Gossip, Gossip and more Gossip

Rising gas prices is certainly a sensitive issue right now. And the pertinent question on most people minds is will the cost of gas prices ever reduce or go back to levels of the past few years ?  Even if small price cuts are possible, a return to reasonable gas prices doesn't seem probable. Given the potentially bleak outlook for the economy and the recession word cropping up more frequently than ever, a inflationary gas could impact many people who are unlikely to see a pay raise in line with average inflation of consumer goods. So what does the future hold for gas prices and how will people change their motoring habits.

Gas prices may go decrease in the immediate future. One reason for a possible decrease may be that the demand lessens. People will think of ways to reduce their dependence on car travel, be it car pooling, riding a bike to work or working from home more often. Vehicles could become more efficient as better fuels are developed. Thus simple supply and demand will dictate that the gas price remains stable but undoubtably the future trend will be upwards.

However, one reason that gas prices will remain high is that oil refineries will continue to spend millions of dollars finding new ways to refine gasoline so that it burns more cleanly. The purpose of this is to adhere to stricter emissions standards as required by various agreements. They also have to train personnel and to conduct research and development for future advances.

So this begs the question, will the government take action to regulate the gas price in some way? In some countries they have tried this but it has proved difficult to implement given the varied political agendas at stake and the vast amount of taxes that are applied to gasoline use. So while the costs of everything in the United States inflates due to the impact of fuel prices, it is up to the people to make the difference to answer the question will gas prices ever go down.

People will travel less and spend less, hurting our economy even more, and as the cost of food rises, the quality of food people purchase will decrease which will probably result in higher health care and insurance costs. Basically, people have to plan their activity better, for example, try to do all your errands in one location at the same time so that you can save on fuel consumption and time.

The way to act is to voice your opinion. Don't moan to your neighbor or coworker but talk to your elected officials. Get in touch with them by any means possible, be it by snail mail, email or the good old telephone, after all, your taxes pay their salary so they are on your payroll. Unfortunately big oil companies may hold great sway with our elected leaders, but many voices raised as one can initiate the changes needed.

So will gas prices get back to a price that is reasonable and affordable by average wage earners? Unfortunately, the things that determine the price of fuel are varied and often work at cros purposes, so the chances that they will all work together to bring about change in the gas price is unlikely. With this said, if your opinion is added to the increasing numbers of people who are asking for change, our country’s leaders may listen and take action to halt the out-of-control, upward spiral.

Regardless of government or oil companies responses to increased gas prices, you can do something to improve your fuel consumption with hydrogen cell conversion kits. Effectively they change the mixture of fuel that  your car uses by mixing it with hydrogen gas. This is thought to improve fuel economy. There are many guides available right now that show you how to make and install such a kit in your car. Learn more about the leading hydrogen conversion kit guides, including HHO Booster at water for gas review

London is chock-full of unique landmarks and Vauxhall have added another.Its not an addition to Big Ben or the Millennium Dome , I’m on about the four wheeled type of Vauxhall, in this case the Vauxhall Corsa Capital.  Only by visiting a London Vauxhall dealer will you be able to pick one up, as Vauxhall aims to show its city car can take on the biggest conurbation in Britain.  To help you deal with not only the congestion, but the charge that goes with it, Vauxhall are enticing Londoners to the Capital – pun intended, with (deep breath): 15” alloy wheels, a CD player that’s MP3 ready, rear spoiler, body coloured bumpers, electric front windows and air conditioning to name but a few, for only a slight price hike over the standard model.

Of course the Capital is just one derivative of the all-new Corsa range and the new cars find themselves in the middle of the most competitive sector of motoring – the hatchback.  Crucially then, the new Corsa must score highly in likeability, drivability and price (ability?).  With Vauxhall dealers pitching the Corsa range directly at big rivals Ford and Volkswagen it has to be very good indeed to become the market leader.Those cute little guys in the advert seem to be enjoying themselves mind - these days you just can’t trust cuddly fabric characters though, so crucially what does it look like and what’s it like to drive?

As I am still the new boy when it comes to road testing cars, I am faced with the daily anguish of opening my letterbox to find a distinct lack of keys to the latest Ferrari or Lamborghini, with a “have this for a week” note attached from Mr Lamborghini.I have however, been given the pleasure of driving the Vauxhall Corsa and believe me I don’t use the word ‘pleasure’ without meaning it.  Firstly however an anecdote…

My own car is a Hyundai Coupe, the automotive equivalent to Kelly Brook – pretty to look at with racy curves aplenty and great handling (particularly dancing the Salsa).  However thanks to karma, the gorgeous looks come at a price - it’s very slow and drinks like Oliver Reed in his heyday.  Despite this fact, one rain-drenched evening when all the sensible people were fast asleep, I found myself meandering around the twisty back roads on the outskirts of Cardiff, when what looked like a B & Q shed with wheels pulled up alongside me. 

It appeared the four youths had been on the sun bed, as there was a blue neon glow emanating from the shed and that’s when my inner eight year-old took over.{I strained the small rodent in its little wheel to run quicker than ever before and the engine jumped into action}.  As I left the shed and sun bed combo behind with Kelly’s wonderful handling, I thought to myself “nothing could handle this well”.  Low and behold six months later I was proved wrong.

If my Coupe is Kelly Brook, then the new Vauxhall Corsa is Kate Thornton.  The design doesn’t rip your eyes clean out or make you go weak at the knees but it’s still an attractive hatchback.  Crucially though, this car has brains with: ABS, CBC, SLS EBA and DTC.  Don’t worry about what the acronyms stand for, they all add up to give you a very safe hatchback, but most importantly for a city car – it handles brilliantly.  I drove a 1.2 litre Corsa derivative during my high-brow summer break to Ibiza and fell in love. 

The island is split into the two best environments for testing a car: twisty mountain roads and city driving.  With this in mind I left my hotel high on the sun-drenched hillside and set off for the capital, Ibiza Town.The A/C quickly cooled the car, but I still felt the need to lean out the window and show the world the smug look on my face as I still had all four wheel trims.  I didn’t however shout “C’MON!”  The 1.2 litre engine was surprisingly willing and the car gripped as tightly through the hairpin turns as it did through the s-bends.

Hitting the main road towards the capital gave me time to reflect on the interior.  Everything seemed well put together with no rattles or squeaks and the driving position gave perfect visibility – ensuring I had plenty of time to see the crazy drivers and get swerving to avoid them.  At times, I really did think I was in Beirut, as no-one seemed to understand the old adage of ‘don’t crash into another car, it’ll do neither me nor you any good’. 

Emerging unscathed with a combination of cheeky handling and dumb luck, I arrived at Ibiza Town, wheel trims and all.  Parked against the backdrop of a billionaires’ playground of yachts in the harbour, the Corsa seemed somehow prettier.  The funky looks seemed in-keeping with the fashion boutiques and hustle and bustle of the city.As night time set in, the light weight steering system and ultra responsive gearbox came into their element.There was a point when i took the wrong turning.Well by wrong turn I mean turning into a colder sack complete with mean looking drug dealing thugs, ladies of ill virtue and no sign of any law enforcement.

For some this may seem like a perfect night out, not for me and Kate though.  It was a ludicrous situation really, these burly druggies being crept up on by the Corsa, with its lop-sided grin and surprised eyes.  I’m pleased to announce that the excellent turning circle allowed me to deliver a swift three-point-turn and chirp off onto better climes within the big smoke.The next day with a heavy heart I had to return Kate to the rental company she truly will be the envy of that rental companies car park.

The small hatchback market is one of the toughest to conquer, but I really think Vauxhall have produced a worthy competitor.  When I think of the Corsa I think of chirpy, cheeky, cute and cuddlesome.  Coupled with the handling this is a fun car and ideal for any urban jungle.  So if you’re looking for a city car, remember the equation: city + fun - cost = Vauxhall dealer.  “C’MON!”  Ah damn it.

A £1000 reward has been offered for information leading to the conviction of arsonists responsible for the blaze that destroyed 19 cars in a Gatwick airport car park last week.

The fire at the Forgewood Industrial Estate near Gatwick initially started with two cars but quickly spread amongst the tightly parked vehicles. West Sussex fire and rescue were called by a vigilant passer-by.

The Gatwick parking company responsible for parking the cars have issued a statement in which they have expressed their disgust at the arson attack and apologised to customers for the damage and inconvenience. The district commander of Crawley police has said that he is grateful for the support that the police are receiving from local businesses.

Anyone with information regarding the arson attack should contact Crawley police.