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      • Travel & Transport
        February 2020

        Cranswick on Porsche

        A modern interpretation of the Porsche story

        by Marc Cranswick

        Before yesterday's dream car became today's SUV, the reputation of Porsche as a manufacturer of fine sports cars was established. It started with the ideas of Dr Ferdinand Porsche, and a world best seller that spawned a revered line of sports cars. The Porsche 356 and 911 dominated their classes in international racing, leading to more specialized designs that brought glory to the marque, most famously at Le Mans. Porsche's success was based on excellent engineering. The firm's design consultancy has brought automotive innovation. Such excellence has been centered upon Weissach, the go to place for companies needing a high tech helping hand. Commercial achievement is based on image too. Here, Porsche has carefully chosen its models, and the way they have been sold and promoted. The result, is a unique position in public perception and media coverage. Even during the golden air-cooled era, Porsche wasn't afraid to experiment. The Square Porsche and front-engined coupés, all courted controversy. However, Zuffenhausen believed a Porsche was a Porsche, and soon others did too. The company's tremendous influence in design and engineering has even inspired artistic creation. Like the cars, these artworks represent an inseparable combination of style and substance.

      • Travel & Transport
        February 2019

        Patina Volkswagens

        by Mark Walker

        Since the early 2000s, the apparent explosion of interest in Volkswagens with original paint, rust and patina has inspired a generation of car fanatics, who might not be able to afford to restore a car to show condition, but still want a good looking, cool car that will stand out from the crowd. Once looked upon as being in need of restoration, cars with original paint, rust and patina, especially within the global Volkswagen community, have gradually become far more popular than restored cars. When walking down a line of cars at a car show, it’s easy to see why; these cars are rare, unspoiled survivors – cars that tell a story of an interesting and varied past. The look of the Volkswagens being built in this style is so honest, unspoiled and characterful, that it has begun to inspire the media; even Hollywood movie stars and celebrities. Whilst this has undoubtedly resulted in increased car values, and turned a brand of cars that had always been a cheap, honest mode of transportation into something cool with a high price tag, the generation it initially inspired has grown with the hobby, and produced a micro-industry that still manages to embrace the 'Built not bought' ethos. This book, superbly illustrated with stunning colour photographs, takes an inside look at some of the key car builders, dealers, celebrities and hobbyists, as well as the different styles of build, meaning every single car has a style all its own. Foreword by Drew Pritchard of TV’s ‘Salvage Hunters’ fame.

      • Travel & Transport
        April 2020

        How to Build a Patina Volkswagen

        by Mark Walker

        The explosion of Patina Volkswagens on social media has inspired those car fanatics, who realise that you don’t have to restore a car to end up with a good-looking ride. At last, you can stand out from the crowd, even on a tight budget. The look of the cars that result from patina builds is honest, unspoiled, and characterful; it has also inspired the media, movie stars and celebrities. Interest in patination has undoubtedly resulted in increased car values, and turned a brand of cars that had always been a cheap, honest mode of transportation into something cool with a high price tag. The people the look initially inspired have grown with the hobby, finding ways to achieve a great look on a tight budget, and producing a micro-industry that still manages to embrace the 'Built not bought' ethos.  This book takes a look at the differing styles of patina VW build, and imparts tips on finding and buying a project car, carrying out a sympathetic patina style renovation, and includes a chapter on recreating a patina finish on repaired areas or missing parts.

      • Travel & Transport
        November 2020

        The Book of the Honda S2000

        by Brian Long

        Researched and written in Japan with the full co-operation of the factory, here in definitive detail is the story of the Honda S2000 - a series of open two-seaters that built on the success of the NSX, helping the company justify its on-track exploits with a proper line of sporting machinery. Successful immediately, the S2000 models defended Honda's honour on the tracks, but it was in the showrooms where the S2000 excelled. After a major face-lift, it was eventually killed off in 2009, but is as popular today as it ever was as a modern classic for enthusiasts.

      • Travel & Transport
        September 2020

        FIAT 124 Spider & Pininfarina Azzura Spider

        Essential Buyer's Guide

        by Campbell Robertson

        Note: This book is a single title in a series numbering  over 100 titles. Stop! Don’t buy a FIAT 124 Spider or Pininfarina Azzura Spider without buying this book first! Packed with good advice from running costs, paperwork, vital statistics, valuation and the FIAT community, right through to whether it will suit you and your lifestyle. This is the complete guide to choosing, assessing and buying the FIAT or Pininfarina Spider of your dreams.

      • Travel & Transport
        December 2018

        Car Electrical and Electronic Systems

        by Julian Edgar

        This unique handbook assumes no starting knowledge of car electrical and electronics systems. It begins with simple circuits and finishes with complex electronic systems that include engine management, transmission control and stability control systems. If you want to diagnose a simple alternator charging or headlight problem, this book is for you. But if you also want to fix complex electronic systems using On-Board Diagnostics, a multimeter or oscilloscope, this book also shows you how to do that. Is it best to use a series or parallel circuit when adding a horn? How do you use a multimeter to check a coolant temperature sensor against its specs? How can you add an electronic timer that will keep your headlights on as you walk to your door? When should you buy an oscilloscope – and how complex an instrument do you really need? The author has been writing about car electronic systems for over 25 years. He is also an experienced and proficient car modifier who has performed numerous electronic modifications and upgrades to his own cars, including world-first modifications. If you want a practical, hands-on book that demystifies and explains car electrical and electronic systems, this is the book for you.

      • Travel & Transport
        February 2020

        Classic Engines, Modern Fuel

        The Problems, the Solutions

        by Paul Ireland

        This book tells you why and how. This book brings together a collection of popular articles previously published by the author in assorted car magazines. Based on in-depth research carried out at Manchester University, the articles investigate how classic engines respond to modern petrol/gasoline, and the results are presented in a way that any enthusiast can understand. One chapter ranks some brands and grades of modern petrol/gasoline, helping you choose the best type for your vehicle, while other chapters present the findings that debunk some of the myths about petrol/gasoline and engines. Real data is provided to help you tune your classic vehicle, ensuring that it runs as it should, allowing you to experience the pleasure of driving your classic car instead of worrying about it breaking down. The appendix gives a down-to-earth description of how to rebuild and tune SU and similar carburettors.Paul Ireland’s years of experience and no-nonsense scientific approach will help you get the best from your classic car.

      • Travel & Transport

        How your car works

        Your guide to the components & systems of modern cars, including hybrid & electric vehicles

        by Arvid Linde

        A comprehensive guided tour under the skin of the car. Diesel, petrol (gasoline), electric, hybrid and alternative propulsions are all dissected and explained in a reader-friendly manner, and as you move from the engine to the tailpipe, you'll discover what an exciting world there is within the car. Organised in intuitive chapters and backed with colourful illustrations and cutaways, this book describes the systems and parts that make your car move. Without emphasising the ‘boring' science bits, it discusses the practical application of various automotive terms, and explains why having more of one thing and less of another is beneficial in the real world. Whether you're just curious, or wish to become a better car owner, this book will start you on an exciting journey.

      • Travel & Transport
        March 2017

        How your motorcycle works

        Your guide to the components & systems of modern motorcycles

        by Peter Henshaw

        No longer the simple machines they used to be, the modern motorcycle is as complex and diverse as the modern car. In an ever more competitive market, manufacturers are looking for new solutions to old problems – what’s the most efficient transmission? How can emissions and fuel consumption be cut without affecting power? And how can new models be differentiated from one another? This book explains how the modern motorcycle works, in a straightforward style that’s jargon-free and easy to read. It assumes no prior mechanical knowledge, simply an interest in a motorcycle’s workings, and an open mind. The text is accompanied by superb cutaway illustrations from the major motorcycle manufacturers, clearly showing how individual components and systems function. It covers the latest innovations, including traction control and pushbutton gear change, as well as long-established technologies, such as fuel injection and ABS. How Your Motorcycle Works will not transform you into a motorcycle engineer or expert mechanic, but in explaining precisely how everything works, it will increase your understanding, and thus enjoyment, of the machine.

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