home.social

#motoring — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #motoring, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Renault Niagara revealed, but the half-ton bakkie is off limits to SA

    Kept under wraps after its sole teaser image in May, Renault has officially unveiled the all-new Niagara as…
    #France #FR #Europe #EU #Renault #Motoring
    europesays.com/france/78069/

  2. Lotus, Porsche and Corvette: the best sports cars to buy in 2026

    Friday 11 September 2026 4:57 pm  |  Updated:  Friday 11 September 2026 5:28 pm Back in the 1960s, British…
    #Germany #DE #Europe #EU #Europa #Porsche #chevrolet #Ford #honda #Lifestyle #Lotus #Mercedes #Motoring #SportsCars
    europesays.com/germany/89393/

  3. Porsche cuts ties with Bugatti in €1bn sell-off – The Irish News

    Porsche has completed its sale of Bugatti to the Rimac Group in a €1bn sell-off. Porsche and Rimac…
    #Germany #DE #Europe #EU #Europa #Porsche #Bugatti #Motoring #rimac #Sale #uk
    europesays.com/germany/88619/

  4. What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 153

    Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.

    Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

    I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

    #1 Reaction Videos of The Transformers: The Movie – I can hardly believe it has been forty years since The Transformers: The Movie was first released. Following its disappointing theatrical run, the animated feature film became highly pursued by Transformers fans as soon as it was released on home video, and me and my friends enjoyed it a lot. It’s theatrical disappointment never stopped it from becoming a classic for Transformers fans and its importance in pop culture has been established solidly. By today’s standards, The Transformers: The Movie is a showcase of not only high-quality animation and a great lineup of characters, it also has the fine vocal performances of entertainment legends Orson Welles, Peter Cullen (who died recently), Leonard Nimoy, Scatman Crothers, Robert Stack, and Frank Welker. That said, it is not surprising that the 1986 animated film is featured in many movie reaction videos and I found the most entertaining ones for you to enjoy.

    https://youtu.be/OshUi1rVkcg?si=g7MQ8jIaCxOQyMX1

    https://youtu.be/7yaZPfwJUUs?si=j56ni3PbY5-Vfef0

    https://youtu.be/swVpW3-mLNk?si=tYA_UXTJfzUpo4gz

    #2 Summer Bargains in Japan – Are there a lot of bargains offered by your local grocery or department stores during the summer season? In Japan, as captured by Nippon TV, a grocery store organized “all-you-can-stuff” events that offered customers the golden opportunities to accumulate as many fresh vegetables (sourced from the summer produce of local farms) as they can for a fixed rate per attempt. Watching this Nippon TV video is entertaining and informative. I encourage you all to watch it from start to finish.

    https://youtu.be/X0miUs-mwrM?si=M_M7Jetc2TPgeGjH

    #3 1978 Interview Clip of Ingrid Bergman – If you have seen the classic movie Casablanca, you would remember the radiant beauty of Ingrid Bergman and her on-screen romance with Humphrey Bogart’s character. A few years before she passed away, Bergman was interviewed on TV and I posted below a short video excerpt for you to see. Not only will you learn from Bergman a notable revelation about her co-star’s presence behind the scenes of Casablanca’s production, you will see how intellectual and insightful she was. Go watch the video below.

    https://youtu.be/EV-r4I584A8?si=ENkx6cJakbzh50lg

    #4 The Indiana Jones Game Konami Was Never Allowed to Make – Time for retro gaming! Back in the 1980s, Konami was a very prolific producer of video games for both arcades and consoles. In 1987, Konami released Arumana no Kiseki for the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom) disk system. What struck me when I first played the game was the many creative elements it shared with the 1984 film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The playable action hero was designed with close resemblance to Indiana Jones (complete with the fedora). The game even had locations that looked like they were ripped off from the 1984 movie. To learn more about Arumana no Kiseki, who created it and why it had lots of Indiana Jones-related elements in it, watch the video below.

    https://youtu.be/jqL2DI08cP8?si=STKM6XSPWXaxq_eW

    #5 Roger Moore Technically Played James Bond in The Cannonball Run – Released in 1981, The Cannonball Run was an all-star comedy film with an emphasis on racing and stunts. It was heavily inspired by a real-life illegal cross-country motor race that happened in America in the 1970s and the movie had the very popular celebrities of the time like Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Farrah Fawcett and Roger Moore. Moore, who was already famous as the cinematic James Bond, technically played Agent 007 in The Cannonball Run. If you are curious and you want to know more, go watch Calvin Dyson’s retrospective of the movie and Moore’s presence.

    https://youtu.be/lF9sB52rgyc?si=A54tn93OdoLiMj4q

    #6 Jerusalem Walk Video – During the day-off of the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined in 2023, I took the rare opportunity to explore the city of Jerusalem on foot. I started the day at the Old City of Jerusalem where I visited the Temple Mount, the Western Wall and other holy sites before marching all the way to the modern part of Jerusalem going as far as the famous Mahane Yehuda market. This Jerusalem walk video brings back memories to me and if you love world travel, I encourage you to watch it.

    https://youtu.be/uum2fk0BKUE?si=zHC8wR0vqQo4y4oU

    +++++

    Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

    #1940s #1970s #1990s #adventure #amusement #animation #ArumanaNoKiseki #AshleighBurton #Asia #Autobots #BurtReynolds #CalvinDyson #CarloCarrasco #cars #cartoons #Casablanca #ChatGPT #cinema #Decepticons #DomDeLuise #entertainment #entertainmentBlog #EOMReacts #Facebook #Famicom #FamilyComputerFamicom #FarrahFawcett #Fediverse #film #food #foodTourism #foodie #foreignTourists #FrankWelker #fun #geek #Google #GoogleSearch #groceries #grocery #holiday #horror #HotRod #HumphreyBogart #illegalAliens #illegalImmigrants #illegalImmigration #immigrants #immigration #Inclusion #IndianaJones #IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom #IngridBergman #Instagram #Israel #JamesBond #Japan #Jerusalem #Konami #LeonardNimoy #massMigration #Mastodon #meals #Megatron #migrants #motoring #movies #MuslimImmigrants #mustSee #mustWatch #Nintendo #Nippon #NipponTV #nostalgia #onlineVideos #OptimusPrime #OrsonWelles #PeterCullen #racing #RetroGaming #Reviews #RobertStack #RodimusPrime #RogerMoore #sciFi #scienceFiction #socialMedia #summer #TempleMount #The1940s #The1970s #The1990s #TheCannonballRun #TheTransformers #TheTransformersTheMovie #TotallyWhatever #tourism #tourismBlog #tourists #Transformers #travel #travelBlog #Tumblr #Twitter #Unicron #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmericaUSA #UnsolvedMysteries #USA #vacation #vegetables #video #videoBlog #videoGames #videos #war #WhatToWatchOnYouTube #woke #WordPress #WordPressCom #WorldWarII #YouMeAndTheMovies #YouTube #YouTuber #YouTubers
  5. The Grand Tour review – a deeply strange rejection of Jeremy Clarkson and the gang
    By Stuart Heritage

    The petrol hijinks show is getting a total reset – with a relatively unknown new set of presenters. Still, there are signs this trio might turn out to be revolutionarily provocative

    theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2

    #Television #Televisionradio #Culture #TheGrandTour #JeremyClarkson #Motoring #Motoring #AmazonPrimeVideo #TheGuardian #StuartHeritage

  6. Chinese cars in Australia explained: Best brands, models, EVs, safety and buying advice

    New Chinese car brands such as BYD, MG, GWM, Chery, Jaecoo, Geely, Zeekr and XPeng are dramatically reshaping…
    #NewsBeep #News #Australia #AU #budget #BYD #Chery #Deepal #denza #electric #era #family #Features #ford #geely #gwm #hatch #haval #hybrid #Kia #Mazda #mercedes-benz #mg #Mitsubishi #Motoring #sedan #SUV #TESLA #toyota #utility #Xpeng #zeekr
    newsbeep.com/au/828898/

  7. What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 146

    Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.

    Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

    I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

    #1 Varied Scary Movie 3 Reaction Videos – After enjoying Scary Movie (2000), I eventually saw Scary Movie 2 in a California cinema and it was disappointing due to its rushed and uninspired presentation. More than two years later, I saw Scary Movie 3 in a packed cinema here in the Philippines. Directed by David Zucker – part of the famous Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker (ZAZ) – Scary Movie 3 does not quite match the fun and quality of the original film of 2000 but it was still a huge improvement over Scary Movie 2. Not only that, the 2003 film had Anna Faris back as Cindy Campbell while the legendary comedian Leslie Nielsen was a notable addition. To see how much of an impact Scary Movie 3 has with YouTubers, watch and selected video reactions below.

    https://youtu.be/6oA14JOzpYI?si=t2vc_eXaRQYo-VjD

    https://youtu.be/N1zuVJjqKpY?si=ZBTmYfNUfz61iZL4

    https://youtu.be/AsbHUv6kYx8?si=T4gcdBn2Iq9Y6qTe

    https://youtu.be/_6zNbl6fyU0?si=buEAmGCt92WCKfnl

    #2 A Korean Comic Café – If you are visiting South Korea and if you want to spend time in a place that allows privacy, access to digital entertainment, comic books and a variety of food and drinks during the day, try visiting a comic café. Watch and learn from the video below.

    https://youtu.be/_SjDkz13eJg?si=RH2_z-dYS7j-_ero

    #3 Ranting For Vengeance Looks At Great Comics That Actually Suck – What do you think makes a comic book great? Could it be because of the creators’ work, the storytelling style, real-world events that inspired the creative process, or the reputation of the creators who made it? In his video from 2025, Ranting for Vengeance examines that comics that were perceived to be great but sucked. Watch his video and pay close attention to the details and his explanations.

    https://youtu.be/5_yhbVLv9Xg?si=c6sEH1HE4eSKOEis

    #4 Ashleigh Burton Reacts To Weird Science – If you have read comic books of Weird Science, could you see their connection with the 1985 science fiction teen comedy film Weird Science? Directed by the late John Hughes, Weird Science follows two nerdy social outcast high school students who have had enough of being humiliated by others and enduring disappointing lives. Together, the two plan to make the perfect dream woman come true using a computer while hacking a government computer system. As it is loosely based on the Weird Science series of EC Comics, the film was a notable product of its time and it remains a memorable part of 1980s Hollywood cinema. To see if it has any entertainment impact, watch Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video now.

    https://youtu.be/8wKX18W3ynI?si=-Xj-h24vUPYYzvat

    #5 Sega’s F355 Challenge Revisited – During a visit to Gameworx inside Festival Mall in 1999, I saw the arcade game F355 Challenge from Sega. After marveling at its graphics during the first several minutes, I bought arcade tokens to play it. To my surprise, F355 Challenge was a racing simulation as it was designed with in-depth driving realism in mind. Yu Suzuki (Virtua Fighter) was the man who produced and directed the game, and in my opinion F355 Challenge has to be played in its original arcade form while the Sega Dreamcast port is the alternative. To see what F355 Challenge has to offer gamers, watch the video below.

    https://youtu.be/LEhqR2RA6kY?si=OirSKt1Oe4iCOonV

    #6 Penalties On Littering At Shibuya – Shibuya is one of the most lively urban spots in Japan. Located in Tokyo, is a special ward where visitors can enjoy the immense commercial joints and it is now the premiere hub for youth culture. Sadly, as Japan is attracting tens of millions of foreign tourists each year, littering at Shibuya has gone up tremendously. Fortunately, the local authorities are taking action again littering and those who littered will be penalized when they are caught. Learn from the Nippon TV video below.

    https://youtu.be/6d-JRA-o1OQ?si=xfd4hn4OLXKuMpBt

    #7 GoodBadFlicks Reviews The Bees – Way back in the late-1980s, the 1978 horror movie The Bees was shown on local TV and it drew a large audience. I cannot forget the time when a classmate of mine got so scared watching it. The Bees is a Mexican production that had the late John Saxon in a major role. To see the quality and production details of The Bees, watch the video of GoodBadFlicks below.

    https://youtu.be/2A-UZSsjGL8?si=jVtYyJ-WHi-GBd9u

    #8 Steakhouse In Tokyo – If you are touring Tokyo right now, there is this particular place that serves customers with really delicious and satisfying steaks. This video shows very enticing meals and I would love to visit once I return to Japan someday. Enjoy the video!

    https://youtu.be/81dhoQGn-ww?si=ZQWSRh9d-8NxkKVG

    +++++

    Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

    #1970s #1980s #1990s #Airplane #Alabang #AlabangBlog #America #AmericanPatriotism #amusement #anime #AnnaFaris #arcade #AshleighBurton #Asia #breakfast #café #CarloCarrasco #cars #ChatGPT #cinema #CinePals #comedy #comic #comicBooks #comics #comicsBlog #DavidZucker #Dreamcast #driving #ECComics #entertainment #entertainmentBlog #EOMReacts #F355Challenge #Facebook #Ferrari #FerrariF355 #FestivalMall #film #food #foodTourism #foodie #foreignTourists #fun #Gameworx #geek #Google #GoogleSearch #holiday #horror #Inclusion #Instagram #Japan #JohnHughes #Korea #LeslieNielsen #litter #littering #meals #meat #motoring #movies #MuntinlupaCity #mustSee #mustWatch #Nippon #NipponTV #nostalgia #onlineVideos #parody #patriotism #Philippines #racingGames #RantingForVengeance #Reviews #ScaryMovie #ScaryMovie2000 #ScaryMovie2 #ScaryMovie3 #sciFi #scienceFiction #Sega #SegaDreamcast #Shibuya #ShibuyaCrossing #simulationRacing #socialMedia #SouthKorea #spoof #steak #superhero #The1970s #The1980s #The1990s #TheBees #Tokyo #tourism #tourismBlog #tourists #travel #travelBlog #Tumblr #Twitter #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmericaUSA #USA #vacation #video #videoBlog #videoGames #videos #VKunia #WeirdScience #WeirdScience1985 #WhatToWatchOnYouTube #WordPress #WordPressCom #YouMeAndTheMovies #YouTube #YouTuber #YouTubers #YuSuzuki #ZuckerAbrahamsZuckerZAZ
  8. Cork Wash

    The brushes spin past in blue and yellow while a black Micra sits in the middle of the cycle. This was 2005, so the driver had a newspaper open across the wheel to fill the couple of minutes it took. Water beads across the bonnet and the Cork plate, 98-C-6325, reads clearly thro...

    inphotos.org/2026/07/05/cork-w

    #2005 #AutomaticCarWash #BlueAndYellow #CarWash #Corcaigh #Cork #everyday #Ireland #motoring #NissanMicra #Photo #Photography #StreetPhotography

  9. Cork Wash

    The brushes spin past in blue and yellow while a black Micra sits in the middle of the cycle. This was 2005, so the driver had a newspaper open across the wheel to fill the couple of minutes it took. Water beads across the bonnet and the Cork plate, 98-C-6325, reads clearly through the spray. A small wait, before mobile phones took over that kind of dead time.

    inphotos.org/2026/07/05/cork-w

  10. Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 44

    Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

    In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

    For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

    With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

    1. Berzerk Arcade Flyer

    The front. The rear.

    Could you imagine being trapped deep within a maze surrounded by dangerous robots (plus one other unstoppable enemy) capable firing laser blasts at you? This was the concept behind the design of Berzerk, an arcade game released by Stern Electronics in 1980. Released at a time when science fiction became wildly popular in American entertainment, Berzerk was immersive for gamers and the multidirectional gameplay feature was captivating for many. To promote the game, Stern Electronics came up with a customized visual design that blended 2D sprite elements with a photograph of two people and some hand-drawn art pieces. The front of the flyer emphasized accurate the core concept of the game while the rear explained the technical details. They even played with their company name with the line “Stern goes berzerk!”

    2. Rush’n Attack North American Arcade Flyer

    The arcade flyer for North America

    During the late stages of the Cold War, Konami made a lot of military-themed video games which resonated not only with those who were already aware about the global conflict but also with gamers who craved for action and excitement. One of those games was Rush’n Attack (alternative title: Green Beret) which was released in American arcades in late-1985. Konami came up with an arcade flyer showing four people (looking like an American family) having a good time in front of an arcade cabinet, and three screenshots of the game were displayed on the lower half. Rush’n Attack – which was deliberately titled to resemble the phrase “Russian attack” due to its obvious Cold War setting – went on to succeed commercially and critically. One notable game review compared Rush’n Attack favorably with the movie Rambo: First Blood Part II.

    3. Turbo Out Run North American Arcade Flyer

    The flyer.

    Following the massive success Sega achieved with Out Run in 1986, the company went on to release the follow-up Turbo OutRun three years later. As seen in their North American flyer, Sega emphasized the in-game locations, the look of the machine with the driver’s seat and steering wheel, and the excitement they can expect. Turbo OutRun went on to become successful in the arcades worldwide and it got ported to a variety of consoles and computer systems in the years that followed. On its own, the arcade flyer sparked excitement for gamers.

    4. Air Duel Japanese Arcade Flyer

    The artwork here is captivating to look at.

    Released in Japanese arcades in 1990, Air Duel from Irem is an intense and fast-paced 2D sprite vertically scrolling shooter that attracted a lot of players. It had a war theme and its aesthetic has a mix of military and somewhat futuristic science fiction elements. The game’s arcade flyer featured a very intriguing artwork by Takashi Yamasaki showing two aircrafts flying over a city heading towards a massively large enemy in the distance. In my opinion, the artwork alone is pretty engaging to see and it’s more than enough to make me think about playing the game.

    5. Spellbound Adaptor Print Ad

    The Spellbound Adaptor print ad in Europe. UK design and manufacturing emphasized.

    Remember back in the old days when there were hardware lockouts on game consoles that prevented users from playing games imported from different regions? In Europe, a special cheat and regional bypass cartridge called the Spellbound Adaptor was released and it allowed Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) users to bypass the lockouts and play games from overseas. The Spellbound Adaptor was notably advertised in European print media showing two sexy ladies posing with the adaptor itself (on the SNES), the television and many SNES games. The ad even includes a promo of buying the adaptor with a game of choice for only £69.95. The ad is still impactful to look at.

    6. Contra III: The Alien Wars North American Print Ad

    Konami’s made a huge impression visually with this 2-page print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars.

    By the time the SNES was launched in America in 1991, a lot of gamers who enjoyed Contra games on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) have been craving for a sequel on the newer console. Their dreams finally came through in early 1992 when Konami released Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES, and it was a lot more than visual upgrade as it had groundbreaking features connected with the game developers’ clever use of the console’s technology. Konami was already aware of Contra’s huge following in America, so they came up with an aggressive looking print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars. With a red-and-black background, the ad had a variety of screenshots that were tilted to look 3D (showing what the game offered) and used a minor space for the descriptive text and image of the game box. This old print ad is one of the finest ways to promote a sequel while also emphasizing the next-generation experience fans can enjoy. This ad is a classic!

    7. Apocalypse Print Ads

    With Bruce Willis’ face, this 2-page Apocalypse print ad captured the attention of readers. The more action-oriented 2-page print ad of Apocalypse. Bruce Willis is more visible here.

    Believe it or not, Hollywood legend Bruce Willis actually starred in the ambitious video game titled Apocalypse. Before its 1998 released on PlayStation, Apocalypse started with the player character having an AI-controlled partner named Trey Kincaid to be played by Willis. Publisher Activision signed a multi-million Dollar deal with Bruce Willis to use his likeness and voice for the Trey character. Eventually the Trey Kincaid role was modified to be the playable character. Given the huge deal signed with the super star and the additional costs that came with game design revisions, Activision launched an aggressive marketing campaign for Apocalypse and they heavily used Bruce Willis’s name and imagery. Ultimately the game sold less than one million copies and yet Activision was satisfied with the sales which convinced them to go back to Apocalypse developer Neversoft for a new project.

    8. R-Type Delta North American Print Ad

    R-Type Delta was the 4th game of the R-Type series and also the first to be made with 3D polygons.

    R-Type, the long-running series of 2D side-scrolling shooters by Irem, fully embraced 3D polygons with R-Type Delta on PlayStation in 1998. To promote the game in North America, Irem and their partner Agetec went all-in emphasizing their series shift into 3D polygonal graphics while promising new in-game weapons. Very smartly, they included positive quotes from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), PlayStation Magazine (PSM) and Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) to show credibility. In recent times, an enhanced version of R-Type Delta (R-Type Delta: HD Boosted) was released on modern game console and PC.

    9. Racing Lagoon Japanese Print Ad

    Have you ever played this game from SquareSoft?

    Released in 1999 for PlayStation only in Japan, Racing Lagoon was one of many games SquareSoft made for a genre other than role-playing games (RPGs). Released at a time when the PlayStation already had lots of racing games available from around the world, Racing Lagoon was a racing game that had role-playing elements mixed in. To promote it, SquareSoft made a print ad that had a night-time city vibe and they showed some screenshots with a unique visual style. The in-game story was influenced by the illegal street racing trend that happened in Japan during the 1980s.

    10. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica North America Print Ads

    Truly a next-generation Resident Evil experience first launched on the Sega Dreamcast! I know some people who bought the console just to play Resident Evil – Code: Veronica. The 2-page print ad of RE – Code: Veronica.

    When Resident Evil – Code: Veronica was released on the Sega Dreamcast in Japan in February 2000, it delivered a next-generation survival horror experience to die-hard RE fans and it was easily one of the must-have games for Dreamcast owners of the time. Along the way, RE fans and Dreamcast owners in America were already anticipating the game. Capcom had an aggressive ad campaign for the game with US gamers in mind and this particular single-page print ad showed the fan-favorite characters Claire and Chris Redfield on one corner, six selected screenshots and quotes from the published game reviews of Game Informer, Next Generation and the Official Dreamcast Magazine. The 2-page print ad had the same elements but had the Redfield siblings on the 2nd page. I remember seeing these ads on a few gaming magazines and they made me think about buying a Dreamcast just to play RE – Code: Veronica. These old ads emphasized the strong business trust between Capcom and Sega (which itself lost a lot of money and credibility with the Sega Saturn consoles and many add-on devices released years prior).  

    +++++

    Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

    #2DShooters #2DSprites #Activision #Agetec #AirDuel #Apocalypse #arcade #arcadeGaming #Atari #Berzerk #BruceWillis #Capcom #CarloCarrasco #cars #CD #CDROM #ChatGPT #ChrisRedfield #cinema #ClaireRedfield #ColdWar #comicBooks #computers #console #consoleGames #consoleGaming #consoles #Contra #ContraIIITheAlienWars #Dreamcast #ElectronicGamingMonthlyEGM #electronics #England #entertainment #entertainmentBlog #Europe #fantasy #film #fun #gameConsole #gameConsoles #GameInformer #gamers #games #gamesConsole #gamesConsoles #gaming #gamingConsole #gamingConsoles #geek #Google #GoogleSearch #GreenBeret #horror #Instagram #Investagrams #Irem #Japan #Konami #magazines #marketing #MegaCD #military #militaryLifestyle #motoring #movies #Neversoft #nextGeneration #Nintendo #Nippon #nostalgia #OfficialPlayStationMagazineOPM #OutRun #PCGames #PCGaming #PlayStationMagazinePSM #PlayStationOne #posters #printAds #printMedia #promos #PS1 #PSOne #RType #RTypeDelta #RTypeDeltaHDBoosted #racingGames #RacingLagoon #Rambo #RamboFirstBloodPartII #ResidentEvil #ResidentEvilCodeVeronica #RetroGaming #RetroGamingAdsBlastRGAB #Retrospective #RushNAttack #sciFi #scienceFiction #Sega #SegaCD #SegaDreamcast #SegaGenesis #SegaOfAmerica #shooter #shooters #sideScrolling #SNES #socialMedia #soldiers #spaceTravel #SpellboundAdaptor #SquareEnix #Squaresoft #SternElectronics #SuperNES #SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystemSNES #survivalHorror #TakashiYamasaki #technology #The1980s #The1990s #TurboOutRun #UnitedKingdomUK #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #UnitedStatesOfAmericaUSA #verticallyScrollingShooters #videoGames #war #WordPress #WordPressCom #zombieApocalypse #zombies
  11. Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 44

    Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

    In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

    For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

    With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

    1. Berzerk Arcade Flyer

    The front. The rear.

    Could you imagine being trapped deep within a maze surrounded by dangerous robots (plus one other unstoppable enemy) capable firing laser blasts at you? This was the concept behind the design of Berzerk, an arcade game released by Stern Electronics in 1980. Released at a time when science fiction became wildly popular in American entertainment, Berzerk was immersive for gamers and the multidirectional gameplay feature was captivating for many. To promote the game, Stern Electronics came up with a customized visual design that blended 2D sprite elements with a photograph of two people and some hand-drawn art pieces. The front of the flyer emphasized accurate the core concept of the game while the rear explained the technical details. They even played with their company name with the line “Stern goes berzerk!”

    2. Rush’n Attack North American Arcade Flyer

    The arcade flyer for North America

    During the late stages of the Cold War, Konami made a lot of military-themed video games which resonated not only with those who were already aware about the global conflict but also with gamers who craved for action and excitement. One of those games was Rush’n Attack (alternative title: Green Beret) which was released in American arcades in late-1985. Konami came up with an arcade flyer showing four people (looking like an American family) having a good time in front of an arcade cabinet, and three screenshots of the game were displayed on the lower half. Rush’n Attack – which was deliberately titled to resemble the phrase “Russian attack” due to its obvious Cold War setting – went on to succeed commercially and critically. One notable game review compared Rush’n Attack favorably with the movie Rambo: First Blood Part II.

    3. Turbo Out Run North American Arcade Flyer

    The flyer.

    Following the massive success Sega achieved with Out Run in 1986, the company went on to release the follow-up Turbo OutRun three years later. As seen in their North American flyer, Sega emphasized the in-game locations, the look of the machine with the driver’s seat and steering wheel, and the excitement they can expect. Turbo OutRun went on to become successful in the arcades worldwide and it got ported to a variety of consoles and computer systems in the years that followed. On its own, the arcade flyer sparked excitement for gamers.

    4. Air Duel Japanese Arcade Flyer

    The artwork here is captivating to look at.

    Released in Japanese arcades in 1990, Air Duel from Irem is an intense and fast-paced 2D sprite vertically scrolling shooter that attracted a lot of players. It had a war theme and its aesthetic has a mix of military and somewhat futuristic science fiction elements. The game’s arcade flyer featured a very intriguing artwork by Takashi Yamasaki showing two aircrafts flying over a city heading towards a massively large enemy in the distance. In my opinion, the artwork alone is pretty engaging to see and it’s more than enough to make me think about playing the game.

    5. Spellbound Adaptor Print Ad

    The Spellbound Adaptor print ad in Europe. UK design and manufacturing emphasized.

    Remember back in the old days when there were hardware lockouts on game consoles that prevented users from playing games imported from different regions? In Europe, a special cheat and regional bypass cartridge called the Spellbound Adaptor was released and it allowed Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) users to bypass the lockouts and play games from overseas. The Spellbound Adaptor was notably advertised in European print media showing two sexy ladies posing with the adaptor itself (on the SNES), the television and many SNES games. The ad even includes a promo of buying the adaptor with a game of choice for only £69.95. The ad is still impactful to look at.

    6. Contra III: The Alien Wars North American Print Ad

    Konami’s made a huge impression visually with this 2-page print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars.

    By the time the SNES was launched in America in 1991, a lot of gamers who enjoyed Contra games on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) have been craving for a sequel on the newer console. Their dreams finally came through in early 1992 when Konami released Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES, and it was a lot more than visual upgrade as it had groundbreaking features connected with the game developers’ clever use of the console’s technology. Konami was already aware of Contra’s huge following in America, so they came up with an aggressive looking print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars. With a red-and-black background, the ad had a variety of screenshots that were tilted to look 3D (showing what the game offered) and used a minor space for the descriptive text and image of the game box. This old print ad is one of the finest ways to promote a sequel while also emphasizing the next-generation experience fans can enjoy. This ad is a classic!

    7. Apocalypse Print Ads

    With Bruce Willis’ face, this 2-page Apocalypse print ad captured the attention of readers. The more action-oriented 2-page print ad of Apocalypse. Bruce Willis is more visible here.

    Believe it or not, Hollywood legend Bruce Willis actually starred in the ambitious video game titled Apocalypse. Before its 1998 released on PlayStation, Apocalypse started with the player character having an AI-controlled partner named Trey Kincaid to be played by Willis. Publisher Activision signed a multi-million Dollar deal with Bruce Willis to use his likeness and voice for the Trey character. Eventually the Trey Kincaid role was modified to be the playable character. Given the huge deal signed with the super star and the additional costs that came with game design revisions, Activision launched an aggressive marketing campaign for Apocalypse and they heavily used Bruce Willis’s name and imagery. Ultimately the game sold less than one million copies and yet Activision was satisfied with the sales which convinced them to go back to Apocalypse developer Neversoft for a new project.

    8. R-Type Delta North American Print Ad

    R-Type Delta was the 4th game of the R-Type series and also the first to be made with 3D polygons.

    R-Type, the long-running series of 2D side-scrolling shooters by Irem, fully embraced 3D polygons with R-Type Delta on PlayStation in 1998. To promote the game in North America, Irem and their partner Agetec went all-in emphasizing their series shift into 3D polygonal graphics while promising new in-game weapons. Very smartly, they included positive quotes from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), PlayStation Magazine (PSM) and Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) to show credibility. In recent times, an enhanced version of R-Type Delta (R-Type Delta: HD Boosted) was released on modern game console and PC.

    9. Racing Lagoon Japanese Print Ad

    Have you ever played this game from SquareSoft?

    Released in 1999 for PlayStation only in Japan, Racing Lagoon was one of many games SquareSoft made for a genre other than role-playing games (RPGs). Released at a time when the PlayStation already had lots of racing games available from around the world, Racing Lagoon was a racing game that had role-playing elements mixed in. To promote it, SquareSoft made a print ad that had a night-time city vibe and they showed some screenshots with a unique visual style. The in-game story was influenced by the illegal street racing trend that happened in Japan during the 1980s.

    10. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica North America Print Ads

    Truly a next-generation Resident Evil experience first launched on the Sega Dreamcast! I know some people who bought the console just to play Resident Evil – Code: Veronica. The 2-page print ad of RE – Code: Veronica.

    When Resident Evil – Code: Veronica was released on the Sega Dreamcast in Japan in February 2000, it delivered a next-generation survival horror experience to die-hard RE fans and it was easily one of the must-have games for Dreamcast owners of the time. Along the way, RE fans and Dreamcast owners in America were already anticipating the game. Capcom had an aggressive ad campaign for the game with US gamers in mind and this particular single-page print ad showed the fan-favorite characters Claire and Chris Redfield on one corner, six selected screenshots and quotes from the published game reviews of Game Informer, Next Generation and the Official Dreamcast Magazine. The 2-page print ad had the same elements but had the Redfield siblings on the 2nd page. I remember seeing these ads on a few gaming magazines and they made me think about buying a Dreamcast just to play RE – Code: Veronica. These old ads emphasized the strong business trust between Capcom and Sega (which itself lost a lot of money and credibility with the Sega Saturn consoles and many add-on devices released years prior).  

    +++++

    Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

    #2DShooters #2DSprites #Activision #Agetec #AirDuel #Apocalypse #arcade #arcadeGaming #Atari #Berzerk #BruceWillis #Capcom #CarloCarrasco #cars #CD #CDROM #ChatGPT #ChrisRedfield #cinema #ClaireRedfield #ColdWar #comicBooks #computers #console #consoleGames #consoleGaming #consoles #Contra #ContraIIITheAlienWars #Dreamcast #ElectronicGamingMonthlyEGM #electronics #England #entertainment #entertainmentBlog #Europe #fantasy #film #fun #gameConsole #gameConsoles #GameInformer #gamers #games #gamesConsole #gamesConsoles #gaming #gamingConsole #gamingConsoles #geek #Google #GoogleSearch #GreenBeret #horror #Instagram #Investagrams #Irem #Japan #Konami #magazines #marketing #MegaCD #military #militaryLifestyle #motoring #movies #Neversoft #nextGeneration #Nintendo #Nippon #nostalgia #OfficialPlayStationMagazineOPM #OutRun #PCGames #PCGaming #PlayStationMagazinePSM #PlayStationOne #posters #printAds #printMedia #promos #PS1 #PSOne #RType #RTypeDelta #RTypeDeltaHDBoosted #racingGames #RacingLagoon #Rambo #RamboFirstBloodPartII #ResidentEvil #ResidentEvilCodeVeronica #RetroGaming #RetroGamingAdsBlastRGAB #Retrospective #RushNAttack #sciFi #scienceFiction #Sega #SegaCD #SegaDreamcast #SegaGenesis #SegaOfAmerica #shooter #shooters #sideScrolling #SNES #socialMedia #soldiers #spaceTravel #SpellboundAdaptor #SquareEnix #Squaresoft #SternElectronics #SuperNES #SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystemSNES #survivalHorror #TakashiYamasaki #technology #The1980s #The1990s #TurboOutRun #UnitedKingdomUK #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #UnitedStatesOfAmericaUSA #verticallyScrollingShooters #videoGames #war #WordPress #WordPressCom #zombieApocalypse #zombies
  12. Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 44

    Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

    In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

    For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

    With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

    1. Berzerk Arcade Flyer

    The front. The rear.

    Could you imagine being trapped deep within a maze surrounded by dangerous robots (plus one other unstoppable enemy) capable firing laser blasts at you? This was the concept behind the design of Berzerk, an arcade game released by Stern Electronics in 1980. Released at a time when science fiction became wildly popular in American entertainment, Berzerk was immersive for gamers and the multidirectional gameplay feature was captivating for many. To promote the game, Stern Electronics came up with a customized visual design that blended 2D sprite elements with a photograph of two people and some hand-drawn art pieces. The front of the flyer emphasized accurate the core concept of the game while the rear explained the technical details. They even played with their company name with the line “Stern goes berzerk!”

    2. Rush’n Attack North American Arcade Flyer

    The arcade flyer for North America

    During the late stages of the Cold War, Konami made a lot of military-themed video games which resonated not only with those who were already aware about the global conflict but also with gamers who craved for action and excitement. One of those games was Rush’n Attack (alternative title: Green Beret) which was released in American arcades in late-1985. Konami came up with an arcade flyer showing four people (looking like an American family) having a good time in front of an arcade cabinet, and three screenshots of the game were displayed on the lower half. Rush’n Attack – which was deliberately titled to resemble the phrase “Russian attack” due to its obvious Cold War setting – went on to succeed commercially and critically. One notable game review compared Rush’n Attack favorably with the movie Rambo: First Blood Part II.

    3. Turbo Out Run North American Arcade Flyer

    The flyer.

    Following the massive success Sega achieved with Out Run in 1986, the company went on to release the follow-up Turbo OutRun three years later. As seen in their North American flyer, Sega emphasized the in-game locations, the look of the machine with the driver’s seat and steering wheel, and the excitement they can expect. Turbo OutRun went on to become successful in the arcades worldwide and it got ported to a variety of consoles and computer systems in the years that followed. On its own, the arcade flyer sparked excitement for gamers.

    4. Air Duel Japanese Arcade Flyer

    The artwork here is captivating to look at.

    Released in Japanese arcades in 1990, Air Duel from Irem is an intense and fast-paced 2D sprite vertically scrolling shooter that attracted a lot of players. It had a war theme and its aesthetic has a mix of military and somewhat futuristic science fiction elements. The game’s arcade flyer featured a very intriguing artwork by Takashi Yamasaki showing two aircrafts flying over a city heading towards a massively large enemy in the distance. In my opinion, the artwork alone is pretty engaging to see and it’s more than enough to make me think about playing the game.

    5. Spellbound Adaptor Print Ad

    The Spellbound Adaptor print ad in Europe. UK design and manufacturing emphasized.

    Remember back in the old days when there were hardware lockouts on game consoles that prevented users from playing games imported from different regions? In Europe, a special cheat and regional bypass cartridge called the Spellbound Adaptor was released and it allowed Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) users to bypass the lockouts and play games from overseas. The Spellbound Adaptor was notably advertised in European print media showing two sexy ladies posing with the adaptor itself (on the SNES), the television and many SNES games. The ad even includes a promo of buying the adaptor with a game of choice for only £69.95. The ad is still impactful to look at.

    6. Contra III: The Alien Wars North American Print Ad

    Konami’s made a huge impression visually with this 2-page print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars.

    By the time the SNES was launched in America in 1991, a lot of gamers who enjoyed Contra games on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) have been craving for a sequel on the newer console. Their dreams finally came through in early 1992 when Konami released Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES, and it was a lot more than visual upgrade as it had groundbreaking features connected with the game developers’ clever use of the console’s technology. Konami was already aware of Contra’s huge following in America, so they came up with an aggressive looking print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars. With a red-and-black background, the ad had a variety of screenshots that were tilted to look 3D (showing what the game offered) and used a minor space for the descriptive text and image of the game box. This old print ad is one of the finest ways to promote a sequel while also emphasizing the next-generation experience fans can enjoy. This ad is a classic!

    7. Apocalypse Print Ads

    With Bruce Willis’ face, this 2-page Apocalypse print ad captured the attention of readers. The more action-oriented 2-page print ad of Apocalypse. Bruce Willis is more visible here.

    Believe it or not, Hollywood legend Bruce Willis actually starred in the ambitious video game titled Apocalypse. Before its 1998 released on PlayStation, Apocalypse started with the player character having an AI-controlled partner named Trey Kincaid to be played by Willis. Publisher Activision signed a multi-million Dollar deal with Bruce Willis to use his likeness and voice for the Trey character. Eventually the Trey Kincaid role was modified to be the playable character. Given the huge deal signed with the super star and the additional costs that came with game design revisions, Activision launched an aggressive marketing campaign for Apocalypse and they heavily used Bruce Willis’s name and imagery. Ultimately the game sold less than one million copies and yet Activision was satisfied with the sales which convinced them to go back to Apocalypse developer Neversoft for a new project.

    8. R-Type Delta North American Print Ad

    R-Type Delta was the 4th game of the R-Type series and also the first to be made with 3D polygons.

    R-Type, the long-running series of 2D side-scrolling shooters by Irem, fully embraced 3D polygons with R-Type Delta on PlayStation in 1998. To promote the game in North America, Irem and their partner Agetec went all-in emphasizing their series shift into 3D polygonal graphics while promising new in-game weapons. Very smartly, they included positive quotes from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), PlayStation Magazine (PSM) and Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) to show credibility. In recent times, an enhanced version of R-Type Delta (R-Type Delta: HD Boosted) was released on modern game console and PC.

    9. Racing Lagoon Japanese Print Ad

    Have you ever played this game from SquareSoft?

    Released in 1999 for PlayStation only in Japan, Racing Lagoon was one of many games SquareSoft made for a genre other than role-playing games (RPGs). Released at a time when the PlayStation already had lots of racing games available from around the world, Racing Lagoon was a racing game that had role-playing elements mixed in. To promote it, SquareSoft made a print ad that had a night-time city vibe and they showed some screenshots with a unique visual style. The in-game story was influenced by the illegal street racing trend that happened in Japan during the 1980s.

    10. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica North America Print Ads

    Truly a next-generation Resident Evil experience first launched on the Sega Dreamcast! I know some people who bought the console just to play Resident Evil – Code: Veronica. The 2-page print ad of RE – Code: Veronica.

    When Resident Evil – Code: Veronica was released on the Sega Dreamcast in Japan in February 2000, it delivered a next-generation survival horror experience to die-hard RE fans and it was easily one of the must-have games for Dreamcast owners of the time. Along the way, RE fans and Dreamcast owners in America were already anticipating the game. Capcom had an aggressive ad campaign for the game with US gamers in mind and this particular single-page print ad showed the fan-favorite characters Claire and Chris Redfield on one corner, six selected screenshots and quotes from the published game reviews of Game Informer, Next Generation and the Official Dreamcast Magazine. The 2-page print ad had the same elements but had the Redfield siblings on the 2nd page. I remember seeing these ads on a few gaming magazines and they made me think about buying a Dreamcast just to play RE – Code: Veronica. These old ads emphasized the strong business trust between Capcom and Sega (which itself lost a lot of money and credibility with the Sega Saturn consoles and many add-on devices released years prior).  

    +++++

    Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

    #2DShooters #2DSprites #Activision #Agetec #AirDuel #Apocalypse #arcade #arcadeGaming #Atari #Berzerk #BruceWillis #Capcom #CarloCarrasco #cars #CD #CDROM #ChatGPT #ChrisRedfield #cinema #ClaireRedfield #ColdWar #comicBooks #computers #console #consoleGames #consoleGaming #consoles #Contra #ContraIIITheAlienWars #Dreamcast #ElectronicGamingMonthlyEGM #electronics #England #entertainment #entertainmentBlog #Europe #fantasy #film #fun #gameConsole #gameConsoles #GameInformer #gamers #games #gamesConsole #gamesConsoles #gaming #gamingConsole #gamingConsoles #geek #Google #GoogleSearch #GreenBeret #horror #Instagram #Investagrams #Irem #Japan #Konami #magazines #marketing #MegaCD #military #militaryLifestyle #motoring #movies #Neversoft #nextGeneration #Nintendo #Nippon #nostalgia #OfficialPlayStationMagazineOPM #OutRun #PCGames #PCGaming #PlayStationMagazinePSM #PlayStationOne #posters #printAds #printMedia #promos #PS1 #PSOne #RType #RTypeDelta #RTypeDeltaHDBoosted #racingGames #RacingLagoon #Rambo #RamboFirstBloodPartII #ResidentEvil #ResidentEvilCodeVeronica #RetroGaming #RetroGamingAdsBlastRGAB #Retrospective #RushNAttack #sciFi #scienceFiction #Sega #SegaCD #SegaDreamcast #SegaGenesis #SegaOfAmerica #shooter #shooters #sideScrolling #SNES #socialMedia #soldiers #spaceTravel #SpellboundAdaptor #SquareEnix #Squaresoft #SternElectronics #SuperNES #SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystemSNES #survivalHorror #TakashiYamasaki #technology #The1980s #The1990s #TurboOutRun #UnitedKingdomUK #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #UnitedStatesOfAmericaUSA #verticallyScrollingShooters #videoGames #war #WordPress #WordPressCom #zombieApocalypse #zombies
  13. A while back an #environment activist on here (alas, their toot disappeared in timeline) was trying to work out how many people in UK regularly #drive - it is hard to get accurate data!

    There are about 34 million private #cars in UK of 42 million #vehicles including #vans, #lorries, #buses, #motorcyles and anything else that needs registration mark from #DVLA GB or #DVA NI

    About 43 million people in GB (excluding NI) hold a full #DrivingLicence - but not reliable data for number of drivers as these records include people who have died or emigrated!

    And some folk own more than one #vehicle, others have a licence but don't drive - I'd guess at figure for private car drivers being around 25-30 million, but levels of #motoring will vary wildly between regions

    racfoundation.org/motoring-faq

  14. Proposed pay‑per‑mile tax for electric vehicles raises concerns

    The Chancellor is expected to outline plans in the upcoming Budget to introduce a mileage‑based tax for electric vehicles (EVs) from 2028. The measure is being considered as fuel duty revenues decline with more drivers moving away from petrol and diesel.

    If introduced, EV drivers would pay around 3p per mile, with hybrid vehicles charged at a slightly lower rate. The proposal has not yet been confirmed and would require parliamentary approval before implementation.

    Rising costs for electric drivers

    Industry figures point out that electric drivers have already faced a series of cost increases in recent years, including higher insurance premiums, the introduction of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), and rising home charging costs.

    Motoring analyst John Wilmot, founder of LeaseLoco, said the proposed tax risks undermining one of the main incentives for switching to electric.

    “One of the massive benefits to driving an electric vehicle was that it was far cheaper to run than a petrol or diesel car, but a pay‑per‑mile tax risks eliminating that advantage,” he said.

    “It’s almost sending mixed messages. We want people to switch to electric cars but they’re dealing with limited charging infrastructure and other rising costs which can leave them questioning whether it’s even worth it.”

    Autumn Budget 2025

    Explore our in-depth feature on more than 100 possible tax changes and what they could mean for households and businesses across South West Wales.

    Read the full Budget feature

    Net zero implications

    Wilmot warned that the proposal could slow progress towards the government’s net zero goals.

    “Lower running costs were a huge part of the incentive for going electric. Taking that away risks stalling the momentum we have built by giving people confidence in electric vehicles,” he said.

    He added that many drivers are already expressing interest in electric options, but uncertainty over future costs may cause hesitation.

    “Drivers want clarity before committing to making the switch to electric and it’s hard to have confidence when the rules and the costs keep changing.”

    What it means locally

    South Wales has seen a steady rise in EV ownership, supported by council‑backed charging points and private investment. Campaigners say any policy that reduces incentives could affect uptake in the region, where charging infrastructure is still developing.

    #budget #electricCar #electricVehicles #ev #fuelDuty #hybridCar #motoring #payPerMile #roadTax #vehicleExciseDuty

  15. New footage shows moment vandal‑prone Swansea speed camera is painted over with a paintbrush on a stick

    The footage captures a man in a white painter’s boiler suit with his hood up climbing a ladder to reach the camera on Llangyfelach Road in Treboeth. He uses a paintbrush attached to a pole to smear red paint across the main lens before climbing down to cover the lower lenses.

    As previously reported by Swansea Bay News, the newly installed camera was found daubed in red paint just days after being installed. The device itself had only just been put back in place after its predecessor was cut down with an angle grinder in a brazen attack that shocked residents and raised questions about the vulnerability of road safety enforcement equipment.

    South Wales Police told Swansea Bay News that the footage had not previously been reported to them, and confirmed they are now reviewing the incident. Officers are expected to issue a fuller statement once they have assessed the video evidence.

    The attack has reignited debate about speed cameras in Swansea. Our earlier coverage of the grinder attack drew more than 360 comments, with the vast majority of readers expressing delight that the device had been damaged. Many criticised speed cameras as “money‑making machines” rather than casualty‑preventing tools, reflecting a deep hostility towards enforcement measures on local roads.

    GoSafe, the Welsh Road Casualty Reduction Partnership responsible for speed enforcement, says cameras are placed at sites with a history of collisions or where speeding is a concern.

    A spokesperson explained:

    “Our cameras are there to encourage people to drive within the speed limits and keep everyone using our roads safe. The most successful cameras are the ones that see the least number of offences, not the most.”

    GoSafe stresses that enforcement sites are chosen using Welsh Government guidance, and that cameras are intended to reduce casualties, not generate income.

    #gosafe #llangyfelachRoad #motoring #roadSafety #southWalesPolice #speedCamera #speeding #swansea #treboeth #vandalisedSpeedCamera

  16. Swansea car retailer celebrating after two models recognised with award

    Judges said the compact mild hybrid SUV was a fantastic used buy, incorporating a timeless design both inside and out. With a range of reliable powertrains across petrol, diesel, pure-electric and plug-in hybrid, they commented that it provided something for everyone.

    The triumph follows FRF Volvo Swansea’s success at the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s annual awards, where the car retailer’s Plug-in Hybrid, the XC90 was named Hybrid Towcar of the Year.

    The Towcar of the Year Awards are the UK’s longest-established towing awards. This year, vehicles were put through their paces to assess not only their towing ability but also their practicality, comfort and quality.  

    With its effortless performance and ease of driving, judges for the Caravan and Motorhome Club praised the XC90 for being an “Absolutely superb towcar. It is as compromise-free as you could wish for. It handles superbly with the caravan, whilst remaining comfortable and sure-footed. The interior is absolutely beautiful and feels like somewhere that you could enjoy a long-distance cruise to the Continent with a caravan in tow.”

    The car retailer’s Plug-in Hybrid, the XC90 was named Hybrid Towcar of the Year at the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s annual awards.

    John Radcliffe at FRF Volvo Swansea on Valley Way, said:

    “We’re thrilled to receive such praise for the Volvo XC40 and XC90, from not one but two prestigious awards bodies.

    “To triumph after a rigorous judging process is demonstrative of the quality and attention Volvo devotes to its models, making cars practical to own and use, all whilst staying desirable, luxurious, safe and sustainable.

    “For drivers in Swansea who are looking to learn more about the XC40 and XC90, FRF Volvo Swansea has models available to see first-hand and a friendly team of experts to answer any questions.”

    To find further information about the XC40 and XC90, visit frfvolvo.co.uk or call 01792 310999.

    #CaravanAndMotorhomeClub #FRFVolvo #hybridCar #motoring #towcarOfTheYear #VolvoXC90

  17. British #CarAccessories company #Carnoisseur from #Dunstable #Luton #England, established 1979, uploaded its sales catalogues from 1982 to 2013 to the #InternetArchive - a snapshot of #motoring #history in the #UK

    NB: some catalogues contain imagery considered sexist nowadays - British society became less prudish over the years, but not in the most inclusive way (not as if objectifying women was necessary to sell alloy wheels, but this did alas become part of #CarCulture especially in 90s and 00s)

    The company still exists today, but in a more downsized form (insurers are more ruthless about loading premiums for modified cars or refusing cover altogether, making this a less popular hobby

    #cars #WeirdCarMastodon

    archive.org/details/@carnoisse