Waddells head off-road

Word from the Jeep Jamboree is that Olympians Rob Waddell and his wife Sonya (pictured) are pretty handy off-road drivers.

The couple joined Jeep owners over rough-and-tumble roads near Ohakune for the fourth New Zealand jamboree and the 60th anniversary of the famous vehicle. Both athletes are sponsored by Jeep, Rob driving a Grand Cherokee and Sonya a Wrangler.

One of the organisers said: "Rob and Sonya handled the rough stuff very well. They're good drivers. Being brought up on farms probably helped them." A Second World War veteran, who drove one of the earliest Jeep military vehicles with General Freyberg's forces at the Battle of El Alamein, cut the 60th birthday cake.

The Jeep Jamboree began in America in the early 1950s and has spawned annual jamborees around the world.

Tuning into Peugeot

Triangle Television has fixed the gremlins and is beaming in advanced details of Auto Motor and Sport, the German-made motoring programme. Tonight's show at 8.30 focuses on the executive Peugeot 607 saloon, launched in New Zealand 72 hours ago.

There is also a comparison test between the Ford Mondeo, C-Class Mercedes-Benz and Audi A4, a look at snowmobiles in Scandinavia, a plastic Chrysler concept car, and a profile of a church minister who works part-time for Volkswagen.

Lowndes' letter canned

The Holden/Ford rivalry has taken on a new edge in Australia. Organisers of the Adelaide 500 V8 Supercar race have been forced to pull a television advertisement featuring a Holden race fan reading an open letter to champion driver Craig Lowndes, who left the Holden Racing Team after a spat and joined Ford.

"Lowndesy, mate. I just want you to know that every Holden supporter in Australia is coming to the Clipsal 500 just to see you ... when your rust-bucket Falcon V8 spews its guts and leaves you sitting on the start line. No hard feelings, mate."

Mighty Michelin man

Bibendum, the round and rubbery Michelin man, has been voted the best logo of all time. An international jury comprising 20 experts from the fields of art, communication, architecture and design chose the logo ahead of the Nike swoosh and the VW symbol. Bibendum was created in 1898 when the company's founder saw a pile of tyres that resembled a man's form.

We are the world

British police are looking for a high-profile patrol vehicle, one so intimidating that no one will consider trying to outrun it. They favour the rally-bred Mitsubishi Evolution VI.

British magazine Autocar says authorities in Greece have decided that seriously obese people should not be issued driving licences. They say fat people's reflexes are slower, thus making them a danger to other motorists.