Independent Volvo Specialists in Coventry

Are there any independent Volvo specialist garages in Coventry?

I have been trying to find one for sometime but without any success. My old Volvo S40 is giving me a headache. The remote doesn't work and opening the car manually with the keys sets off the alarm and the hazard lights start blinking. Unlike other cars, there is no way to manually shut off the alarm from inside the car. I know my old Proton car had a button that you could press to shut off the alarm.

Searching on the net reveals that other S40 owners have had similar problems but unfortunately there were no solutions. I tried a few garages but they were not able to help me.

A friend suggested VRS who call themselves "UK’s leading MOT and auto repair experts". However, when I told them my problem, the guy on the line replied that they had diagnostics solutions for every brand apart from Volvo.

In the end it look like I have to go to TMS Volvo Coventry - the official distributor here in Coventry. Of course they would be the best people to help me but the problem is that like all "authorised" garages, they will charge me a lot. A call to their service centre confirmed it: "It will be £80 to run the diagnostics". You should note that this £80 is only for the diagnostics and don't cover the actual repair costs.

Now the car is parked there in front of my house, practically useless while I wait for my pay to come in.

I do regret buying the Volvo and should have gone with a Ford Mondeo instead. Cheaper and easier to repair.

Arrgh!

New Renault Mégane Coupé.

The economy is really bad and car sales have fallen drastically in the UK. However, some companies are still launching new cars and some of them are really hot - like this new Renault Mégane Coupé.



Prices start from £14,485 OTR for the Expression.

BMW Concept 5 Series Gand Turismo

You might recall that I blogged about the new BMW concept. Well, I found out that it's called the BMW Concept 5 Series Gand Turismo.

Here's the first footage of the car:

Very fast yet green Bentley

Just found out about the new Bentley which runs on biofuel. You would not normally associate "green" credentials with powerful cars but this will be their fastest, most powerful production car ever. It will be unveiled on March 3rd at the 2009 International Geneva Motor Show.

Car tax renewal

Just renewed the vehicle tax for my old Ford. It cost me £185 for a year. Tax is high because my is above 1549 cc and registered before 1 March 2001. The cost of vehicle tax is given on the DirectGov site.

Was really annoyed when I found out that the post office near our house where I normally renew my tax, has now been closed. Had to drive to the Great Heath Sub Post Office on Foleshill road (CV6 5JX).

Just found out that I might have lost the chance to win a SEAT car. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) working with SEAT has just launched a free prize draw for people who renew their tax online or by phone.

Revolutionary concept from BMW

Ever wonder how BMW comes up with their concepts?

The first video of a series presenting a revolutionary concept by BMW appeared on the BMW-web.tv site.

According to what I heard, it's strange because it doesn't fall in any predefined car types - it's not a sedan, nor a SUV or even a station-wagon.



Thanks for the info Markus.

Good news for UK car industry

The UK car industry finally has some good news. Business Secretary Lord Mandelson today outlined a loan package potentially worth up to £2.3bn.

This includes a scheme to unlock £1.3bn of European loans and a government guarantee for up to £1bn of further loans.

The news was welcomed by Jaguar Land Rover and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.