2014 Renault Megane GT Line TomTom first drive review

by Lewis KingstonWhat is it?The facelifted 2014 version of the Renault Mégane coupé.Since the launch of this generation in 2008, the Mégane has battled against the likes of the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra.Many of its rivals have since been considerably refreshed however, or renewed from the ground up, leaving the Renault trailing behind. New alternatives, like the second-generation Kia Cee'd, have further weakened its position.So,...

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BMW 435i convertible first drive review

What is it?The new BMW 4-series convertible, seen here in range-topping 435i form.See one of these parked roof-down in the sun and it’s easy to conclude that this car has style, class and elegance in quiet abundance. What it doesn’t have is the power to surprise, though, as this car is a predictable if worthwhile advance on its predecessor.A 40 per cent torsional rigidity increase, 20kgs-worth of weight-paring, a 50mm wheelbase stretch and a lightly...

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2015 Fit Kit is the perfect DIY car from Honda

Ah... let the April Fools' Day automotive jokes begin. Honda is kicking things off, following up on last year's Honda Hair joke with a prank video featuring the 2015 Honda Fit. It's called the Fit Kit, and as you might guess, it's a way to build your own version of the redesigned hatchback. There are 180,000 mechanical parts in the kit - some delivered by drone - but that doesn't seem at all daunting to the pair of obnoxious, self-described tinkerers...

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VW decides against active-cooling system for e-Golf lithium battery

When the 2015 VW e-Golf was introduced at the LA Auto Show last year, VW said it would come with a water-cooled battery. During the Detroit Auto Show, when the car was trotted out again, VW released a new press release that stripped out the "water-cooled" language, but this change went unnoticed. During a recent VW event in Germany, a friend from Green Car Reports realized that the battery on display did not seem to have any water-cooling mechanisms....

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Jay Leno goes old school with 1966 Lotus Elan 26R

On the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage the guest's are both from inside the garage: the man they call Professor Jim Hall, Leno's master fabricator, and the 1966 Lotus 26R that he spent 18 months building. The Elan 26R was the racing version of the Elan that Lotus founder Colin Chapman began building after watching privateer teams prep their roadgoing Elans for competition duty all over Europe. Built by...

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