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__________ — M n n M u m M H M m M H B B M B W THE PREMIER PAPER FOR BUYING AND SELLING IN THE RIBBLE VALLEY Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, June 15th, 2000 42
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Days when it is just me, a deserted open road and a car that is as eager for the chase as I am. Contrary to popular belief, there are not many of them, but when it happens... You might be surprised to
: s -y Defender of the faith I
T is some rime now since the original Land Rover was re-launched as the
Defender. And if is as popular now as it was 50 years ago. In modern rimes, the
vehicle has been continually improved, the big news recently being the addition of Solihull's all-new Td5 five-cylinder direct injection turbo diesel engine, first introduced on the latest Discovery to rave reviews. Bet ter on-road performance and improved refinement will probably not be priorities for existing Defender buyers, but they are vital if it is to reach out to customers not buying simply on image or longevity.
So it is that the 122PS Td5 engine
boasts nine per cent more power and, more significantly for heavy off-road work, 13 per cent more torque than the old Tdi unit. It is cleaner too (so clean that a catalyst is not even need ed) and can now go for 12,000 miles between oil changes - twice that of the competition. The five-door County version costs
£23,565. Or, if you are thinking utili tarian, there is also a new Double Cab pick-up version. A Defender is an hon est, tough and completely capable four-wheel drive tool that will never date, will run forever and will proba bly never let you down.
TFIAT’S POCKET ROCKET
HERE are days that remind me why I chose to do this job.
THE finest a f fo rd ab le sports coupe you can buy is a Fiat - and that is offi cial. JONATHAN CROUCH puts his foot down...
learn that these are feelings I rarely experience a t the wheel of high performance exotica. Greatness does not have much to do with size, price or ulti mate power; it has to do with passion. You can tell immedi ately when a car has been visu alised, designed and created by enthusiasts.
revised a year ago with colour co-ordinated side sills and a new front grille. If you fancy one, you had better act quickly because production stops (after five years and over 7300 UK sales) at the end of June.
So it is with the Fiat Coupe,
ing a range of potent 20-valve 2.0-litre five-cylinder engines. Priced from £22,855 for the most potent turbocharged ver-
This car is unusual for boast
sions (now with a push-button starter and a six-speed gearbox), there is simply nothing like it, although if you pay over £30,000 you might start to get near the barnstorming 220 b.h.p. performance.
Show a Turbo model a sway
ing Artie to be overtaken and the power surge almost takes your breath away. Rest to 60 occupies just 6.5 seconds on the way to 155 m.p.h., but there is instant acceleration on tap in almost any gear. In comparison, other sports coupes feel limp and lifeless.
level model (£20,205) is pretty rapid, making 60 in under nine seconds on the way to 132 m.p.h. Drive it after a spell in either Turbo and you will be unimpressed, particularly as the fuel consumption penalty in the faster car is marginal. My advice if you are limited to about £20,000 is to shake the
Even the unblown 20v entry- Rover 45 is a classy contender By JONATHAN CROUCH
those prepared to buck executive convention and try one. It is a major revamp, of course, of the evergreen 400 series line-up, but in the translation to 45 status, the saloon range featured here has been moved up-market from its five-door stablemate. Four-door customers, Rover thinks, will not want the entry-
THE Rover 45 also has a sur prise or two up its sleeve for
level 103PS 1.4-litre power plant which is offered on the hatch back. They will, however, want the option of something more up market for flagship versions. Hence the provision - for saloon customers alone - of a 150PS 24- valve 2.0-litre V6 and five-speed automatic transmission lifted straight from the larger 75. To help further emphasise the
45 saloon’s intended appeal to the smart set, it has a different set of trim packages to the five-door,
identified by the same names used on the 75 - Classic, Club and Connoisseur. Prices start at £14,695 for the Classic models All the K Series petrol engines
used are pretty new and the 2.0- litre L Series turbo diesel that many 45 buyers are expected to choose has been almost com pletely revised. It features a new high-pressure injection system which does little for the 98 b.h.p. power output, but much for the crucial torque curve, giving
create a different atmosphere in the 45 are relatively minor, although there is a new-style three-spoke rake-adjustable steering wheel with a larger 45- litre airbag. A classier package than you
might be expecting then, which deserves a second chance from buyers who may have deserted the 45’s predecessor.
piggy bank a bit harder, beg, steal or borrow the money but, whatever you do, buy a Turbo...
If you need any more convinc
ing, then bear in mind that only the most expensive Fiat Coupe has been given a high-geared steering rack - the same used in the Alfa Romeo GTV/Spider. This enables just 2.2 turns
between locks, compared with 2.9 in the entry-level 20v model. The Turbo also gets unique front suspension (which success fully improves handling preci sion and stability), as well as massive aluminium calliper Brembo brakes. In true Fiat style, there is
flagship £24,754 Turbo Plus model and you also get black leather Recaro seats with red stitching, body-coloured side and front skirts and a red-paint ed front suspension turret brace.
plenty of equipment. Opt for the
car, a truly desirable Fiat that sports fans will lust after. Who ever would have thought it?[
The Coupe is an enthusiast’s ^2 - l y \ 1
8&X-
extraordinary pulling power through the gears. Inside, the changes intended to
1ST, yfSttM' 3SQUXS
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JUST FOLLOW WE FLAGS FOE OEMS UME WIS... BRAND NEW SAXO5 from only on the road
the flags! ' S
www.walkerfarrimond.co.uk See our “bid & buy” facility
CITROEN 01282 611911
Lomeshaye Motor Park, Nelson, June 12 M65. NOTHING MOVES YOU LIKE A CITROEN
MOTORS' . l .-V /•» -*■ vV!. /*r —• «•» -*•- f* . ■ ■
Walker Farrimond Citroen
You'll find the best deals at Walker Farrimond Citroen we're just beyond the Nissan showroom.
Prices exclude road fund licence and metallic palrrtCar shown for Slustratlon purposes only. i
F o llo w o s3 to the best name for Citroen
...he.re is Just a seiection to choose front NORMAL
UST PRICE
XSARA1.4X XSARA1.6SX XSARA 1.8i 16V SX XSARA 2.0 HDi LX SAXO 1.5 D SX SA XO I.H SX
£11755 £13325 £14170 £14285 £9875 £8825
SPECIAL WALKER C / j | / C FARRIM0ND PRICE O n W t .
£7995 £8995 £9995
£10495 £6995 £6495
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