http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GtK6Mf8tv8U/WUaw-5FfvqI/AAAAAAAABZA/jS9SbHm_h4ctxa2J8opLgAAuFmeBejtLwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/VW%2BAmaro%2Bcar%2Breview.png
Price: £31,506
Top speed: 119mph
0-62mph: 8 seconds
MPG: 36.2
Towing capacity: 3,100kg
CO2: 203g/km
So, this is where it happened. Jeremy Clarkson slugged his producer and effectively killed off Top Gear MkI. I’m at the genteel Simonstone Hall in Wensleydale and before JC’s fisticuffs the closest guests came to a spat was a spilt G&T or maybe a run on the Bombay mix. I ask the waiter if they get TG pilgrims. He says: “Our guests are often curious – and it certainly hasn’t been bad for business.” They should put up a blue plaque. He laughs and says: “Or hang up a pair of blue jeans to mark the spot.”
I’m not sure what Clarkson would make of that, but he’d certainly approve of the car I’ve just driven across Yorkshire in. It’s the uncompromisingly tough VW Amarok. But there is something tonally discordant about Volkswagen offering buyers a pick-up. They are creators of the beloved Beetle, the people’s car – and the hippy’s friend, the ageless Campervan. Now we have this intimidating brute: the last redoubt of the urban redneck. Even the name is jarring. Is it Anorak? Or maybe “I Am a Rock”?
But pick-ups are big business these days, not just for farmers and builders, but also for lifestylers. So it’s no surprise VW wants a slice of the pick-up pie, and Amarok is doing well for them – more than 15,000 have been sold since its initial launch back in 2011. This latest version is less truck-y and more car-y. It has decent road manners but still packs a prodigious off-road punch. There’s room for five adults to sit comfortably (the cabin is so roomy it actually has an echo) and the load bay is big enough to carry, I’d guess, six fridges, or four canoes, or two sofas, or the entire contents of your attic…
But that’s also the vehicle’s problem. More and more of us are buying these rough country pick-ups to use as smooth city saloons. I couldn’t believe how many I spotted in London in the week after I drove the Amarok. It’s madness. Driving an Amarok in an urban area makes you stand out like a fat man at a convention of jockeys.
However, in terms of practicality the Amarok is hard to beat. It has an all-new 3-litre V6 diesel and a 4MOTION four-wheel drive system linked to an eight-speed auto box. It’s also offered as a 160bhp version with a six-speed manual. Both have an off-road mode with an electronic differential lock to help find traction and so you can scale terrifyingly steep inclines – up to 45 degrees. And it’ll wade through water that’s 50cm deep.
Inside, the cabin is basic yet comfortable; the emphasis is on durability. There’s plenty of tech, including an infotainment system, a clear touchscreen with satnav and smartphone connectivity. Should you buy one? If you live in the wilderness, yes, you’ll love it. If you live in a city… grow up.
Keep your eyes on the road
Here’s a ‘heads up’ about Navdy – the world’s ‘first augmented driving device’. That’s hardly a catchy description for this super-smart gadget. It uses ground-breaking augmented reality (AR) technology to project information directly on to your windscreen – jet pilot style – so that it appears to be on the road ahead. This means you can look forward while staying connected.
Information is projected as a transparent image directly in your line of sight. Depending on what you want to see, you can scroll through maps, calls, messages, notifications, email, music and car diagnostic information, all the while keeping your eyes firmly on the road. Using the Navdy feels natural and intuitive.
It also incorporates hand gestures so you can accept calls with the wave of a hand. There is a specially engineered Dial, and advanced software that lets you control your phone hands-free.
Navdy is available now for pre-order at Amazon for £549. To learn more, visit navdy.
Aston Martin prepares for take-off
Dame Judi Dench has teamed up with the RAF Benevolent Fund, the RAF’s leading welfare charity, to officially open its anticipated raffle where one lucky winner will drive away in a rare Aston Martin Vanquish S Red Arrows Limited Edition car. The actor and long-time supporter of the charity was delighted to get a first look at the car, even finding time to give it a quick wash and polish!
For just £20 a ticket, you can buy yourself the chance to win the car, worth £275,000, with all the money raised going directly to the charity that supports past and present RAF personnel and their families.
Aston Martin Cambridge has commissioned just 10 Vanquish S Red Arrows cars as a unique tribute to the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, with one being kindly donated to the Benevolent Fund. Celebrating two of the most iconic marques in British history and engineering, the car marries the exceptional craftsmanship and unforgettable driving experience of an Aston Martin with the iconic Red Arrows brand. The Vanquish S Red Arrows car boasts a number of special features that echo the Red Arrows themselves, including a white ‘flash’ on the sides, complemented by white and blue carbon details.
The raffle is part of an ongoing drive to ensure the charity can continue its vital work supporting more than 60,000 current and former members of the RAF and their families in their time of need. The sale of just one raffle ticket will provide a veteran two hot meals and company at one of the popular RAF Benevolent Fund lunch clubs or contribute to sending a former veteran on a course to support them as they return to civilian life.
Tickets can be bought directly from the RAF Benevolent Fund website (rafbf.org/red10) or at air shows and events across the summer. The raffle is open until 1 December 2017 with the draw taking place on 8 December 2017.
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010
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