Automotive Academy

There is a new champion is the world of mega-horsepower saloons, and it comes in the shape of a 750BHP BMW M5. The BMW was recently timed recently at 367.4km/h 228.3mph, the G-Power Hurricane RS has stolen the record from established speed junky and former record holder Brabus. The Merc tuner has a long history of building silly horsepower record breakers, its 227.2mph CLS-based being most recent in a line of super quick Mercede’s.  

After months of speculation GM has pulled the plug on Saab, which has left the loss-making Swedish car company no option but to file for ‘Chapter 11’-style bankruptcy. The move means a Swedish court-appointed administrator will oversee efforts by Saab to reorganise itself once more into a fully independent entity, while offering short-term legal protection from its creditors, which will give the car firm the opportunity to try and get itself back on its feet and get protected against bankruptcy. 

However the company has reiterated it can only survive as in independent in the future with significant external funding, it has been reported that last year the company lost nearly £250 million.

‘We explored and will continue to explore all available options for funding and/or selling Saab and it was determined a formal reorganisation would be the best way to create a truly independent entity that is ready for investment,’ said Jan Ake Jonsson, Managing Director for Saab Automobile.

‘With an all new 9-5, 9-3X and 9-4X all ready for launch over the next year and a half, Saab has an excellent foundation for strong growth, assuming we can get the funding to complete engineering, tooling and manage launch costs. Reorganisation will give us the time and means that help get these products to market while minimising the liquidity impact of Saab on GM.’

The company produced a press release today putting on a brave face in regards to the situation, stating Saab’s intention to re-concentrate the marque’s design, engineering and manufacturing operations in Sweden over a three month period, assuming the administrator agrees to the plans. But in the meanwhile the GM decision which was made to cut Saab loose has put the Swedish government under increasing pressure to stump up a taxpayer bailout.

When you first purchase a car you are eventually going to want to sell it on at some point, so it is important that from day one of the purchase you start to maintain it so when you come to sell the car on, or complete a part-ex deal, you can get the highest resale value in the future.

While your engine is new and still shiny and beautiful, you should have it sealed to keep it that way. An engine sealer can help to keep under the bonnet looking clean and shiny and this should not cost very much but it looks incredible! And the effects of it lasts. 

The manufacturer of your vehicle probably recommends you to change the oil in your car every 6,000 miles, but to be on the safe side, I recommend every 3,000 miles. Also, keep the records using an envelope and put it in your glove box for all of your oil change receipts. On the outside of the envelope list the date of each oil change, records of any manual work on the vehicle will always be an attractive feature to possible buyers. 

Regular ‘tune ups’ and maintenance at the dealership always reflects well when you show a possible buyer the history of your vehicle, go at the recommended increments and always replace tires and repair breaks regularly. Once again, get a separate envelope for tune ups and maintenance and keep your receipts in 

Keep the inside and outside of your car clean, cleanliness is far easier to maintain than it is to clean something that has years of build up. Use the appropriate leather, vinyl and wheel cleaners for best results.

And always ensure you repair any damage promptly and correctly straight away, as if left they will just get worse and become harder and more expensive to fix. Keep your receipts for your repairs at home with your insurance paperwork.

One of the most annoying things about owning a car is coming out of the shops to your parked car, to find it has a scratch… small but noticeable, on the vehicle side panel. It wasn’t there yesterday or a week ago, but today it is prominent. How frustrating! If this is a small scratch, it is simple to fix and here’s how!

First you need to look closely at the scratch. If it is minor and only scratches the paint surface of the car, but not destroyed the paint or gone further than the top coating, it can be fixed it. You will need a thin lined sharpie marker that is the same color as your car. Black marker for a black car, blue marker for a blue car etc.

Wash the panel the scratch is on to make sure it is completely rid of any dirt or grim. Wipe it dry with a paper towel. Make sure there is no dirt on the area around the scratch or in the scratch itself or this process won’t work. Take the sharpie marker and fill in the scratch very carefully. This needs to be an exact line, spread evenly where the paint is lacking. 

You then need to carefully apply wax the area of the scratch, place the wax on the surface, but before moving or polishing, allow the wax to set for 15 minutes. After the time allotted is finished, polish the panel as directed on the package directions.

Once you are done polishing, you will notice the scratch has disappeared or considerably lightened. The wax builds up in the scratch and allows the surface to smooth out. This is can be repeated if necessary and will last for up to a year before fading.

Once you have finished washing your car the next step is to complete a wax. And even if the vehicle has been corrected with a swirl remover it is still recommended to apply a pre wax as part of the entire system.

Pre-wax is just as the name implies, to get the surface ready for wax to be applied. Tar spots, some tree saps and various other surface contaminates are usually not taken off by a product that is termed wax only.

The wax/cleaners with high solvent content in them need to be avoided, as they will eventually deteriorate the surface to which they are applied. Pre Wax Cleanser is especially formulated to be used prior to applying Car Wax. If you’re trying to get a really incredible deep, vibrant shine from your wax, you need to use a pre wax cleanser to properly prepare the surface prior to use Car Wax.

The benefit of Pre Wax Cleanser is that is prepares the surface after you wash it, so that the paint surface doesn’t get contaminated by dirt or anything else that may keep you from getting the ultimate protection.

The application of the car wax is the final stage, again we like to apply the wax by hand and remove by hand using a super flush Micro fiber towel. With a good car wax you don’t need multiple products to accomplish astonishing results, it doesn’t get any easier.

Tire Dressing is best to be applied as a tire gel using an applicator with a very thin layer of tire gel to the tire sidewall if more shine is desired a second coat can be applied, most of the time one coat is enough, it’s a nice finishing touch after all your hard work!