Picky Americans

The American J D Power survey casts a critical eye over the quality and practicality of vehicles, based on owners' responses. Subaru has been the standout carmaker for two years. But the big surprise in the latest survey is Volkswagen. It finished near the bottom of the list. Why? The quality of the Polo, Golf and Passat is exemplary. So was it the seats? Lack of reliability? Scratchy paint job? No. American owners' only complaint was that the cupholders in the Golf and Passat were too small. And, under the survey criteria, a common complaint pretty much relegates the car to the dunce corner. A strange result considering that, in America, 68 per cent of teenagers killed in car accidents in 1998 were not wearing seatbelts.


Fast learner


Auckland University student Coralie Warburton is this country's Miss World entrant - and a quick learner. She jumped behind the wheel of a Formula Ford single-seater for the first time the other day and so impressed her instructor that she ended up racing the car at Taupo.

Warburton, 20, made it into the final but was hit from behind early and the car was too badly damaged to continue. "It was really frustrating because it was not my fault," she said. "The only reason I spun was that the other car swerved to miss someone else and clipped my back wheel."

Now she wants to do more racing.


Canny Scotsman


Thirteen of the 22 drivers in the Monaco Grand Prix were competing on their home turf, including the winner, Scotsman and McLaren-Mercedes driver David Coulthard.

"It's the safest place for a start," said Coulthard of the tax haven. "Everyone knows that I am going to be away from home every two weeks of the season, but you never have any worries about burglary. It's easy to get wherever you need to be. Monaco has great opportunities to train, especially in the winter when there is none of that having to get up on dark, wet mornings. You have also got to think about your future and this is the place where you can look after your pennies."


Jaguar to a T


The first computer-generated pictures of Jaguar's smaller saloon, code-named the X400 but expected to be known as the T-Type, are starting to appear. The car builds on the classic Jaguar shape and incorporates many of the styling cues developed for the S-Type. It will rival the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3-Series and will be launched at either the Detroit motor show in January or Geneva in March.


We are the world


* Police in Preston, in Britain's north-west, put up a $120,000 speed camera to snap errant motorists. The camera worked well, until someone felled it with a chainsaw and nicked it. Police will install another camera when the budget allows.

* A fellow called Michael Blake, who lives in Romford, Essex, bought an old black cab for family trips. But he soon had to sell it - he got tired of people hoping in at traffic lights and demanding a ride.

* Across the Irish Sea in Dublin, Sean Macey painted the number of his car on its wheels to, um, deter thieves. But he got back from shopping to find his roof rack had been nicked.