Saturday 17 July 2010

‘Green Car of the Year’ Crap















Last night saw Volkswagen win the What Car? magazine Green Car of the Year 2010 award for its Golf 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion 5 door. What Car? editor-in-chief Steve Fowler said: “The Golf Bluemotion does an enviable 74.3mpg and emits just 99g/km of CO2, which means it is exempt from road tax”

Road tax? Amazingly, all Britain’s motoring magazines still seem to use that meaningless phrase.

There is, of course, nothing remotely Green about the Golf 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion. In the first place these bogus Green claims sidestep the environmental costs of manufacturing cars. Secondly, this Golf runs on diesel, so although C02 emissions may be ‘low’ it still spews lethal particulates which kill people. Thirdly, it’s a killer machine, cynically manufactured to break the speed limit, with a top speed of 117 mph. Or as one carporn reviewer drools, it has

an aerodynamic body that slips through the air like a blowtorch through butter.

Another reviewer chuckles how

The car we drove had fewer than 2000 miles recorded and yet still it turned in 63.1mpg on a 100-mile trip down the M1, moving with mixed traffic between 50 and 75mph.

Breaking the speed limit is a bit of a larf innit. I don’t suppose anyone will be calculating how many pedestrians and cyclists will be run down and killed or injured in the next 12 months by drivers of this ‘environmentally friendly' death machine.

What else?

despite its family-friendly appearances, it's quite sporty to drive.

full airbags as standard

free road tax for life!