Automotive

A friend recently told me they were thinking about replacing their current car with a hybrid. When I asked which type of hybrid they were considering, they realised they didn’t actually know that there are several different types. I gave them a quick explanation, and it occurred to me that many people browsing hybrids in the UK may not realise the differences either. So here’s my simple guide to the three main types of hybrid you’re likely to encounter....

In this post I’ll step through how to swap out the dated Ford Sync 2 for the much improved Sync 3 infotainment system on my MK3.5 Ford Focus in the UK! At the end of last year I picked up my 2015 Ford Focus ST-3. The infotainment system on it looked great on paper! It came with a 8″ Touch Screen Display, Satellite Navigation, Bluetooth Calls/Audio, Reverse Camera and a USB Audio Interface....

Okay, it’s been almost four months now that my imported Golf GTI has been on the road so I thought I best come back here and write a follow up to my initial blog post. If you haven’t read the original post – click here to check it out then come back! Leaving Japan Following on from my previous post, the car left the Kobe dock in Japan on the 16th February and was loaded onto the Hoegh Tokyo vessel....

I’m writing this quick post following a request from users on Facebook and Reddit. I’m not the first to conduct this modification and take no credit, but hope publishing this information will be of use to others. If you have a Volkwagen Golf MK6 with the dual zone digital climate control as seen below in my “Before” photo, it is possible to swap this out for the Passat B7 unit which features digital screens....

Introduction Each year thousands of people are exporting/importing exotic cars between various countries, I’ve always fancied owning a Honda Integra Type R (DC5) which were never sold natively in the UK but knew little about the process and costs involved. People do import them here to simply sell on with a little markup on top, but they demand a premium especially in recent years. Japan as an export location is a favourite for drivers in the UK as Japanese cars are right hand drive as they drive on the left hand side of the road....

This guide walks through the process of fitting a VW RCD330 Plus to the Seat Leon MK2. The reason I picked this radio is that it’s a direct (Almost – keep reading) fit to the MK2 Leon. It uses the existing wiring, illumination matches the original in the car and the steering wheel controls will work too. Note that this applies to my 2012 Facelift Leon 1P, I believe the pre-facelift models (2005 – 2009) may be a little different....

Introduction First point to note, this post is aimed at F20/F21 owners as that is what I have completed the procedure in – this is also possible on the F22 (2-Series) and F30 (3-Series). My understanding is this, when ordering the EBT package with your car (Approx £400) it’s fitted with a Combox which provides the functionality along with enabling the feature in the iDrive. Good news if you have BMW Professional Navigation or a 2014 (See note) model – your car will have a Combox and armed with the tools below (Less than £10) you can enable EBT....