A series of fast Fords celebrate anniversaries at this years Fast Ford Show at Silverstone.

• Survey reveals Ford Sierra RS500 is the ‘Ultimate Cosworth’
• RS500’s 30th anniversary will be celebrated at Ford Fair, along with Escort Cosworth’s 25th
• UK’s biggest Ford show takes place at Silverstone, Northants, on August 6
• Thousands of classic and modern Fords to attend, along with Ford itself
• mountune to be headline sponsor

One of the most iconic performance cars of the 1980s is celebrating its 30th anniversary in style, having been named the ‘Ultimate Cosworth’ by one of the UK’s biggest one-make car shows.

The Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth pipped its spiritual successor, the Escort RS Cosworth, to the post, securing over 55% of the votes in an online survey carried out by Ford Fair to determine which of the two icons was the daddy. The Escort also has a major anniversary in 2017, celebrating its 25th birthday.

A special display celebrating both of these famous fast Fords will be one of the main features of this year’s show, which takes place at Silverstone, Northants, on Sunday August 6.

The RS500 was originally developed for homologation purposes to give the Eighties’ favourite repmobile, the humble Ford Sierra, a chance to compete in World, European and British Touring Car Championships. It was famous in the UK, where it performed in the British Touring Car Championship in the hands of drivers such as Andy Rouse, Steve Soper and Tim Harvey. It also competed in the 1988 World Touring Car Championship and enjoyed success in Australia, too, in the hands of legendary Touring Car driver Dick Johnson.

Just 500 RS500 road cars were made, 75% of which were finished in black, the rest in either white or Ford’s distinctive Moonstone Blue. They were finished by Aston Martin Tickford, with a bigger turbo, while the main external identifier was its outrageous ‘whale tail’ spoiler – a far cry from the average showroom Sierra. 

In addition to the Cosworth anniversary feature, there are some other birthday’s being commemorated in special display areas. These include 15 years of the Mk1 Focus RS, 15 years of the Mondeo ST220 and 15 years of the Focus ST170 – yes, 2002 was a great year for fans of fast Fords.

Ford Fair will also have over 4,000 club cars on display, including many other classic and modern Fords, plus a special selection of cars from Ford itself, including the all-new Fiesta.

Other star features will include The Live Action Arena, which will once again be at the centre of the show, a live performance from stunt driver Paul Swift, bookable track time for show visitors and a dedicated Classic Zone, hosted by Classic Fordmagazine, which will play host to all manner of historic heroes from Anglia to Zodiac.

Once again, the event will see headline sponsorship from aftermarket Ford specialists, mountune, while Hardrace, KSport, BC Racing, BC Forged Wheels, Goodridge, Sky Insurance and ValetPRO are other key sponsors.

New for 2017, Ford Fair will also host the inaugural Fast Ford Awards sponsored by Sky Insurance. This special display will form part of the Fast Ford stand at the show, and will include winners of various categories, such as ‘Best Street Car’, ‘Best Engine Swap’, ‘Best Modern Ford’, ‘Best Old School Ford’ and many more.

This epic display of the UK’s finest fast Fords will coincide with the very latest issue of Fast Ford magazine – available to buy at the show a week before it hits the shops. The ‘Fast Ford Awards’ special issue will include full details of the various categories and all of winners. And, with all of the winners proudly on display at the front of the Fast Ford stand, you will be able to get up close and personal with the very cars in the magazine.

At the show, all of the Award winners will be entered into the Fast Ford People’s Choice Award, which will be decided on the day.

Also, you’ll find the Ford Fair merchandise marquee on the Fast Ford stand, where you can pick up the latest issue of the magazine, take advantage of some show-exclusive subscription deals, or get your hands on the latest branded goodies.

Other show highlights will include a Show & Shine sponsored by ValetPRO, individual entries, public track time and a packed retail village.

Already, over 4,000 Fords are booked into club displays, promising a fun-filled day for all fans of the UK’s most popular car brand.

For the chance to buy discounted tickets*, visit www.fordfair.co.uk

Renault takes the top spot in the Auto Express Driver Power Dealer Aftersales Service Survey 2016.

• Renault rated number one in industry for dealer aftersales service
• Owners were 94.4 per cent on average satisfied with their aftersales experience
• Renault climbs from 12th place in 2015
• Impressive results for Groupe Renault with Dacia finishing in second place overall

Renault has achieved its best ever performance in the Auto Express Driver Power survey for Dealer Aftersales Service Satisfaction, topping the survey for the first time. Across the whole Renault range, customers were on average 94.4 per cent satisfied with their overall aftersales experience at a Renault dealership in the 2016 survey.

The impressive result sees the French car manufacturer rise through the rankings from 12^th, out of 31 brands, in the survey in 2015.

The announcement comes after Renault received its best ever ranking in the Auto Express Driver Power vehicle ownership survey, with the ZOE electric supermini and Renault Kadjar crossover awarded second and third overall respectively out of 183 vehicles surveyed.

Mark Crockett, Director of Total Customer Experience, Groupe Renault UK & Ireland, said: “This outstanding result demonstrates the progression of our vehicles and reaffirms our commitment to customer service throughout the entire lifespan of our cars. We are delighted to have topped the list, especially as this comes directly from our own customers. This ranking comes at a time when we are also selling a record number of vehicles in the UK. We strive to provide customers with the very-best ownership experience, and 94.4 per cent of customers stating they have been satisfied with our After Sales service is proof of that.”

Brian Walters, Director of Research and Insights at Driver Power, said: "Renault improved in all six of the Driver Power aftersales attributes, most notably in keeping its customers informed on progress and cost of work, and the technical knowledge of its workshop employees. Renault now leads the industry with respect to the helpfulness and attitude of its dealership personnel. In fact, Renault is among the top three brands in all six of the Driver Power dealer attributes."

The result is partly attributed to the redefinition of the Groupe Renault UK Services and Quality division in early 2016 to two new departments: Total Customer Experience (TCE) and After Sales.  TCE supports a further emphasis on customer experience and performance and demonstrates the brand’s collective commitment to positively driving customer experience throughout the business and its dealer network. The TCE team is now also complemented by a new Customer Journey team in order to deliver the best possible Renault experience to customers, whilst After Sales now has a renewed focus on the commercial operations of parts, accessories, options and services functions.

Over the last few years the Groupe Renault UK dealer network has been investing in a new physical showroom experience for its customers with 132 new ‘Renault Store’ showroom concepts already opened across the country adding a completely new dimension to customers’ buying experiences. The concept includes a striking new exterior look to the dealerships, featuring new corporate colours and signage, a dedicated brand bar and specific model zones. Combined with the youngest model line-up of any generalist car manufacturer in the UK and the new TCE and After Sales divisions, this means that a customer will have a completely different Renault experience when they walk into a showroom than they would have done just four years ago.

The result is further proof that Groupe Renault UK is on track to complete its GO5+ 5-year mid-term plan –two objectives of which are to secure a top 10 ranking in the Auto Express Driver Power Customer Ownership Survey and also a top 10 Global Opinion rank for the Renault brand by 2017.

Vauxhall moves up to fourth overall in the annual J.D. Power dependability Survey for 2016.

• Vauxhall named fourth best manufacturer in JD Power survey for vehicle dependability
• Manufacturer outperformed premium rivals in study of over 13,000 drivers
• Vauxhall Insignia top of class

Vauxhall has performed very strongly in the second annual JD Power survey for vehicle dependability, achieving fourth overall in the manufacturer rankings. Moving up from ninth in last year’s inaugural survey, Vauxhall outperformed all premium rivals including Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar.

Recording a range average of 90 problems per 100 vehicles (pp100), considerably better than the industry average of 113, Vauxhall models also performed well across individual classes. Most notably, the Vauxhall Insignia topped the mid-size class, while the Corsa and Mokka models came third in the small and compact SUV classes respectively.

The Vauxhall Insignia outperformed its closest rival by 16 pp100 vehicles, and was stronger than the class average to the value of a staggering 46 pp100. On average the small category achieved among the best results, with the Vauxhall Corsa ranking third, 15 pp100 ahead of the class average. In the rapidly-growing compact SUV class, the Vauxhall Mokka also achieved third. With a notable score of only 65 problems per 100 vehicles, the Mokka was an impressive 45 pp100 ahead of the class average.

“It is brilliant to see that our cars are performing well for durability after they have left the showroom,” said Rory Harvey, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director. “Providing high-quality, reliable vehicles is a priority of ours, and to see models across the range achieve these results and outperform their premium rivals is great.”

Now in its second year, the JD Power survey for vehicle dependability looks at the reliability of new vehicles sold in the UK. The 2016 study looked at 113 models (73 ranked) across 25 manufacturers, gathering data from over 13,000 drivers of MY13-15 vehicles.

Census of the world’s Minis completed, with responses from all corners of the globe.

• Census of the world’s Minis completed, with responses from all corners of the globe
• In conjunction with Mini World Live at Rockingham Motor Speedway, July 10, 2016
• More male Minis than females
• Most popular name is ‘Marvin’

Over half of the world’s Minis are boys, with the most popular name being Marvin, according to the world’s first ever Mini Census.

The survey, carried out by the organisers of Mini World Live, which takes place at Rockingham Motor Speedway, Northants, on July 10, 2016, received responses from Mini owners all over the globe, including places as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Malta and the USA.

The results show that in total, 51% of the world’s Mini population is male, 35% are female and 14% are neither – although anyone who’s ever owned a Mini knows it’s more than just a car.

Among the boy Minis, the most popular names are Marvin, Tommy (Cooper) and Jack, although there’s a developing trend towards the names Dave, Stuart and Bob, made famous by Minions - The Movie. Girl Minis tend to follow a more alliterative tone, with Minnie (perhaps unsurprisingly), Mollie and Millie being the three most favoured names.

Some of the more unusual names that owners have given their Minis include Pingu (because he’s white with a black roof), Tetley (because he has more holes in him than a tea bag) and Mojo Jojo (after the evil monkey inThe Powerpuff Girls). Randomly, one correspondent has also named her Mini Leigh Halfpenny after the Welsh rugby international (because he’s smallish, gorgeous and powerful).

The survey also proves the diversity of the world’s Mini owners, with the youngest respondent being 17-year old Luke from Auckland, New Zealand, who has a male Mini called Sheldon, after Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory. The oldest respondent was 80-year old John from Bangor, North Wales, who has a female Mini called Mavis, named after his late wife.

Commenting on the survey, Mini World Live event manager, Katherine Chappell, said: “Mini owners have a real sense of community, and their cars are just as much a part of that community as they are. Minis, both old and new, are the most celebrated and characterful cars in the world, and with Mini World Live we want to celebrate that character.”

Following the show’s debut in 2015, which brought thousands of Mini enthusiasts to the Northants venue, the organisers are promising even more action and more of a festival feel for the show, which is backed by three major Mini-related magazine titles – MiniWorld, Mini Magazine and Modern MINI.

The show will feature attractions catering for fans of both classic and modern Minis, including a concours competition, individual entries, a huge retail village, show and shine areas, club displays and on-track action, the details of which will be confirmed nearer to the date.

Visitors will also be able to enter a competition to win a Mini, sponsored by specialist insurers Carole Nash. The classic is currently being restored by the magazine teams, and will be on display at the Show. Modified Mini owners will also be able to enter a ‘Best Wheels’ competition, in association with Wheel Whores.

Live music and refreshments will also form a core part of the event, with camping available the evening before to ensure it benefits from a vibrant, festival feel.

UK's potholes cause significant damage, but the supposedly premium bullet proof German brands are the worst.

• Mercedes Benz R-Class most susceptible to suspension damage
• Average repair bill for pothole damage is £350
• Vulnerable vehicles more than 15 times worse than the most robust cars  

With weather conditions like the Easter weekend’s Storm Katie creating the perfect conditions for the annual pothole epidemic, a new study of 3-8 year old cars from Warranty Direct reveals the Mercedes Benz R-Class (06-15)* and Saab 9-3 (04-12) are the cars most likely to suffer suspension damage.

Hyundai’s Santa Fe (06-12) and the Land Rover Discovery 3 (04-10) have the next most susceptible suspension, with 13.9 and 13.3 percent respectively of Warranty Direct customers claiming for axle & suspension damage annually.

Potholes are typically at their most prevalent on Britain’s underinvested road network between January and April, as heavy rainfall undermines the lower structural layers of roads, creating cracks then more potholes,** increasing the likelihood of suspension damage.

The recent Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey revealed that local authorities spent a total of £118.4m*** filling 2,190,026*** potholes across England and Wales in the last year, but also paid out an additional £13.5m*** in compensation claims.  

With the average repair bill for pothole damage now £350,**** Warranty Direct’s database of 50,000 live policies shows that the most vulnerable cars are more than 15 times worse than the most robust models.  

At the opposite end of the scale, the Ford S-Max (06-15) and Nissan Qashqai (07-14) share top billing as the cars least likely to be affected***** by the UK’s pothole-ridden roads; both boast an impressive clean sheet when it comes to model claims relating to axle & suspension damage.

Top 10 cars with the highest % chance of an annual axle & suspension related claim

Number	Make	Model Group	Year	% chance of an axle & suspension related claim annually
1	MERCEDES-BENZ	R-Class	(06-15)	15.82%
2	SAAB	9-3	(04-12)	15.05%
3	HYUNDAI	SANTA FE	(06-12)	13.98%
4	LAND ROVER	DISCOVERY 3	(04-10)	13.37%
5	MERCEDES-BENZ	GL-Class	(06-15)	12.61%
6	VAUXHALL	ASTRA	(04-12)	11.56%
7	LANDROVER	RANGE ROVER	(02-13)	11.28%
8	BMW	X5	(07-13)	11.27%
9	MERCEDES-BENZ	E-Class	(06-09)	11.17%
10	MERCEDES-BENZ	CLS-Class	(05-10)	11.15%

Warranty Direct managing director, David Gerrans, said: “The variation you see in suspension damage from one model to another is remarkable.

“Potholes are a major factor in causing axle & suspension failure and any vehicle regularly driven over impaired road surfaces or used for commuting over pothole-strewn routes will ultimately incur damage eventually.

“Components such as bushes, track rod ends, drop links, springs and dampers are all susceptible. Visit our Potholes.co.uk site for detailed advice on how best to make a compensation claim^ for any vehicle damaged by potholes.”