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New car debuts ahead of the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show

Posted on | by Sell Your Problem Car

This year’s Shanghai Motor Show takes place later in April. With not long to go before the international exhibition opens its doors, we’ve seen a number of big name, high-profile debuts and some interesting teasers images being released. So let’s have a closer look…

New Citroën DS Wild Rubis concept

They’ve not given much away, but Citroën have released a few hints as to what they’ve got in store for us with their new concept, the DS Wild Rubis.

So what can we expect? Well, with its angular grill, sleek look and futuristic headlight detailing, it seems as though the design team over at Citroën have relied heavily on the Numero 9’s style – which got its unveiling last year at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show.

It should come as no surprise that the latest DS concept is getting its debut in Shanghai. Citroën’s DS range has so far been very popular over in China, where they’re actually marketed as a band in their own right.

Check out the full 23 second teaser clip for the DS Wild Rubis over on YouTube.

BMW’s latest sport coupe

Focusing on their ‘X’ models, BMW are all set to unveil their most recent concept car, the X4 Sport Activity Coupé.

With its sloping roof, the new BMW X4 Sport Activity looks much like the X6, the company’s boldly styled, mid-size luxury coupé released in 2008, and features the new look front end, with updated LED headlights.

But with no further details as yet released from BMW, what the new X4 has under its bonnet remains unknown. It seem likely though that the X4 will be powered by one of their turbocharged 2 litre four-cylinder engines, as used in X3.

The X4 looks likely for production in 2014, with estimates putting the starting prices at around £30,000.

Maserati’s new Ghibli saloon

Maserati have certainly come a long way since they produced their first Ghibli model way back in the late sixties. The newly unveiled Ghibli is set to compete against high-end BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class models.

Expected to be priced at around £50,000, and with production set for 2014, the new saloon will be available with either a 3 litre V6 turbo petrol engine or a turbodiesel engine – which marks a first for the Italian manufacturers.

Maserati are hoping for big things over the next few years. They’re hoping to increase their production and boost their annual sales – and with the new Quattroporte sedan also expected in 2014, it’ll be interesting to see how the new generation Ghibli falls into this grand plan.

The Shanghai Motor Show will run from the 20th to the 29th of April.

Why selling your Cat D damaged car is harder than you might think

Posted on | by Sell Your Problem Car

So you’ve been involved in an accident. Your car’s been damaged, your insurance has declared it a Cat D write off and you’ve been left with a long list of expensive repairs. What do you do?
A lot of Cat D vehicle owners decide that, in the long run, the expenses will be worth it – after all, they need a car and, unable to afford the cost of a new one, making the repairs seems like the only available option. But once the repairs have been made, and you’ve gone through the vehicle identify verification to get your car back on the road, what happens when you then want to sell your Cat D car?

Cat D – a whole lot of confusion

Insurers give damaged cars the Cat D classification all the time. It’s extremely common for cars to be damaged where the cost of repair doesn’t exceed the value of the car (which is the definition of ‘a Cat D car’). Just search on eBay or Autotrader and you’ll uncover hundreds of sellers trying to get rid of their Cat D damaged car – and most of them without any luck.

Insurance write off categories can be tricky to understand, and most motorists aren’t prepared to deal with the consequences of having a Cat D vehicle. Similarly, those in the market for a new vehicle are often confused about the Cat C and Cat D labels, but they’re tempted by the too-good-to-be-true prices. Car blogs are full of buyers asking for advice on whether or not to buy accident damaged cars and, in most cases, the passionate and conflicting replies are enough to scare these potential buyers away.

Documentation, documentation, documentation

If you do decided to repair your damaged car for sale (despite the reduced market), it’s worth going to some length to document the repair process as much as you can, and be prepared to provide any buyer with detailed information about exactly who undertook the repairs. Sometimes sales can be made when professional and reputable body shops are used, while vehicles repaired by a DIY repairer will sit gathering dust for years.

Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are – even if you take all the correct steps in repairing, documenting and arranging for all necessary vehicle checks – either you (if you choose to keep the car) or the buyer of your car may still find themselves at a loss, with some motorists unable to get insurance after their insurance providers fail to cover repaired Cat D damaged cars.

Even if they can obtain the insurance they need to drive their new cars, those that buy Cat D vehicles may realise they’ve made a big mistake when they try to sell the car a few year down the line and find that there’s no market. Most savvy car buyers know this, that’s why the majority stay well clear of accident damaged cars that have been repaired, and tell others to do the same.

Repairs the only option?

But don’t feel obligated to make the repairs the insurance company deems necessary if you find yourself the owner of a Cat D car. If you’re dependent on your vehicle then you can save yourself a lot of time and a lot of hassle by selling your car for salvage. Unlike the fluctuating and difficult market for damaged cars, scrapping remains a simple and sensible choice.

Contact us at WeBuyAnyDamagedCar for further details of how to quickly get rid of that damaged or broken car. We’ll help you get the money you need to get back on the roads as quickly as possible.

Sent to auction! 8 of the most famous cars from film and television history

Posted on | by Sell Your Problem Car

Before we’re old enough to think about taking our driving test, most of us long to drive and own the cars made popular in the films and television shows we grew up watching.

Here at WeBuyAnyDamagedCar we’ve put together a list of some of the most iconic cars (along with a few of our favourites) from the past 50 years of film and television that have famously sold at auction. We deal with damaged and broken cars all the time, so it’s nice to see that the following famous cars have survived this long!

Aston Martin DB5 – James Bond

James Bond’s DB5 was the first ever ‘poster car’, and it’s where iconic cars in film really began. The silver Aston Martin, as driven by Sean Connery in Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965), went up for auction in 2010 selling for £2.6 million – which was actually a lower figure than expected!

The car even came complete with all full range of Bond gadgets, including a red ejector seat button in the gearstick, machine guns, a tracking device and …a telephone – deadly in the right hands.

DeLorean – Back to the Future

Released in 1981 the DeLorean DMC-12, with its iconic gull-wing doors, had people queuing to get their hands on it – some even offering $10,000 more than the $12,000 asking price. When DeLorean went bust in 1983, interest in the car subsided. But all that changed in 1985 when Back to The Future hit the screens.

Only three of the seven cars made for the franchise have survived, but one DeLorean time machine which appeared in Back to the Future III was sold in 2011 – complete with flux capacitor – for an impressive $541,000.

Reliant Regal – Only Fools and Horses

The massively successful Only Fools and Horses ran for an impressive ten years, from 1981 to 1991. What’s more impressive is that, back in 2007, one of the three yellow three-wheelers used on the show was sold at auction for £44,227 – to Ricky Hatton, of all people.

The Batmobile – Original Batman Series

In January this year, the classic Batmobile from the original 60s Batman television series went up for auction, selling for £2.6 million.

Driven erratically each week by Adam West, The Batmobile – which was actually based on the 1955 Ford Lincoln Futura concept car – was arguably the best thing about the series. Much like the Bond car, it came with its own set of gadgets, including the ‘Emergency Bat Turn Lever’ (which deployed parachutes), the ‘Automatic Tire Inflation Device’ and the… ‘Bat-tering Ram’.

Ecto-1 – Ghostbusters

What better car to transport four ghost hunters, four proton packs, ecto-goggles and ghost traps around New York City than a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Hearse.

‘Ecto-1’ sold at auction for $80,000 in 2010. Not a bad price considering the $4,800 Dr. Ray Stantz (played by Dan Aykroyd) paid it for.

1949 Buick Roadmaster – Rain Man

Unlike the other cars in our list, this old car didn’t travel through time, feature an ejector seat or deploy parachutes.

The 1949 Buick Roadmaster, as driven by Charlie (Tom Cruise) and Raymond ‘I’m a good driver’ Babbitt (Dustin Hoffman) in 1988’s Oscar-winning film Rain Man, went up for auction recently in December 2012, selling for an unexpected €175,500 – more than doubling its auction estimate of €80,000,

1975 Ford Gran Torino – Starsky & Hutch

With its outrageous car chase scenes, Starsky & Hutch was a huge success when it landed in 1975. But what is the popular American cop drama most remembered for? The car.

The custom-painted Gran Torino spawned thousands of replicas here in the UK, with thousnds of enthusiasts painting the white arrow stripe on their own vehicles.

When the show ended in 1979 all the cars were all sold at auction, but in 2008 a Torino featured in both the TV series and the 2004 remake appeared on ebay. The reserve wasn’t met, but the bidding managed to reach €85,100.

The ‘Armchair Mini’ – Mr. Bean

The Mini that went up for auction in 2010 wasn’t actually the original paint can, broom and rope controlled Mini 1000 from the Mr. Bean television series (as pictured above). The car was a replica, built for a one-off ‘all-classic Mini parade’ performance at Goodwood’s Revival.

While details of the sale don’t appear to have been released, the Mini was expected to auction for £12,000-20,000. In lieu of an actual sale figure, we couldn’t help but include the original clip from the show…

This week in the news… Peugeot Hybrid Air launched at Geneva

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Peugeot Hybrid Air launched at Geneva

One of the most interesting unveilings at this year’s Geneva Motor Show was the new Peugeot Hybrid Air – a car that promises to really shake things up in the automotive industry.

While the Hybrid Air doesn’t run entirely on air (it’s actually coupled with a petrol engine), Peugeot say that their new compressed air hybrid is set to overtake its electric-powered rivals, like the Toyota Prius, when it gets its official release in 2016.

Peugeot claim their new car is ‘an innovative full-hybrid gasoline solution. An important step towards the 21/100 km car by 2020’. And looking at some of the figures, it’s easy to see why they’re so excited about it.

With no need to include an electric motor, or find space for a lithium-ion battery, the car will be cheaper to buy (estimates are currently around the £17,000 mark), and it’ll also create extra savings with an impressive fuel economy of about 81 miles per gallon.

Peugeot also say their new hybrid is capable of achieving a 45% saving in consumption in city driving, and offer a 90% increase in range when compared to conventional engines.

You can read more about how the innovative new hybrid engine works on Peugeot’s website, where they give a more detailed account about its inner workings and projected fuel savings.

Is driving getting cheaper?

To reach the proposed target of CO2 emissions, the European Commission has recently proposed a new 95g/km CO2 limit in a bid to reach an overall CO2 reduction of 60% by 2050.

While the limit is set to increase the price of a new car purchase by approximately £860, research conducted by Cambridge Econometrics and Ricardo-AEA (a leading international energy and environmental company) has shown that motorists could stand to recover this £860 in less than three years.

The new CO2 limit actually increases fuel economy by 25%, which would allow for savings of roughly £350 each year in fuel. This would mean that, over the course of a car’s serviceable life, the average motorist could save up to £3,300.

The new proposed CO2 limit might be good news for motorists, but we wonder about how the manufacturers will fare, and what effect the proposed limit could have on the automotive market.

Looking for a space?

It’s been used in a number of American cities for a while now, but the Parker app – an award-winning application that allows you to quickly spot vacant parking spaces – is being trialled by Manchester City Council.

The app works by utilising sensors which are placed in the parking spaces themselves, so that once a car moves off, the user is then alerted that a space as become available. And the Parker app also comes with the added bonus of being able to tell you where you parked, just in case you managed to forget – which happens to us all at some point!

With its complicated one-way system, Manchester city centre has always been difficult to navigate – and motorists slowing to a near standstill to check for parking spaces on every corner has only made things worse.

We’ll have to wait 6 months to see how successful the app is in reducing congestion, but we guarantee that there will be other local authorities keeping a close watch on its development.

Find out more about the Parker app.

 

Are you a bad driver? 7 of the worst driving habits to fall into…

Posted on | by Sell Your Problem Car

Would you pass your test if you retook it today? Back in 2009 Kia Motors UK conducted an experiment. In a bid to raise awareness of driving standards they challenged experienced drivers to retake their driving tests to see how they would fare. Only 50% of them passed.

We might occasionally find ourselves falling prey to the occasional poor driving habit – but are we aware of just how many bad habits we’ve managed to acquire since we first passed our tests?

In our own bid to raise awareness of driving standards, here at WeBuyAnyDamagedCar we’ve put together a list of 7 of the very worst driving habits to fall into. So take note – how many of them are you guilty of?

1. Speeding

Speeding is the most common bad driving habit that people get into – and we’re pretty sure that drivers that haven’t gone over the speed limit at some point in their driving lives are in the minority.

The penalties for speeding vary greatly. If you’re caught, you’ll normally receive 3 points on your licence and a £60 fine, or you could face a court summons – and if you’re caught speeding in excess of 45% of the speed limit, you could risk an instant driving ban, which could last up to 120 days.

But speeding might not be intentional in all cases… We’re not quite sure how they managed it, but according to the Think Road Safety Annual Survey 2008, 43% of motorists couldn’t identify the national speed limit sign when they were shown it.

2. Not signalling

You probably won’t have noticed yourself doing this one at all. Failing to indicate seems to creep up on us slowly over the years. The longer it is that a driver has been on the roads, the more they seem to think that other motorists know instinctively where they’re going, and which turns they’re going to make.

Unfortunately this isn’t the case.

3. Texting, calling or changing music

This bad driving habit is particularly prevalent. If you take a look at other motorists while you’re driving you’ll probably come across it – unless, of course, you’re too busy texting to notice…

According to the National Safety Council – an American nonprofit organisation dedicated to protecting and promoting health – an astounding 1.4 million car accidents happen each and every year in America because of motorists using their phones while driving.

4. Driving one-handed

You might not know it, but the 10 and 2 hand position that you probably learnt to pass your test with is actually no longer recommended. The reason? Airbags.

The 9 and 3 position is actually the best position to avoid any airbag-related injuries, and driving with one hand firmly on ’12’ could be very nasty if you get involved in an accident.

Airbags can move at speeds of up to 200mph if they’re activated, and having a hand positioned in front of your face could cause serious damage to both your hand… and your face.

We won’t even talk about steering with your knees.

5. Not checking mirrors and blind spots

This is especially common in drivers who’ve been driving the same vehicle for a number of years. When motorists get comfortable in a car they think they know how to compensate for the blind spots.

They very rarely do. In fact, research conducted by Motorcycle Accident in Depth Study showed that 37% of all accidents involving motorcycles in Europe are due to drivers failing to check their mirrors.

6. Tailgating

Tailgating is another bad habit that’s all too common. Whether drivers realise it or not, tailgating a vehicle can be an intimidating experience for the driver in front – and if they’re paying more attention to the motorist right up against their rear bumper than they are to the road in front, they’re more likely to be distracted from oncoming hazards.

7. Getting angry

This one’s an interesting one, because it usually stems from noticing the above 6 bad habits in other drivers while failing to notice them in ourselves.

You see a driving pulling out without indicating. You’re being tailgated. You see someone texting behind the wheel. What’s your reaction? You get angry. Not only have they put you in danger, they’ve also put themselves in danger by failing to perform basic road safety precautions.

It’s easy to get a bit hot under the collar, but it’s worth taking a few moments to think about how many motorists you might have angered while you’ve been at the wheel.



Geneva Motor Show 2013 special from WeBuyAnyDamagedCar..

Posted on | by Sell Your Problem Car

Geneva Motor Show 2013 opens for business

One of the year’s most important events on the motoring calendar, this year’s Geneva Motor Show gets underway from the 5th March.

Highlights from the show will undoubtedly be the unveiling of McLaren’s full production version of the P1 – a car we’ve been looking forward to since its debut at the 2012 Paris Car Show.

All the P1’s specs and details will be released, so you’ll be able to make up your own mind whether or not it’s worth the cool $1.3 million asking price. McLaren have also decided to ‘maintain exclusivity’ with a limited production run of only 375 models, so good luck getting your hands on one!

Also at the show…

Other cars making their world premiers include the Alpha 4C, Alpha Romeo’s new sports roasters, Rolls-Royce’s Wraith coupe, and the hotly anticipated Flying Spur from Bentley, whose ‘sneak peak’ photos from earlier in the year we eagerly blogged about.

Kia have also released the first pictures of their new concept car, the ‘Provo’, ahead of the show. They’ve called the Provo their ‘road-legal racer’, and you can see what they mean judging by the picture…

Said to be a sporty, performance version of the Mini , the Provo contains an interesting hybrid power system, with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and an electric motor that drives the rear wheels. It’s bound to turn a few heads at the show, but will there be a production version hitting the roads any time soon? We’ll have to wait and see.

Ferrari’s F150

We’re also looking forward to Ferrari’s F150. Very little about the Ferrari’s new Enzo replacement has come to light, so we’re not quite sure what to expect. What we do know however, is that it’s said to be powered by a powerful HY-KERS hybrid drive system – the same V12 engine as the Ferrari F12.

With a rumoured $1.6 million price tag, the F150 is placed in direct competition with McLaren’s P1, and the two are set to fight it out at the show for the top spot in the latest ‘hypercar’ releases.

A show stopper?

But could Lamborghini prove the biggest surprise this year? The Italian car manufacturers are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and the ‘Veneno’ (which means ‘poison’ in Spanish) is tipped to be Lamborghini’s ‘secret unveiling’ at this year’s show. It’s already generated its fair share of rumour and speculation. Certainly one to watch out for…

 

 

The 3 most costly car faults and how to spot them..

Posted on | by Sell Your Problem Car

Sometimes car faults can be fixed. Sometimes you just book your car into the garage and, a couple of days later, it’s fit to drive. Other times you won’t be so lucky.

Problems that lead to damage or complete failure in the engine are usually the most expensive problems to fix. They’re bad news. Investing in a new engine sometimes just isn’t worth your while, and if you’re not careful you could be left severely out of pocket.

Here at WeBuyAnyDamagedCar we come across a whole host of car faults so expensive to fix that they outweigh the value of the car itself, so we’ve put together a list of some of the worst, most expensive problems to watch out for.

Fuel injector problems

The fuel injector is integral to all modern car engines. It’s designed to deliver a precise amount of fuel into the engine for the combustion process to work.

Regulating the flow of fuel and allowing for more fuel-economical driving, modern digital fuel injectors are much better than they used to be – but problems still remain, and since they’re hard to get to, you could be faced with a pretty hefty garage bill if they fail.

If the pressure becomes too low, the injectors don’t provide enough fuel to the engine to keep it running. Your car could fail to start or, more dangerously, cut out completely while you’re driving. If the fuel injectors provide the engine with too much or too little fuel, power problems and overheating issues can occur.

Fuel injector problems can be a nightmare for those with modern diesel cars, and if they seize in the cylinder head are almost impossible to remove from certain engines. This is especially true of Honda’s 2.2 CTDI engine in the CRV and Accord and in VW Passat diesel engines.

What to look out for:

  • If your engine misfires this could indicate the presence of a faulty fuel injector. This happens when the injector becomes clogged over time with foreign particles that work their way into the engine.
  • Lack of engine smoothness. Because the fuel flow is effected, power to the engine may come in stops and starts – even when the car is running in idle.

Gearbox problems

Transmission are complicated pieces of machinery, so there’s a surprising amount of things that could potentially go wrong. Even if you do find the root cause of the problem, since they’re so difficult to access, transmission problems are extremely expensive – you’re probably looking at paying around £1000 for a replacement.

One of the most common faults with modern automatic and semi-automatic transmissions are electrical ECU faults.

Many Audi cars fitted with automatic gearboxes are prone to these electrical issues – and motorists also complain of problems with solenoid valves, which work to regulate the transmission fluids.

Citroën vehicle models which use the Sensodrive semi-automatic gearbox often experience transmission problems, as do those Mercedes cars with the Tiptronic gearbox.

What to look out for:

  • Are you struggling to change gear? When the car won’t go into gear it’s possible that there’s a problem with the clutch disc or pressure plate.
  • Grinding or ‘clashing’ gears is another one to watch out for. The clutch could be poorly adjusted or there might be a problem with the shift linkage binding.

The turbocharger

Another faulty component that we often come across here at WeBuyAnyDamagedCar is the turbocharger. Designed to increase the power output of your engine, the turbocharger works to provide a more powerful fuel combustion. It does this by compressing the air that flows into the engine so that more air will fit into the cylinders.

Unfortunately, they’re also prone to failure. Since they operate at incredibly fast speeds it’s important to make sure that you have sufficient oil to ensure the correct pressure and flow rate.

The bearings inside the turbo shaft can also overheat and cause the engine oil to bypass the turbo intercooler and contaminate the entire induction system.

As for getting a replacement, you need to watch out for the hidden costs. Many Fords often suffer from turbocharger issues, as do a number of Nissan models.

What to look out for:

  • Check for ‘blueing’ of the bearings or the shaft. This will normally indicates that they’ve been exposed to high operational temperatures and points to a lubrication problem.

If you’ve suffered any of these car problems, just get in touch. We’ll pay cash for your damaged or broken car and save you the cost and hassle of trying to repair it.

Contact us today for a free quotation or give us a call on 01366 387967.

BMW recalls over 700,000 cars Worldwide due to electrical faults

Posted on | by Sell Your Problem Car

German car giant BMW has just announced plans to recall various models in its 1 and 3 Series range. The recall could affect cars manufactured from March 2007 up to July 2011 and sold in North America, Canada, Japan and South Africa.

2009 BMW 3-Series: just one of the models affected

The recall came about when potential electrical problems became known after one Canadian motorist suffered a minor crash.

The problem is said to be due to the potential degradation over time of the connector for the positive battery cable connector and corresponding fuse box terminal.

Reviewing the failures, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTS) have said that the loss of electrical power caused by a failing connector could cause the vehicle to stall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of death.

Luckily, currently cars of these models sold in Europe aren’t affected.

New 2013 Range Rover Sport Reveal & Mini Acrobatics????

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Things are hotting up as we’re getting closer to the big reveal of the all-new 2013 Range Rover Sport.

Range Rover’s latest is expected to closely match the specifications of the new 2013 Range Rover, and include the much hyped, all-new V6 turbocharged diesel engine, capable of delivering 255bhp and generating an impressive 442lb ft of torque.

More dynamic than current models, and around 300kg lighter than the entry-level model you can buy at the moment, the Sport looks set for a big release.

The new Range Rover Sport is set to be revealed fully in late March, at the New York motor show.

Also in the news…

Mini acrobatics?

Freestyle rally driver and professional skier Guerlain Chicherit performed a breathtaking stunt a few days ago in the snowy French skiing resort of Tignes. Accelerating to 37mph, Chicherit sent a Mini Countryman John Cooper Works SUV into a complete 360 degree backflip, landing safely.

Launching the Mini off a specially modified ramp, the Mini back flip is said to be the first-ever complete back flip ever made in a car.

Check out the full stunt on YouTube.

 

Ferrari – the world’s most powerful brand?

Posted on | by Sell Your Problem Car

In a new survey conducted by Brand Finance Global 500, Ferrari has topped the lot, being named the strongest brand in the world.

The Ferrari 458 Italia: better than Google

The survey takes into account a whole host of things, including the average price spent on advertising and marketing, as well as the average amount of revenue from each customer.

Outdoing other car manufactures, including Audi and BMW, Ferrari also beat the likes of Google and Coca-Cola. While Apple still dominates the list of most valuable brands, at a staggering $87 billion, Ferrari’s business performance is also on the up and up with an 8% increase in total revenue for 2012 – a record figure for them.

It seems that Ferrari’s big-budget promotions have certainly paid off.