It’s a question I’ve heard asked quite a few times: why don’t EVs have solar panels on the roof? Then they wouldn’t need to be charged with a charger, would have infinite range, and would be using only green electricity! It’s a fair question. To answer it, let’s have a look at some numbers. HowContinue reading “Why don’t EVs have solar panels on the roof?”
Category Archives: Cars
How to distinguish the Jaguar XJ6 and XJ8
The Jaguar XJ models of the 1990s, the X300 generation XJ6 and the X308 generation XJ8, are very similar looking cars. The key different is what’s under the bonnet – the XJ6 has a straight 6 AJ16 engine in 3.2 or 4.0 form while the XJ8 sports an 8-cylinder AJ-V8 engine in the same displacements.Continue reading “How to distinguish the Jaguar XJ6 and XJ8”
Jaguar XJ8 X308 rear view mirror replacement
The rear view mirror used the 1997-2002 Jaguar XJ8 (X308) and related cars like the Jaguar XK8 (X100) has a light-sensitive electrochromic auto-dimming feature which is unfortunately prone to failure. The mirror develops discoloured patches. The chemical that darkens to dim the mirror tends to move around, causing blotches of brown or black. If you’reContinue reading “Jaguar XJ8 X308 rear view mirror replacement”
Modernity vs Luxury
A few months ago I bought a 1997 Jaguar XJ8 and I’ve really enjoyed owning it. Owning an old car is interesting so I decided to compare it to the other vehicle I own – a 2015 Ford Mondeo. I wanted to see how top-of-the-range features from almost 25 years ago compare to a regularContinue reading “Modernity vs Luxury”
Unlocking features in your mk5 Mondeo with FORScan
The Ford Mondeo mk5 (from 2015 onwards) has a number of useful features that are disabled in the factory but can be unlocked using free software and a USB cable, without any special knowledge. Here’s how. You will need a compatible ELM327 cable. There are loads on eBay but it can’t be just any –Continue reading “Unlocking features in your mk5 Mondeo with FORScan”
M5 traffic incidents
The M5 motorway is notorious for accidents in the summer holidays, and 2019 seems to be the worst year than anyone can remember – it seems like there is a crash on the M5 every other day. I’ve done a little light research to put some numbers to the congestion.
Bentley Mark VI
Some of our friends got married recently, and their wedding car was a Bentley Mark VI. I’m no classic car buff but this vehicle was beautifully built, maintained, and polished, and well-worthy of a picture or two. Photographs taken on Frenchay Common, Bristol.
Pop Art Beetle
I don’t normally go in for this pop art style of photography, but when I saw this Beetle parked up, I couldn’t resist.
A letter to Top Gear
The result of an idle thought. Dear Top Gear, I’m trying to imagine how a car would handle if mounted on bicycle wheels. I wager that some sturdy mountain bike wheels would take the weight of a light car, and that it could probably be driven forward. I bet the spokes would disintegrate as soonContinue reading “A letter to Top Gear”
Impatient drivers
The other day I was knocked off my bike deliberately by an impatient driver. I was cycling along a stretch of road where there were no parked cars. I was probably doing around 20mph, which is a fairly typical speed for a city cyclist on a flat road. Ahead, there was a line of parkedContinue reading “Impatient drivers”
Jonathan Gazeley 