VW Van “Not just transport”

October 4, 2010

A brand new design of VW vans has been added to their transporter range, and so far all signs point to smiles. Tested by Chris Riley from the Lifestyle section of an Australian newspaper the “Rouse Hill Times” and his pals: they put the “4motion” through it’s paces.

4motion is the VW specific brand of all wheel drive and it seems that it’s only used in the most special of circumstances:

The popular van comes in work and people mover configurations, but if you want 4Motion you can only get it with the top of the line 2.0-litre twin turbo diesel.

The lads that tested it are impressed at how easy they overcame obstacles with the 4motion free model. So, if you’re willing to pay the extra amount it sounds as though you’ll be able to get up hefty inclines like a mouse after some grains or fruit (that’s right, grains and fruit: sharks sleep, a goldfish never forgets, and dolphins haven’t got a clue! [warning - link is non-sequitur]).

The testing was done in the Black Forest: a region of woodland in the furthest reaching South West of Germany.  It spans 120*37 miles with a high point of 4,898 ft due to it’s 8 mountains. The surface is primarily sandstone above granite… not the most ideal for van driving: proof that it can hold it’s own in adverse conditions.

There are a barrel-load of industry terms and figures that mean very little to me, but there is one thing in particular that gets my attention.

VW’s biggest customers for the all-wheel drive version of the van is the NSW Ambulance Service.

The vans are packed with go-faster technology that balances out nicely with it’s safety features. With a four star rating you can be sure that you’ll be getting a safe drive for your 8 passengers. The price for the latest in big-wheel mountaineering translates to around £27,000 – if it’s a little more than you can handle you can go direct to the VW site and have a look at van hire – there is even an offer on at the moment for just £239 a month.

It’s not the original camper van of old, but for the sacrifice of iconography you can get more speed, better economy, more safety and a lot more space. I suppose there are up sides, eh?

Source.

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Snakes and Vans

June 14, 2010

As the old saying goes: Snakes and Vans go hand in hand. Wait.

An MOT garage in Bedmont played location to the great snake appearance as Prem Gharu (one of the mechanics) put the finishing touches to a check he was doing on the engine of a van. Hire of an animal handler was definitely not on his mind when he came across a ribbed black lining of what could only be.. rubber? Underneath the bonnet lurked an eight-foot nightmare in the shape of an American Rat Snake: this report suggests that it’s considered one of the more popular house-pets, which immediately puts it into a “safe as houses” category.

Poor Prem wasn’t to know that though, as he “called over one of the apprentices” to see the otherwise motionless reptile begin to squirm.

The Heathrow Animal Reception Centre were called down to take away the slippery intruder, with manager Rob Quest saying: “These types of snake are very common in the pet trade.

“He will have gone missing and was looking for somewhere warm to hide.”

It seems as though all is well in the land of animal rescue, and this can be considered one of the more normal situations in life. Maybe for a mechanic, or a trained animal handler: what about the regular Joe?! I’m no fan of snakes, and if there’s on that’s 8foot, black and right infront of my Swede, I’m liable to be getting a quick-step towards the door.

Of course it’s nothing on finding a Mexican chap in your bonnet, but these are things that I would assume a regular driver might notice after A) feeling the weight of something unusual over the front axle or B) smelling something slightly unusual as the engine begins to heat up.

This leads to my query: how in the name of all things holy can you take a vehicle to be MOT’d without having first checked the engine? I know there’s not really much you can do prior to an MOT when the nerves have kicked in and you’re lacking mechanical training, but having a quick look is part and parcel of letting someone else have a longer look, surely?!

Maybe I’m sounding like a bit of a grumpy granddad now, but I’m starting to think van rental would be a safer option than owning a potential safe haven for snakes in the colder months.

For better or worse, I will not react well if I am ever produced with a “snake in face” scenario. No sirree.

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Tiger Woods

May 6, 2010

He’s back! Oh no.. wait..

He’s managed to find his way back to his golf bag after releasing a terrific list of his mid-marriage conquests. He made his way out onto the fairway with a quivering club-head and a tentative step, and now it looks as though he could be about ready to have his track record ripped up.

“He has held the world number one spot for 264 straight weeks, but after missing the cut at last week’s Quail Hollow Championship by a shocking eight strokes Woods seems to be floundering.”

Not that he’ll be gagging to get into any of his savings accounts. Mr Woods: one of today’s most suspect celebirities has been heard whining about the attention he’s getting recently. Perhaps it’s let him slip that he’s a billionaire? Time to get creative, Tiger?

Source.

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