Ariel stays true to it;s origins by extending the deal to run all its products with Honda units, why choose second best !

Honda (UK) and Ariel renew exclusive engine supply deal as 1,500^th Honda-powered Ariel roars out of the (very small) factory

• Honda (UK) and Ariel Motor Company renew exclusive engine supply deal for Atom and Nomad
• 1,500^th Honda-powered Ariel in 16 years roars out of the factory
• Supercharged Civic Type R engine delivers a scorching 350bhp and top speed of more than 155mph in the famed Ariel Atom

Honda (UK) and Ariel Motor Company have renewed their 16-year strong exclusive engine supply agreement which sees the famed Atom powered by the Civic Type R engine, and the new off-road Nomad by the Civic 2.4 unit.

The news comes as the two brands celebrate the 1500^th Honda-powered Ariel roaring out of the small factory in Somerset, where just eight highly skilled build technicians spend 100-200 hours painstakingly hand-crafting one vehicle each at a time, from start to finish. Over the last 16 years 1,500 new Ariels have been built here – just a few day’s work for Honda’s Civic-producing Swindon plant.

Walking into Ariel’s small British workshop is like walking into a luxury tailor to be measured for a bespoke suit. No two Ariels are the same: each is made to order and there are thousands of possible configurations. Ariels are extremely affordable, very fast and will run and run at a track day with almost zero maintenance. At the heart of every Ariel lies the engine, however.

Since 2003 Ariel has been using as standard the Civic Type R engine to power these pocket rockets, firstly with the flagship Atom and now, with the Civic 2.4 unit, the new off-road Nomad. Atom base models use a completely untouched unit off the shelf to offer 245bhp with Ariel-tuned ECU and exhaust or, it can be supercharged to either 310bhp or 350bhp offering a 0-60mph of less than 2.7 seconds and a top speed of more than 155mph.

Ariel’s founder Simon Saunders comments: “Our customers are hugely passionate about driving so the engine is everything. When we tell new customers that it’s a Honda they simply nod and move on to the next question. They just know that it works. Switching to Honda engines is one of the best decisions that we’ve ever made. It’s a brand that can’t be matched for performance and bulletproof reliability and we’re delighted that this success is set to continue well into the future.”

Philip Crossman, managing director of Honda (UK), says: “The Ariel brand is an incredible British success story with a fascinating history and pedigree in producing bespoke machines which driving fans love. The two brands are a perfect match – not least with our common engineering expertise and reputation for unrivalled performance, reliability and durability. With the engine such a key factor it’s a huge endorsement for Honda that Ariel chooses ours over others, and we look forward to continuing this successful partnership for many years to come.”

As well as custom-building the Atom and new off-road Nomad, Ariel recently introduced the Ace motorcycle which, true to form, is also exclusively powered by Honda. Under the cowling of each Ace sits a V4 1237cc Honda unit, delivering 173bhp with a top speed of 165mph.

MG 4 - Latest MG dealership opens with an MG rally Driver behind the new business.

Leading amateur rally ace Karl Broad is back in the driving seat – but this time he’s behind Britain’s latest MG dealership.

Karl successfully campaigned a famous MG 6R4 Group B fireball for many years while also growing several automotive businesses. Now he’s the Dealer Principal of K&R MG in Taunton, Somerset, the latest firm to join the expanding MG dealer network.  

Last year MG appointed a record 24 new dealers. K&R MG is the second appointment this year as MG continues to rapidly expand as Britain’s fastest growing brand. 

Karl has invested more than £2-million in the K&R MG dealership complex on a 1.3 acre site just outside Taunton town centre. The business employs 17 staff and Karl is already advertising for an additional MG sales executive and is confident more jobs will be created in the future with the MG franchise.

The new dealership will cover a wide area of Somerset including Taunton and  Bridgwater. The eight-car showroom is on Cook Way, Bindon Road.

Karl said: “MG is in my blood, especially with all the MG 6R4 rallying behind me. The brand is closely associated with motor sport and it was great to see MG lift the British Touring Car Championship manufacturer title last year.

“Who knows, I might even take a look at rallying one of the modern MGs. Certainly the cars are very well built and have great dynamic qualities. I’ve been really impressed with them and I think my customers will be attracted by the brilliant value for money they offer.”

Karl has invested heavily in his state-of-the-art workshops and the large K&R site gives the company plenty of space to look at further expansion of the MG business in the future.

He added: “MG is very firmly back on the map now and I know there’s a large potential market for MG here. Modern MGs offer all the values of the iconic MG models, but probably offer even better value for money. That’s a big appeal to people these days.”

Pothole damages claims rise by 750% due to failure to repair roads.

• Winter floods create surge in compensation claims to affected councils in Jan/Feb
• Somerset Council claims in Jan/Feb 2014 up 750% against Nov/Dec 2013
• New pothole signage could be installed on damaged stretches of road as a temporary warning system for road users
• Signage would only need prevent 2-3 incidents to cover costs versus £100s in garage bills and compensation payments

Councils in the areas worst hit by the winter storms are now facing a different kind of flood – a rising swell of automotive compensation claims – according to campaign website, Potholes.co.uk.

While homeowners seek compensation for damage to their houses, road users are also demanding remuneration for car axle, wheel and suspension faults caused by pothole-ridden stretches of saturated roads.

In one county – deluged Somerset – claims spiked at 204 in January / February from just 24 in November / December, a massive 750% increase in cases.

The same worrying trend has been spotted in some of the other regions worst hit by flooding at the start of this year. Surrey County Council reported a 353% increase and admitted that an “unprecedented number of claims” meant that there was still a backlog of claims waiting to go on to the system, meaning the statistics will only get worse.

In Dorset, one of the worst hit flood areas, the County Council saw claims for pothole damage increase from 85 in November/December to 193 in January/February – up 127%. In January the county experienced up to 290mm of rain in some areas – almost three times the average expected at that time of year.

Worcester floods hit record levels in February and claims to the County Council also rose 400% from 25 in November/December to 125 in January/February.

To draw attention to the ongoing problem with the crumbling roads, Potholes.co.uk has unveiled a new design for temporary signage that could be adopted to warn motorists and other road users about pothole-ridden stretches of road.

Pothole damage to cars in the UK creates an estimated annual repair bill of £730million and continues to increase each year, according to research by Potholes.co.uk and Warranty Direct.

As the UK emerges from some of the most destructive winter floods on record, hundreds of roads across the country have been left saturated and crumbling, accelerating existing deterioration and creating the perfect conditions for a pothole plague.

Warranty Direct managing director, David Gerrans, said: “With potholed stretches of road affecting many road users on a daily basis, there’s now real cause to create dedicated signage. Let’s give people a fighting chance of avoiding unnecessary garage bills or even personal injury.

“If road signs can warn of falling rocks from above then why not craters from below? The average bill for pothole damage now runs at £247, so a sign only needs stop a couple of incidents to justify the expenditure. The embarrassment will be for the Government in just how many signs need to be put up – there’s one pothole for every mile of road by some estimates.”

As a result of the heavy rainfall damaging roads, campaign website Potholes.co.uk had more than 1500 potholes reported across the UK in January and February alone, by motorists who had either damaged their vehicles or were trying to warn others of the hazards.

One site visitor reported hitting a submerged pothole whilst driving back from Elstead towards Puttenham. With rain water making the deep crater almost invisible, they drove through it cracking their alloy and bursting the tyre in the process.

Increasing numbers of visitors have also reported how they are warning other drivers by placing traffic cones in or next to the affected road surface. Potholes.co.uk is concerned that these good citizens are putting themselves at risk from passing traffic in the process.

One motorist in Hampshire damaged two tyres when they hit a pothole. They have since taken it upon themselves to mark the hazard with a traffic cone.

Even London Mayor Boris Johnson isn’t immune to the perils of potholes. In his Telegraph column (16/02/14), the cycling enthusiast admitted to being thrown from his handlebars and writing off his bike when he struck a road defect hidden by rainwater whilst riding up Whitehall in London.

Warranty Direct found that claims for axle and suspension damage, a common result of hitting potholes at speed, increased 22% between 2012 and 2013. Axle and suspension faults currently represent around 10.1% of all claims handled by the company – in 2010 this was just 4% – a 159% rise in cases.

While the average repair bill for pothole-induced axle or suspension damage is £247, Warranty Direct and Potholes.co.uk have identified recent claims as high as £2,700. The average cost for a council to repair a single pothole is only around £52^[1].

If your vehicle has been damaged as a result of a pothole, you may be entitled to compensation from your council. Visit www.potholes.co.uk/claims/how_to_claim for more information.