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By Simon Wittenberg

When I was recently given the opportunity to put a Ferrari through its paces, it was an offer that would have been extremely rude to refuse. I was taught never to accept anything from strangers, but this was a clear exception to the rule.

The car in question was not the latest 458 Italia, but the 348 TB dating back from 1989 which replaced the 308 and 328 series, at that time, the longest running model in the company’s history. Although we have moved 20 or so years on, this car is no little pony from the Prancing Horse stable, but revealed itself as a beast which does take some taming and needs to be handled with care, not because of its old age, or because it has had one MOT too many. This is far from your average 80s banger.

To provide a little background, the 348TB succeeded the 328, and up until 1995, was produced in three body styles, namely Berlinetta, Targa, and Spider. ‘T’ in ‘TB’ stands for ‘Transverse’, referring to the nature of the gearbox (for low weight), whilst ‘B’ denotes Berlinetta, and ‘348’ reflects the rear-mounted naturally-aspirated 300 hp 3.4-litre V8 powerhouse. Standard features on this model include pop-up headlights, dry sump lubrication, twin-disc clutch, a steel platform and sub-frame, four-wheel ABS, and independent suspension. For the weekend excursions, there is some storage space behind the seats, as well as a decent enough compartment in the front to store a little luggage which does give some degree a degree of practicality. The sacrifice, however, is of course the spare tyre, and replaced by a canister of sealant.

When sitting down in the cabin which combines plastic and leather, you do lie pretty close to the ground as you would expect from a sportscar, and with the pedals being mounted extremely close together, this is no easy task if you opt for regular trainers or have large feet. A careful selection of footwear is advised.

With the car built by the Italians and styled with the help of Pininfarina, there are a few features which challenge the norm. Firstly, the five-speed manual gearbox is separated by metal grooves (gated) and replaces second with first gear, meaning second is where first normally is, which can be a little confusing at first. Otherwise all gears are in the same positions as any other normal manual. The clutch is a little stiff but doesn’t take long to get used to.

Secondly, the handbrake can be found down the right-hand side of the driver’s seat and equally requires some effort as you have to battle with the release button whilst pulling the lever all the way up in order to activate the parking brake. This takes some mastering, and can give you a bit of a sore thumb at first!

However, despite these little quirks from the Italians, the car is an exquisite piece of engineering and just keeps you wanting more and more. The sheer acceleration (0-62 mph in 5 seconds) is completed in a whisker, and the roar of the V8 is simply a pleasure to listen to, and leaves you searching for every piece of open road just to be able to have another play with the throttle. The impeccable handling of the car when cornering coupled with the brilliant grip of the Pirelli tyres at higher speeds gives you absolute confidence to open up the potential of the engine, and offers you the feeling that the boundaries are limitless. When you have mastered going up the gears in perfect synchronisation with the ratios, the experience is simply mindblowing and like a good music track you want to hear over and over again. This is a definite case of ‘try before you die’!

It is one of those cars that signs you up very quickly to the club of Ferrari addiction in a short space of time and itching to reach for your wallet to add a 348TB to your own stable (which may cause some marital or family rifts). Decent used examples now sell for around £28,000 which is quite a bargain considering the original price tag of around £70,000or $95,800, and today’s cost of becoming a member of the rather elite Ferrari club. However paying for the insurance and keeping the horse galloping with literally a trough of unleaded does require deep enough pockets! The 348TB is certainly a horse that I will be riding again, and would recommend it highly to anyone else wanting a taste of a traditional and well-prepared Italian delicacy.

By Simon Wittenberg

This year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany threw up its usual thrills and spills and puts the mind at rest that the car industry is still pushing ahead with innovation and exciting new models despite the harsh economic climate. There were numerous highlights, and the following are merely a few. Jaguar Land Rover pretty much stole the show with the new DC100 and DC100 Sport concepts pointing to what the future new Defender may look like in 2015, whilst Fisker wowed the crowds with their new Surf, a petrol/electric plug-in hybrid supercar which is set to go on sale the middle of next year.

Lotus is returning to the world of rallying with the Exige R-GT which will be entered into the newly formed FIA GT category of the FIA Rally Championship in Monte Carlo, Tour de Corse and San Remo. The new Exige S also picks up a V6 engine, moving away from the 1.8-litre Toyota VVTL-i powerplant.

Frankfurt also welcomed the UK’s newest car brand based in London, Eterniti, who effectively uses the Porsche Cayenne model and personalises it according to the taste of the rich. The Hemera SUV is the result. Sitting on their board is former F1 driver, Johnny Herbert and ex-Bentley vehicle engineer, Alastair McQueen, so there is nothing novice about their personnel.

For those interested in something more racey, Infiniti unveiled the FX Sebastian Vettel version whilst also previewing the five-seat electric car which is set to hit the streets in 2014.

The Pagani Huayra

The 2011 Geneva International Motorshow is once again nearly upon us (starting 01 March), and this year’s display of the auto industry’s latest new models and concept cars is certainly set to thrill the crowds. It is as much about horsepower as it is a showcase of the latest green techologies, and the range of models on display is extreme from the point of view that at one end there is the new mouth-watering, jaw-dropping and petrol-guzzling Pagani Huayra 700-horsepower two-seater hypercar which will cost around 825,000 euros ($1.1 million), whilst at the other end of the spectrum Ford will be revealing their new full-electric BEV Focus. Nissan will equally be going Tesla-hunting with their Esflow electric sports concept. Not forgetting in the middle of this rather complex spectrum, there are of course the hybrids which this year will include the Porsche Panamera S, and Range Rover Range-e. I for one can’t wait for the show, as it promises to deliver a real spectacle. Bring it on!

By Simon Wittenberg

Even the greatest philosophers would never have predicted what 2010 was to bring. It was a year full of events that will be scribed in the chronicles of the world: The eruption of the volcano in Iceland paralysed world air travel and brought aircraft-free skies for the first time in decades, the USA experienced one of the greatest environmental disasters of all time in the Gulf of Mexico, an octopus correctly guessed the winner of the world cup, Sebastian Vettel beat title favourites, Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber to claim the F1 crown, and in the midst of controversy, a world cup will be played in 2018 in Qatar.

It however hasn’t all been doom, and quite literally gloom. The Vuvuzela became a new word in football, Matt Cardle won the X-Factor, and WikiLeaks told us what was really going on behind the political smokescreen. This is is going to be a tough 12 months to beat, and what better way to conclude the year than with one of the biggest snowfalls in recent history which has yet again brought the country to a standstill? 2011 anyone?

…London is home to every supercar imaginable…

By Simon Wittenberg

It happens every year. Wealthy businessmen from Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia ship their cars over to London for the summer to escape the sweltering temperatures and to reside in some of the finest hotels in the city. 2010 is no different, and may have not got off to the start that some had wanted. Even if you own the most famous store in town, it does not give you the right to park outside the front door, as the new Qatari owners of Harrods soon found out. A £1.2 million Koenigsegg CCXR and Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 Superveloce were the victims of the Westminster Council clamping team.

As you start to the tour the most plush hotels of Park Lane and Mayfair, it does not take long to come across a whole selection of cars that you possibly only see once in a blue moon. A Mercedes SLR and Bugatti Veyron outside The Berkeley, a Mercedes SLS AMG outside the Park Lane Hilton, and the former plus a Ferrari 599 GTB and a £305,000 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe gracing the steps of The Dorchester (pictured). Who needs Salon Prive or the Canary Wharf Motor Show when you can do your very own tour? The Capital is fast turning in to the car enthusiast’s ultimate dream.

All London needs now is a race track, and Boris would be a very popular man…

BMW X1 sDrive20d SE

Saturday, 3 July 2010

Solid all-rounder: The BMW X1 sDrive20d SE

Price: £24,205
Top speed: 127mph 0-62mph 8.1 seconds
Consumption: 53mpg (combined cycle)
CO2 emissions: 139g/km
Best for: those too embarrassed to own a proper SUV
Also worth considering? Ford Kuga, Nissan Qashqai, Volkswagen Tiguan

It’s always nice to see a vehicle manufacturer putting the rulebook to one side, and defining their own niche rather than following the crowd. BMW did just that more than a decade ago with the creation of their X Series, starting with the X5 4×4, which was subsequently joined by the smaller X3, and the more road-dominant X6.

In the two years since the model line-up was last extended, the Bavarian automaker has now produced the baby of the family, the X1, by borrowing the platform of the 1-Series hatchback. The five-door X1 is, in BMW’s own words, a premium sports activity vehicle – which means it’s a close relative of the crossover rather than a traditional SUV. It’s also likely to remain unchallenged in the sector until the arrival of Land Rover’s long-awaited LRX and the Audi Q3 next year.

The X1 comes in either two- or four-wheel drive trim ranging from the 143bhp sDrive18d SE to the flagship 204bhp 4WD xDrive23d, and all models are diesel. We drove the real-wheel drive manual 177bhp sDrive20d SE, and although not luxurious, the interior is well put together, and comfortable, with generous room in the rear for luggage. Plenty of equipment comes as standard, including stop-start technology. The sweeping profile of the car also means that you sit in a somewhat elevated position, thereby providing good all-round visibility.

On the road, the steering is accurate and communicative, and the well-tuned handling makes this crossover wannabe an absolute joy to drive. The two-litre engine has plenty of power, and quickly comes into its element at 1,500rpm with the boost of the single turbocharger. Although you can still hear the diesel hum in the background, it is pleasantly subtle, and the cabin noise is refined.

The only detail you can really fault in BMW’s X-rated addition is its transmission. Despite the ratios being well defined, the six-speed manual gearbox is a little clunky, and finding reverse requires a bit more effort than you would like.

Overall, the X1 is a solid all-rounder, and if you’re looking for an affordable proposition that has plenty of room for the family, and breaks away from the status quo, it is definitely worth adding to the shopping list.

Simon Wittenberg was the highest bidder at last year’s Independent Christmas Charity Auction for the chance to road-test and review a new car in these pages.

See the road test at http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/road-tests/bmw-x1-sdrive20d-se-2015070.html or on p.55 of today’s Independent Magazine.

Don Wales of Project Runningblade

The Honour Motorsport-backed Project Runningblade has claimed a new landspeed record for the world’s fastest lawnmower at Pendine Sands in South Wales. Driver, Don Wales, steered the Kawasaki-powered Countax ride-on machine beyond the 87 mph barrier for the first time, surpassing the previous top speed of 80.792 mph reached by Bob Cleveland on a home-built lawnmower in 2006 at Bonneville Flats, USA.

In line with regulations, Don Wales, the eight-time landspeed record holder cut grass outside Pendine’s Museum of Speed, before beating the existing four-year old target on the military beach by nearly 6 mph on Saturday (86.069). The grandson of Sir Donald Campbell who made his debut in 1924 on the same sands, then went on to set the new outright world landspeed record for a lawnmower at 87.833 mph, after successfully completing two individually timed runs within a one-hour period along the shores of Carmathen Bay in Sunday’s session.

Don Wales not only enters the history books with nine such accolades to his name, but the latest attempt also marks the accomplishment of the dream of motoring author and Runningblade’s Team Principal, Stephen Vokins, who laid down the British challenge in 2009 following heart surgery. The project has equally raised significant funds for the Wessex Heartbeat charity which supports the Wessex Cardiac Centre at Southampton General Hospital where the TV presenter received the life-saving treatment.

Adrian Honour, Managing Director of Honour Motorsport, explains: “We would like to congratulate Don Wales and the team for such a remarkable achievement. It has been a real privilege to be part of such an exciting project, and the success which we have witnessed today is a true testament to all the hard work which has been put in by all involved during the past year.”

By Simon Wittenberg

My last visit to a school reinforced the need to continue to teach students about the PR industry, because compared to ten years ago, little seems to have changed regarding the awareness of a possible career in this field. When asked, many school leavers and sixth formers have heard about PR, but few know what it actually means and how it works, even with the power of the Internet. Few have also stopped to actually think where the material comes from that forms the articles which they read in the papers. It was therefore incredibly satisfying to be able to educate students about the industry and let them know how to get PR, the importance of industrial placements, what it actually involves, and the pluses and minuses of a career in the media. If your organisation has the opportunity to volunteer in education institutions, it feels like the next generation of PRs really do count on our support to get them started. Come on, join in!

By Simon Wittenberg

With a year of trading now under my belt, attending networking events has been a very effective way to meet the London business community, generate leads, and above all make new contacts, especially when you are in the position of having to build a new brand. It takes time, effort, and committment, but you do get the rewards. The following are some useful tips:

- Try different networking groups in different locations before making a decision on which one to subscribe to.
- Membership fees vary, so check what works for your budget and time.
- It takes a lot of courage, but walk up to people, and don’t just wait for people to come to you.
- Remember, even if a business is not interested in your services, they may know people that are.
- First impressions count, and have confidence in what you are able to offer.
- Listen to what others have to say. They may be able to recommend you!
- If you go to a networking event with someone, make sure you split up to avoid spending too much time together during the session.
- Make sure that you take plenty of business cards and literature/samples with you. You never know who you are going to meet.
- Often you will have to do a 1-minute presentation on your business, so make sure that you have something prepared beforehand or at least have a few points written down.
- Follow up the meeting with an e-mail to acknowledge your conversation and try to set up a 1 to 1 meeting.
- Keep all business cards in an organised manner so that you can revist them when needed.
- and above all…. enjoy it and have fun!

Some networking groups in the UK that are useful to visit include:

BNI (British Networking International)
Key Connectors
The Business Club

By GUEST BLOGGER Tamara Baranova

The key to anything you do with social media is consistency. If you start a blog – you need to use it regularly. If you register a Twitter account you need to tweet every day. New tweets mean more content, more keywords for SEO, more links to share, more traffic to your website. You will be able to give your followers a very good idea about what you do, how you can help them, why they should keep following you or – even better – give you their business.

Every day, a few times per day, you need to send your message through on Twitter. Many people who start using Twitter often wonder first – what can I tweet about? Surely no one will be interested in finding out about what I had for dinner or about my friend’s party?

To be successful with Twitter you need to use a combination of tweets every day: personal, broadcast and business.
• Personal tweets are about you, your daily activities, meetings, things you like – they help people to understand what kind of person you are, to know and like you.
• Broadcast tweets are your blog posts, links to useful articles and blogs by others, news, resources etc. These posts will help you to be re-tweeted more and reach new followers. Good quotes by well-knows business gurus are another source of broadcast messages.
• Business tweets can be mini case studies, testimonials (especially if your customer can original a tweet and tag you in it!), your services – “mild” selling of you and what you do. This helps others to understand more about your business and your expertise.

The Don’ts of Twitter messaging are:
• Don’t spam people with repetitive messages of little value.
• Check your spelling – although messages are short don’t use SMS slang.
• Make sure your links are working – it’s embarrassing and annoying for your followers if they retweet your message which has a broken link (almost like recommending you and you failing to provide a good service).
• Don’t overshare – be careful about what you say. It may seem personal but remember that all public tweets are indexed by Google and you never know who could end up reading your tweets. If you are not happy for your customer to see it – don’t publish it.

And the most important part of tweeting is connecting with others. That includes replying to messages (@ mentions), RT-ing others, thanking for RT’s of your posts, asking questions, replying to questions asked by your followers. This helps you to build relationships with your followers.

It doesn’t take too much time to use Twitter every day – 10 to 15 minutes to start with and about 30 minutes once your following grows near or over 1000. There are applications available (most are free) which can automate and assist with the process. We recommend trying HootSuite, SocialOomph, UberTwitter and Listwatcher. To find interesting broadcast tweets you can search AllTops, Mashable and follow tweeters who broadcast content that you like.

Tamara Baranova is the managing partner in TJConsulting Virtual Assistant specialising in social media marketing and social media optimisation for small businesses.