Waterless car cleaner and polisher for alloys

Its been raining on and off the past couple of days but the hose pipe ban is still on in several parts of the UK. If you want to wash your own cars, the Mantis waterless car cleaners would be ideal.

The guys at JML Direct sent me over some more of their great products - this time the Mantis Perfect Wheels – a car cleaner and polisher for alloys. This waterless alloy cleaner promises to be tough on your grubby wheels and gentle and as it is non-acidic, it won’t damage your wheels or your driveway.

So I followed the directions - I first sprayed the rims and left the foam to work into the dirt and brake dust. I used the Mantis Wheel Brush to loosen and remove the dirt and grime.

After a few minutes I wiped it off and then buffed the rims with  with the Mantis Microfibre Mitt .

Check out the results:

Before

Shiny Rims Afterwards

Perfect Wheels works for all wheel types including chrome, alloy, steel and even wheel covers. You can get Mantis Perfect Wheels (£9.99) and the Mantis Wheel Brush (£7.99) from ASDA and online at www.mantis-performance.com.

Warming up Electric Cars

Standard cars usethe excess engine heat to regulate the cabin temperatures. However, this can prove to be quite challenging in Electric Vehicles which draw energy from the battery and end up reducing the the driving distance (sometimes up to 30%).

An interesting article on The Txchnologist takes a look today at the equipment and the solutions that are being tested to regulate the temperature of the cars: Madam, I’m ADAM: Cool Ideas for Warming Up Electric Cars.
 

The new Proton Preve

The Proton Preve was launched today in Malaysia by the Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. There are 3 different variants of this sedan, namely, the Executive, Executive CVT and Premium with prices ranging from RM59,540 (approx. £12,222) for the MT Executive solid colour) to RM72,990 (approx. £14,984) for the premium (metallic colour version) The 1.6 CVT Premium version has a turbocharged 1.6 L CamPro engine which takes the car from 0-100 km/h time of 9.6 seconds and a maximum top speed of 190 km/h. I was a bit curious about the name as it sounds like Perv (not a good meaning) but later on found out that it means 'to prove'. Watch the official ad.

Right tyres for fuel economy

According to Which!, the British consumer group, the choice of car tyres can actually make a huge difference to fuel economy.

Testing on a Peugeot 308, and 205/55 R16V size (one of the most popular sizes fitted in the UK), they found the the Pirelli Cinturato P7s and the Hankook Kinergy Eco K425 came on top for fuel economy, saving you an average of around £50 a year. These budget tyres were even better than tyres from big names like Continental, Goodyear and Bridgestone.

The best new cars for your teenager

Vroomgirls.com - the car site by women for women has listed the "Six Best New Cars for your Teenager".

The cars are:

1. Toyota Yaris
2. Volkswagen Golf
3. Scion xB
4. Kia Rio
5. Honda Fit
6. Chevrolet Sonic

The award-winning Kia Rio subcompact has been selected for its modern styling, high fuel economy and exceptional overall value. They have also highlighted the USB connectivity, steering-wheel controls, impressive warranty and available navigation system.

Jaguar announces the new F-Type sports car:

The new F-Type will be the first production two-seater sports car from Jaguar in more than 50 years. I do not have the full technical and range details yet and will be announced later this year. The car will go on sale in mid 2013.

BMW i8 Concept Spyder

The BMW i8 Concept Spyder is an open-top two-seater plug-in hybrid powered by an eDrive drivetrain. It combines a high-performance electric motor and petrol combustion engine.

It has upward-swivelling, windowless doors and a transparent tailgate. The sports car is based around BMW's innovative "LifeDrive" architecture.