A spokesman for the...
A spokesman for the firm explained: "This reptile is a relatively small but very nimble athlete. Also, it"s a specialised hunter with strength and agility, quick reflexes and clear target orientation - a concept that not only acknowledges this new Porsche, but also the brand as a whole." But after giving us this PR blurb, he added: "Anyway, we couldn"t call it the Boxster Coup탩. The Boxster name is an amalgamation of boxer, relating to the flat-six engine, and roadster - referring to the folding roof which this car clearly doesn"t have."
And if you thought Christmas...
And if you thought Christmas was expensive, your wallet is in for another battering. Shopping experts say the average family splashed out í‚á£375 on gifts in December, but the RAC has worked out we spent another í‚á£447 on the car at the same time. Yet we"ll do it again this month and every other one! This means the average annual cost of running a vehicle now stands at í‚á£5,368, the highest figure for more than a year.
Spiralling finance charges are also to blame for the increase. August"s Bank of England base rate rise of 0.25 per cent has hit those who took out car loans. When the July to September quarterly figures are multiplied, it means they"d spend í‚á£880 on annual interest - í‚á£40 more than they would have in the previous period. Drivers also lose through heavy depreciation, as the average motor devalues by í‚á£1,933 a year.
An RAC spokesman said: "People are well aware of how expensive Christmas is. But what many don"t realise is the gifts under the tree actually cost them less than the car on the drive."
He added that the cost of motoring would have been even higher if it wasn"t for a recent petrol price war, sparked by the supermarkets, and some seasonal sales offers launched by dealers.
Considering the horrendous bills that drivers face, it is little wonder 72 per cent would be willing to fit a speed regulator to their vehicle in return for a cheaper insurance deal. Of the 1,000 drivers polled by Internet cover seller www.confused.com, one in three stated that their premium would have to drop by around a quarter for them to consider using such a device.
But more than half would want a greater reduction in their bill. Meanwhile, an amazing 14 per cent actually said they would be willing to fit a speed restrictor regardless of whether any discounts were offered at all.