itself as a car that can hold its own on the public road, writes Brian Byrne.

Is your car ready for winter?
We don’t get the extremes of winter here that happen even in our nearest neighbour country, writes Bill Trapman. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t prepare our cars for the winter.

A car on the edge of risk for today's kids
PARIS MOTOR SHOW 2002. It's the kind of car GM hopes to have in affordable production by the year 2010. It is already driveable, writes Brian Byrne. It is powered by a fuel cell that drives electric motors.

Megane, Stilo SW, main family interest
PARIS MOTOR SHOW 2002. For some reason, new products in the small family car, or C-segment, were thin on the ground at Paris this year, write Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan.

Sugar and spice, and all things nice ...
PARIS MOTOR SHOW 2002. The word was out. The best action was at the SEAT stand, on the hour, writes Trish Whelan. Brows were mopped, glasses wiped. Or should I say demisted, such was the heated atmosphere of anticipation.

New Micra is another chirpy chap
PARIS MOTOR SHOW 2002. When the current Nissan Micra was launched a decade ago, it won major awards for its cheeky retro style as much as for its engineering excellence, write Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan. It looked different to anything else in the segment.

Making more of superminis
PARIS MOTOR SHOW 2002. In the supermini stakes in Paris, it might be fair to say that the Nissan Micra is likely to be the biggest seller of any new supermini on display for the first time, write Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan. But there was plenty of other competition there too.

Maximising the MPVs
PARIS MOTOR SHOW 2002. One of the fastest-growing 'new' segments in motordom in recent years has been the MPV area, in particular the 'compacts' and increasingly the 'smalls', write Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan.

On the roadster trail
PARIS MOTOR SHOW 2002. There's something about a roadster that stirs the motoring hormones, and at this year's show there was a fine set of open-toppers to look at, at many levels of price and style, write Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan.

Market blossoms for 4x4
Wannalook different baby gridlockers, many attracted by the commanding position of the high driving seat, have pushed sales of passenger 4x4s (real and mock) through the roof, writes John Reilly.

Corsa hits the big 2 Oh
Opel’s Corsa nameplate celebrates its 20th birthday this month after selling 11 million cars in three basic ‘generations’, writes Brian Byrne.

The car that named a class
Forty years ago, on September 21, 1962, Ford’s new Cortina was launched, writes Tom Hale. The Cortina was so successful and so different from other cars in the industry, that in Britain it inspired what became known as ‘the Cortina class’.

The Class of ’72
Nineteen seventy-two was a classic year in many ways, packed full of significant, and not so important events, writes Janet Mills. Whilst pulses were being raised with the first publication of The Joy of Sex, Mercedes-Benz introduced to the world the joy of ‘S’.

Alfa GTA has WOW! factor
Dynamic stuff. Superbly shaped and moulded. Sexy as it stood there in its coat of bright red, writes Trish Whelan. And with all those 250 horses just raring to be let loose. You can really hear every one of them when you let it rev up high.

New Espace aims to consolidate position
Launched in 1984 and with over 870,000 vehicles produced to date, the first three generations of Renault’s Espace were the European leaders in the MPV segment, writes Remi Blondet. The latest version is intended to maintain the car’s position, but at an even higher level of sales.

Memories are made of these
It’s funny how the names of cars we drove ourselves over the years , or which were in our families, generate their own particular memories, writes Brian Byrne. Like the Jeep Station Wagon, a two-toner, in which I recall my first motor accident when a truck ran into the side of it.

Toyota get it right with Corolla saloon
The latest Toyota Corolla saloon kind of just slipped into our consciousness in recent months, writes Brian Byrne. The company here didn’t make any ballyhoo about it, and it was only when I started to see a few on the road that I realised it was already picking up Irish customers.

New Audi A8 gains technology points
Details of the next Audi A8 have just been released, in specifications for the German market, writes Raymond Bernard. Apart from a new body style, there are two more powerful engines, and a number of drivetrain and operational elements which bring the car well into the 21st century.

French motorloans are in your interest
While Europe seems to be merging progressively closer to its ambitions of unity, lack of parity is nonetheless manifest in certain areas, writes Dawn Reilly. Car-wise, purchasing a vehicle is not in itself the only source of varying prices within Europe. Financing the purchase will also require some shopping around.

Stream flows serenely in a crowded life
With such a wide choice of MPVs now available to the Irish market, buyers can be faced with quite a bewildering choice, writes Trish Whelan. Between small, compact and full-size, you really have to look hard at your lifestyle before picking one to suit.

Next 6-Series will be an honoured revival
When BMW resurrects the 6-Series name next year, they’ll be bringing back a model which left an indelible positive feeling for the brand on both sides of the Atlantic in the 70s and 80s, writes Brian Byrne.

Small engined cat is a bit of X-posh
Women who have successfully broken through the glass ceiling in their places of work, and who are in a position to choose what kind of company car they want, should take a serious look at the new 2-litre version of the Jaguar X-type, writes Trish Whelan.

Alfa JTS is a day's indulgence
Most times in this job, a car review is based on a period of time living with the car in daily work and then writing about it on that basis, writes Brian Byrne. Somehow, that didn’t seem the right thing to do with Alfa’s latest 156, the 2-litre JTS.

Lights that see around corners
It’s coming closer to a car that YOU drive, writes Raymond Bernard. The lighting system that sees around corners. And though as yet it is only original equipment on the new Audi A8 and a forthcoming high-end Merc, you can actually buy it as an add-on system for your own car.

Fiesta ready to endear itself again
The first Ford Fiesta rolled off the production line 26 years ago and in that time the car has endeared itself to around 10 million customers worldwide, writes Trish Whelan. The new car is taller and bigger inside.

US carmakers aim to make sexy sedans
America’s love affair with the ‘big truck’ SUV may well be turning onto a minor road, writes Ray Bernard. They’re putting new emphasis on designing sedans that are attractive and innovative.

Navarra can upgrade business image
When I wrote about the standard Nissan Pathfinder, I remember thinking how ordinary it seemed, writes Brian Byrne. But there are an increasing number of people who want a pick-up that will both work and look good.

Peugeot 206SW improves the model vastly
It's quite amazing what a designer can do with a basic car, and the latest iteration of the Peugeot 206 is a classic case in point, writes Brian Byrne. With the 206 SW due for launch here next week, the original hatch now has a ‘wagon’ big brother.

Make sure the kids are strapped in tight
It is summertime, and you're driving on your holidays with the family, writes Ray Bernard. But at least they are securely strapped into their seats, and that’s one worry off your increasingly frazzled mind. Or are they?

VelSatis a luxury jewel in Renault crown
Renault aren’t expecting to make a major dent in numbers terms in the luxury car area with their new VelSatis, but they certainly will make a serious visual impact, writes Trish Whelan. They expect to move around 200 units this year, rising to 300 for 2003.

Jaguar XKs mature, but with sharpened claws
The Jaguar XK is the classic Jag ‘Cat’, with probably the sleekest of the feline shape variants that have always been the trademark, writes Brian Byrne. The coupe and convertible have been extensively upgraded.

A Civic for closet eco-fetishists
When the Honda Civic hybrid comes on sale this side of the Atlantic next year, it won't be noticed much, writes Raymond Bernard. Because the Civic hybrid looks just the same as any other Civic Saloon.

Avensis Verso is a true MPV
Picnic would never have made me want to buy the Toyota of that name, however worthy, writes Brian Byrne. Avensis Verso doesn’t exactly drag me towards the showrooms, either, though it is a bit less, well, sunshine, songbirds and flowers?

CR-V is the darling choice
In fairness, Honda people have never made any grandiose claims for the CRV but then they don't really have to, do they? writes Donal Byrne. The CR-V is the darling choice of South County Dublin ladies who lunch.

A short, sexy Mitsubishi Pajero
A short wheelbase Mitsubishi Commercial is a short wheelbase Mitsubishi Commercial, right? writes Brian Byrne. Wrong, when it is a special, probably unique in the country, but likely to be copied many times.

When you build it, you scrap it
Between eight and nine million vehicles are scrapped each year in Europe, representing more than eight million tonnes of waste and a potential source of soil and groundwater contamination, writes Raymond Bernard.

Cherokee loses 'charm', gains more
For many owners, part of the charm of the old Jeep Cherokee which negotiated mud, rivers and rocks for 18 years was its distinctive ‘American West’ look, both outside and in, writes Brian Byrne.

And you thought a seat was just a seat?
Opel has invested about 75 million euros in trying to give the Vectra the best seats in its class, writes Ray Bernard. Opel says this means that Vectra drivers and passengers enjoy a standard of seating formerly expected only from a large luxury sedan.

Lanos is decent and won't break the bank
It’s good to know there ARE decent sized cars out there, with a bit of flair to them, that won’t break the bank, writes Trish Whelan. Like the 1.4-litre Daewoo Lanos. This is a spiffing little get-up-and-go car with stylish looks to match its performance.

Jaguar S-Type attracts admiring glances
As it happens, the last couple of Jaguar S-Types which I’d driven were the 4.2-litre V8s, in both supercharged and normal versions, writes Brian Byrne. I wondered as I took the 2.5-litre Sport for review, would I miss the massive power of the others?

Mitsubishi's star is rising
Were it not for some pretty imaginative marketing, a very loyal dealership and the amazing popularity of Mitsubishi’s commercial wing, we might well have been staring at Mitsubishi melt-down in Ireland, writes John Reilly.

Rexton aims for rich end of SUV market
Anybody watching the designs of Korean cars in the last couple of years can’t fail to note that they’ve been making tremendous strides, writes Brian Byrne.

Nissan X-Trail is something special
The introduction of Nissan’s X-Trail SUV marked the 50th year of 4x4 production by the Japanese car maker, writes Trish Whelan. So it must be something special.

Euro hasn't converged car prices
Car price differences between European Union member states have not converged despite the introduction of the euro, according to a European Commission report, writes Raymond Bernard.

Hot rodding gets speed out of the system
The sign says ‘Drive Slow’, but that’s only on the road before you arrive at the track, writes Brian Byrne. After that, there are no limits. Well, there are, really, as the hot rod ‘race track’ in Ballyshannon, Co Kildare, is a dirt circuit around the lower part of a field.

Icon GT40 will have much to live up to
When I was a student in the 60s, I was fascinated by the Galaxie 500 which used to pass by my lodgings every breakfast and tea time, writes Brian Byrne. I didn’t realise then that the gently burbling V8 engine under its hood was already powering the to-become-iconic GT40 supercar to its early victories.

2-litre X-Type could be a good investment
There’s the tradition behind that catface badge, reared and trained on a racetrack but released into the jungle of the highway with an unbridled luxury of wood and leather, writes Brian Byrne. It was always thus.

Dancing again to a Disco tune
The Land Rover Discovery has been ‘reinvented’ for the third time in its 13-year history, with torquier engines, improved ride and handling, and a significantly quieter interior, writes Brian Byrne. It is still unmistakably a Discovery.

New Saab 9-3 makes music for me
I drove the new Saab 9-3 last week, briefly, writes Brian Byrne. I was impressed. As Audi did with their latest A4, Saab has perhaps brought some more REAL competition to the segment dominated by the MB C-Class and BMW 3-series.

Mazda6 has elite car subtleties
(FIRST IRISH REVIEW) Is it a BMW? Is it a Lexus? Well, no it’s not. It’s a Mazda, write Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne. But they were the questions asked by the first two people to see, separately, the new Mazda6 when we took it for our photoshoots.

Daewoo Tacuma is a bit of all right
“Now that’s what I call a bit of all right,” was the comment from himself when I parked the newest addition to the Daewoo family in our driveway, writes Trish Whelan. The comment wasn’t so surprising when you consider the car was designed by top Italian designer Pininfarina.

Stream exceptionally good at its job
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say, writes Brian Byrne. And to these eyes, the Honda Stream is not beautiful. Indeed, it might even be odd-looking, though not anything like the same extent as is the Fiat Multipla, for instance.

SportCross fills a Lexus gap
In this country, the Lexus IS200 has arguably been the Toyota luxury brand’s most important car, writes Brian Byrne, bringing as it did the Lexus nameplate to a whole new market segment - the area dominated by the 3-Series BMW and C-Class Mercedes-Benz.

Polo is a supermini in a vintage year
Volkswagen’s latest Polo is arguably the best Volkswagen ever built, writes Bill Trapman. And there are a small legion of Polo owners out there who have been waiting anxiously for the current version to arrive. They won’t be disappointed.

Toyota's DPNR will lead to clean diesels
The new diesel purification system currently under field tests with selected Toyota Avensis customers in a number of European countries is aimed at overcoming what the company refers to as the 'final obstacle' to clean diesels, writes Raymond Bernard.

Toyota Prius makes motorsport history
The world's first hybrid rally car, a Toyota Prius, has finished the gruelling 5,000 mile, three-week Midnight Sun to Red Sea Rally in a provisional 14th place overall, writes Raymond Bernard..

Vectra's top diesel is a real all-rounder
The latest Vectra is the spiritual successor to a long line of Opels, from the Rekords of my driving youth through Asconas and Cavaliers to the current name that links both Opel and Vauxhall brands, writes Brian Byrne.

Gardai have no traffic priorities
I’m glad to read recently that we’re to have a dedicated traffic police corps, aimed at making sure the road is made safer for all of us, writes Brian Byrne. But I’m confused, because I was under the impression that we already had dedicated traffic police in every division. Ah, they’re simply revenue collectors? It’s not their job to look after road safety?

A day for boys (and girls) and their toys
There I was, driving a Porsche 911 Targa around the Millbrook Proving Ground Bowl and the next thing is that I’m overtaken by a chugging Smart car, writes Brian Byrne. It was my first ever experience of the UK Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders annual Test Day, a Motor Show where you could get into any car you fancied and drive it over all the superb variety of test roads and surfaces.

Renault continues safety innovations
In a continuation of the safety research emphasis that gave the company the first ever 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash testing programme, for 2002 and 2003 Renault is actively pursuing other innovations in the domain of passive safety, writes Raymond Bernard. New technology is being developed for the passenger restraint systems, such as an anti-slide airbag in the front and a frontal airbag for the rear seats.

Suzuki's first 21st century sedan
Suzuki’s first sedan of the 21st century, the new four-door Suzuki Liana, is set to enhance the overall appeal of the marque, writes Trish Whelan, giving customers a choice between the hatchback and the saloon version It replaces the Suzuki Baleno. It will compete in the cut throat C-Segment of the market which accounts for 32% of all car registrations.

New Ibiza is one you'll see coming!
Longer, wider and higher than its predecessor, the new SEAT Ibiza is one of the largest cars in its class and offers more front and rear passenger legroom, shoulder room and a bigger boot, writes Trish Whelan. And in the warm red and sporty yellow colours available, it will definitely turn heads!

Terracan - King of the Earth
Forget the royal pretensions. Recent arrival, Terracan is no Range Rover, writes John Reilly. And Land Cruiser or Trooper won’t see it as an out-and-out off-road title contender. But the price and the superb packaging suggest that Land Rover’s Discovery, Jeep’s Cherokee, Daewoo’s Musso and Nissan’s Terrano are all seriously ‘ring-fenced’ as Terracan targets.

Motor memories of a man with a passion
Frank Keane, whose Motor Import Ltd has the Irish franchise for BMW cars and bikes, celebrates his 25th year with the franchise this summer ... and he was a full 50 years in the motor business last January. These RealAudio clips are extracts from a conversation which Frank had with Brian Byrne and Trish Whelan, in the preparation of an article for Irish Car magazine.

New Vectra expands Opel horizons
Opel’s stylish new Vectra is now roomier, safer and more comfortable, opening a new chapter in its history in the midsize market segment, writes Trish Whelan. Following investments of 750m, the new Vectra is produced in Opel’s massively extended Russelsheim factory which is now the most modern car and van manufacturing plant in the world.

Daewoo Matiz has certain aplomb
The current version of the Daewoo Matiz proved a little gem in the gridlock that is Naas, writes Trish Whelan. The Matiz is a town or city slicker that can jump traffic jams with ease or squeeze into that tiny parking slot. Another definite advantage was how bigger cars courteously made way for the smaller car. Even smiled at me. I guess it brought out the best in everyone.

Nissan X-Trail feels RReally good
I’m a long way gone from the time when my wife and I had a fair bit of family transporting to do, writes Brian Byrne. But if I was in that situation now, I reckon we’d be doing a lot more weekend leisure travelling with them. And we would have a much greater choice of vehicles which would encourage such activity. The Nissan X-Trail is well up on that list.

A slow queue to a fast recovery
What the Celtic Tiger Irish would probably NOT do is what the South Korean people did when their country went bankrupt, and the IMF essentially took it over for a multi-billion-dollar loan, writes Brian Byrne. A call for those with any gold to back up to the country’s economy resulted in a massive handing in of jewellery and gold objets d’art, without any compensation.

Alfa GTA is a trust in the pilot, and the car
There are times when I just trust people absolutely, writes Brian Byrne. Like the pilot who’s lifting my plane off the runway, who I figure wants as much to make it a successful takeoff as I do. And like the professional race drivers who sometimes take me around racetracks at speeds which are far beyond my ability, in order to show me just how far their cars can be pushed.

Camry brings back memories
Fond memories of a holiday ‘down under’ came flooding back as I collected the most recent Toyota Camry, the 2.4-litre V6, for a long test drive, writes Trish Whelan. Two years ago my son and I hired an automatic Camry import from a garage in Auckland for about stg £20 a day. It became a home from home for us as we explored much of the north island of New Zealand.

Drive easy, save money
To coincide with the launch of the most economical petrol-engined car in its class, the Corsa ECO, Opel asked Martin Holzhofer, the man in charge of the ECO model programme, to produce his top practical hints to wallet-friendly motoring. He says handling the car correctly is one of the biggest and often insufficiently explored factors in saving fuel.

Looking ahead to the Citroen C3
The Citroën C3, coming to Ireland towards the end of May, has rounded lines and a friendly face, writes Bill Trapman. The short overhangs and rounded enveloping forms of the roof, wings, windows, bonnet and doors accentuate the car’s compact design. A funky interior complements the distinctive exterior.

Mondeo Man will have the last, fast, laugh
If one has the time or the inclination to measure it, there’s a Ford Mondeo which has a slightly larger blue oval badge than standard, writes Brian Byrne. It is the least important difference between a 1.8 basic Mondeo and the startling ST220 version that I drove last week. The most important difference is the 220bhp under the hood. Full Story.

Peugeot Sky Wagon shows another world
Driving the Peugeot 307 SW south along the coast road from the Moroccan fishing port of Essaouira (formerly Mogadar) allowed me a unique opportunity to test drive the car while at the same time experiencing the local terrain and the lives of those that live there, writes Trish Whelan. For me, the first experience of Peugeot’s new 307 ‘Sky Wagon’ was much more than just driving a car. That’s how it should be. Full Story.

Jaguar X-Type 2-litre will open access
The X-Type Jaguar has been bringing many younger drivers into the brand who were otherwise confined to the smaller-model BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars, writes Brian Byrne. But now a 2-litre (actually 2.1 litres) V6 has been added to the 2.5- and 3-litre versions, and is expected to eventually be responsible for some 60% of sales of X-Types both here and in the UK. Full Story.

Primera challenges preconceptions
The bold new departures we have seen in car design recently seem more sudden than unexpected, writes Donal Byrne. Ford's Focus showed us early on that Mondeo man was in for a treat when his preferred choice was due for replacement. And so it came to pass last year. Now comes the new Nissan Primera which challenges one's preconceived notions of what the ideal repmobile should be. Full Story.

Vectra has no place for the bitter word
The Opel Vectra is famous for being excoriated by a particular UK motoring personality, writes Brian Byrne. Many of his compatriot carscribes followed suit. Like a sheep following its mouth. But there are several millions of Vectras out there performing faithfully, fusslessly trolleying families and business people around. The Vectra has been a very successful car. So much for the mouth and its following sheep. Full Story.

A Focus diesel that's fun to drive
The TDCi in the Focus is derived mechanically from the same 1753cc Endura DI unit that already gives two power options, 70 and 90PS, writes Brian Byrne. With the TDCi technology, it gives 115PS, the kind of power that only a relatively few years ago was what a 2-litre petrol engine typically provided ... and despite the 28% increase in overall performance, it’s at the same 51mpg fuel consumption. Full Story.

New Merc SL is another nice little earner
More in-taking of air and sucking of teeth than greeted Liz Hurley’s safety pin dress a few years back were heard last Thursday evening at the Irish unveiling of the new Mercedes-Benz SL roadster, writes John Reilly. I worry deeply for my junior colleagues; particularly those who fawned so visibly over (and under) a very much over-priced sportscar. Full Story.

Audi Avant banishes the blues
Nothing like a test drive in a powerful and striking Audi to banish the winter blues, writes John Reilly. And generally speaking cars don’t come with much more power or panache than the Audi A4 Avant. Like the hugely popular new A4 saloon, the Avant is quickly finding its feet - and capturing a healthy share of the niche estate market.. Full Story.

Polo will upgrade the cult of VW
There’s a cult of VW, writes Brian Byrne. It has been carefully built up by the company that started out as a one-model carmaker and stayed that way right up to the 60s, when it diversified into hippie-wagons, successfully, and later a few other cars spectacularly unsuccessfully. Like the 411. (If you have to ask, don’t. You’re too young, and history will bore you.) Full Story.

Impressed by Fiesta in the metal
I wasn’t surprised by the new Fiesta on its European launch programme because I had been one of just four Irish journalists who had gone to September’s Frankfurt Motor Show and attended the special Blue Oval Club first ‘reveal’ of the car, writes Brian Byrne. But it was nice to feel just as impressed with it in the metal and on the ground, so to speak, when I slipped into one at Malaga Airport. Full Story.

VRT - The Great Highway Robbery
Vehicle Registration Tax, imposed in Ireland when the EU abolished Excise duties between member countries, is one of the inequitables which should exercise the voting motorist, writes Brian Byrne. Candidates should be asked where they stand on VRT reduction, even reminded that inaction on the matter could mean ‘killing the goose’ that lays so many golden VRT eggs in the state coffers. Full Story.

New E-Class improves on success
It took four years and more than 2bn euros, but the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class is finally out in the open and ready to continue the Merc's work of being the most successful luxury saloon in the world, writes Brian Byrne. The outgoing car averaged more than 200,000 units sold a year. Full Story.

Geneva 2002 was a stunner
Well, we made it again to Geneva last week, which is one of the nicest shows on the calendar. Not least because there are just two exhibition halls and while we still get sore feet, it's nothing like the marathons of Frankfurt and Paris ... Full Story.

7-Series has little things to impress
Buying a luxury car must be such a headache, writes Eddie Cunningham. God help all those filthy rich people having to endure the indecisive pain of plumping for one technological wonder over another. It wasn’t so bad up to now. Mercedes had their new S-Class, Lexus not too long ago brought in their new LS430 so you could choose on modernity. Full Story.

Audi Allroad goes any road!
The sun had shone for the Audi dealers who had tried out the new allroad quattro at the Aughrim Estate the day before, writes Trish Whelan. But today the mist was rolling in on the mountains, and there had been an extraordinary amount of rain the night before. But sure weren’t we experienced motoring journalists, prepared for any circumstances, and weren’t these conditions perfect for us to test the car? Full Story.

MG TF is a new edge for the brand
So maybe I haven’t reached a mid-life crisis yet (or perhaps because my life has always been more or less of a crisis anyway that one more is unnoticeable), but I’ve never yearned for a two-seater sports car, writes Brian Byrne. Big cars are more my thing. But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a sports car when given the chance. Full Story.

Vel Satis will change the Renault image
You’ll see it here from mid-April, writes Brian Byrne. You won’t see too many of it. And you’ll have seen nothing like it on Ireland’s roads. Ever. With a name like Vel Satis, which actually doesn’t mean anything, it has to be different. From a designer like Patrick Le Quement, who with other employers was also responsible for the Ford Sierra, Audi A6, and the Twingo, Laguna and Laguna II from Renault, you can expect a ‘pushing out of the envelope’. Full Story.

Hyundai's new coupe has lines to lust for
If Hyundai’s previous Coupe sold well because it was (relatively) cheap and very cheerful, and very distinctive in an overblown sexy styling, its successor is apparently doing at least equally as well for quite different reasons, writes Brian Byrne. Curves are gone and edges are in. It’s a car that instead of wanting to hug it, you feel it as a chariot to carve you through traffic. Full Story.

Skoda hits the luxury trail
It is, perhaps, the motoring equivalent of a modern rags-to-riches story, writes Eddie Cunningham. Skoda, the former bargain basement car, the butt of the harshest jokes, the byword for cheap but not cheerful, is planning to take on the toffs. Its new motor, the Superb, is due here in July and will have the style and substance of a luxury executive motor. Full Story.

MG ZT is a billboard dazzler
Big, bluntly aggressive, and its front end with all that heavy mesh looked down from the billboard near the Red Cow Roundabout on the day I was travelling to collect the car, writes Trish Whelan. It set my pulses racing even then. And a very short time afterwards, the ZT190 became, for me, the best car in MG Rover’s new range. Full Story.

Lets have Jazz
The original Honda Jazz was a rather small, basic little runabout that found favour with few Irish motorists, writes Hugh Maguire. Whilst it suited the Japanese market the Irish motorist wanted something more substantial. However, in name at least the Jazz has returned, but as a completely new and actually very impressive compact car. Full Story.

Down this Xtrail before
There’s an immediate impression when you first take the wheel of an X-Trail, writes Brian Byrne. A deja vu kind of thing. Though there are physical differences because it is after all Nissan’s own vehicle, we’ve been down this road before in a number of 4WD vehicles aimed towards the leisure and recreation market rather than the farmwork. Full Story.

Fiesta grows and grows
The new Ford Fiesta may confuse you as much as it did me, writes Donal Byrne. Not alone is the car a brilliantly designed replacement for the current model, it is simply too big to just take over where the current one leaves off. On first sight, this car looks more like a Focus-sized car than the traditional mini from Ford. Full Story.

Le Conservatoire houses Citroen's heritage
Citroën with a buoyant and booming present and a future full of promise, recently took time out to give us a snap over-the-shoulder glimpse into its distinguished and celebrated past, writes John Reilly. And it was one of the strangest days ever in motoring annals. In 25 years, I've never been at a motor occasion quite like this. Full Story.

Opel plant 'sets standards for industry'
Opel’s new production facility in Rüsselsheim for the new Vectra sets new standards in terms of productivity, quality and flexibility, writes Brian Byrne. It represents a 750 million euros investment, will produce 270,000 cars a year, and has meant the biggest employee training programme in Opel’s history. Full Story.

Is this as far as it gets?
Driving conditions don’t get much more unforgiving than in the north of Norway, and if a car company decides to show off its latest product there, it must have real confidence in it, writes Brian Byrne. Back in Ireland, the road surface conditions would close down the country for a month. Here, people just take them as they come. Full Story.

New Fiesta has a lot to live up to
There’s a new Fiesta coming in July. But it’s not a Fiesta. Not, anyway, as we’ve grown to know Ford’s small car over the years since its introduction in 1977, writes Brian Byrne.OK. So Ford had to catch up. Not because its main small car wasn’t selling, because it was. No ... it simply had to catch up in the space stakes. Full Story.

So how much is safety in the modern car?
It’s hard to differentiate any part of a car as being a ‘safety’ element, writes Brian Byrne, because, as one engineer said to me last week, ALL parts of a car design impinge somehow on safety. But there is a figure out there which suggests that at least 30% of a modern car’s components are directly related to safety. Which is an awful lot more than was the case even a decade ago. Full Story.

Poor roads, poor signposting, poor tourists
In response to many requests and complaints, IrishCar.com undertook the first survey of its kind into how foreign drivers view our roads and signposting, writes Clark Rickson. The results are sad and alarming. Sad because we are still languishing at third-world level in many areas. Alarming because this survey highlights how historical neglect is now threatening to hurt the major tourist industry. Full Story.

Corolla D4D a different class of diesel
It’s not always a good idea to give a journalist a diesel version of one’s new car first, writes Brian Byrne. Unless the particular journalist is a dieselhead, the usual less refined oil-burning characteristics can seriously set an impression for a car that’s less than it deserves. It seems Toyota have no such fears. Full Story.

Vectra will have enhanced levels of quality
There’s more than a hint of the old Opel Calibra in the high waistline and wedge lines of the upcoming new Vectra, making its world premiere in March at the Geneva Motor Show with sales beginning in Europe shortly after. Read June for Ireland, writes Brian Byrne. There’s also nodding acknowledgment to the curved rooflines of VW’s Passat and Ford’s Mondeo. If these things work for other people, we shouldn’t ignore them, right? Full Story.

New Civic quite a different animal
Available in 5-door hatch, 4-door saloon and now in a striking 3-door form, Honda’s new Civic is quite a different animal from its immediate predecessor, writes Hugh Maguire. Visually, the new three-door has moved towards monospace design - tall with short overhangs and a large glass area. Not the sort of thing to set your pulse racing but, nevertheless, it’s distinctive and stylish. Full Story.

Ford Mondeo Executive has the edge
As soon as I finished test driving the Executive version of the Ford Mondeo I began to make a few unusual comparisons, writes Donal Byrne. With the Audi A4, for example. At eur 31,299 this Mondeo costs eur 127 less than the entry level A4 and that particular model has a 1.6 engine, as compared to the Mondeo's 2.0 litre unit. Full Story.

Death sentence for famous Ford name
Ford Motor Company has announced the chopping of its luxury car Lincoln Continental as part of a restructuring plan to improve $9 billion in extra profits by the middle of the decade, writes Brian Byrne. Since 1940, it is the name which has been almost the ultimate icon of US automobile luxury. Full Story.

Vel Satis might prevent cars from becoming 'white goods'
Renault’s Vel Satis luxury car will be aiming at people who ‘want to make a statement’ when it comes on the Irish market in April, writes Brian Byrne. And the Irish distributors expect enough buyers who want to be different are out there to make its presence on their price lists worth while. Full Story.