Gadgets
Hot Hatches for Summer 2013
The love affair with the hot hatch is somewhat strange. You have those that would happily drive a hot hatchback from the day they leave the test centre to the day they die and those, who see them as an unfortunate stepping stone before they get their filthy little fingers on Daddy’s M5.
We personally love them. What can you not love about them? If you are under 30 with no kids, no caravans and don’t need to get rid of a body wrapped up in a carpet, why would you choose anything else? Better fuel efficiency, lower insurance premiums, lower road tax bands, cheap repairs and easy to mod. Sold. 2013 will see a number of old models getting a face lift and an influx of new models all ready to battle for your attention and that inheritance your loving grandparents left for you. Now here is where you should blow it. Look out for a comprehensive review of hot hatches in our launch issue.
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Volkswagon Golf GTI MK7
If you are the first person to leave your local VW showroom with the MK7 this summer, understand this. Your celebrity status will be short-lived. Yes, you will be looked upon like Messi about to take a penalty in the 95th minute against Real Madrid in the Copa Del Rey final but, so will everybody else in that long line of VW enthusiasts stretching out the doors.
This is not going to be an issue as you will now be the proud and ever so slightly smug owner of the iconic Golf GTI. Available from Summer, the lastest version will come with a new 2.0 litre turbo petrol engine offering two different power outputs of 217bhp and 227bhp.
The 217bhp engine will be the standard version of the new model allowing you to go from 0-62mph in a reported 6.6sec. The Q’s of Volkswagon have fitted in a new steering system that will be lighter while manoeuvring at speed. Not stopping there, the 227bhp version of the GTi comes with its own upgrades that include bigger brakes and a totally new differential. All in all, a good effort from VW. Prices will be around £26,000 and you can start bothering your local salesman around April/May.
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Ford Fiesta ST
Your dad owned one. His dad probably owned one and if you could afford them one day, your kids will likely own one. Now in its seventh generation, Ford’s Fiesta is older than our decrepit Editor but the big difference between the two is that the Fiesta is loved, popular and got a handful of fans. One thing they do have in common is that they are both known for living on past glories. This is about to change – well at least for the Fiesta.
The latest Fiesta comes with in a variety of engines sizes including the 1.25 (in two power outputs), 1.4 and 1.6 petrols and 1.4 and 1.6 diesels. Trim levels are the familiar Studio, Edge, Zetec and Titanium, all of which are available on the in three or five-door models. We are however only interested in the ones that Gooooooooooooooo!
At just £16,995, Ford’s junior hot hatch already looks like a bargain with its considerable price advantage over rivals such as the Mini Cooper S and Vauxhall Corsa VXR which we have reviewed in our April issue alongside the upcoming Peugeot 208 GTi and Renaultsport Clio 200. Although it’s based on the humble Fiesta, you’ll have no problem identifying it as the ST fills your rear-view mirror – thanks to its distinctive black mesh grille and scarlet ST logo. Equally, its chunkier bumpers, rear diffuser, 17-inch alloys and lowered suspension all help to mark out this range-topping Fiesta from lesser models.
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A High Wycombe Monopoly board is about to become a thing as the makers of the popular family game Hasbro announced that High Wycombe would be joining the likes London, Atlantic City and Westeros with its own version of the classic board game.
The High Wycombe Edition of the world’s most popular board game will hit the shops later around October. This will ensure residents of High Wycombe would be able to get theirs in time for Christmas.
But before then, High Wycombe BID are inviting you to submit your suggestions as to which High Wycombe landmarks, like The Guildhall, Red Lion Statue etc, should get to land on the classic Monopoly address like Mayfair and Park Lane.
High Wycombe Monopoly contenders
For the next week, we are going to leave this High Wycombe poll open to discover what residents think. Which High Wycombe destination do YOU believe deserves a monopoly spot?
[forminator_poll id=”81953″]If you haven’t already, please do take a moment to submit suggestions for which iconic landmarks you’d like to see included in the final game. Email your ideas over to wycombe@winningmoves.co.uk before the voting closes on the 28 February. You can also check out the High Wycombe Monopoly Facebook page.
When we do reviews, we tend not to go back but we thought we should for the V1ce Card given that we gave the business cards such a positive review. Our previous V1ce card review focused purely on the design and functionality of the card themselves. We have been using our cards for over a year and with news of a new interface and price changes, we felt it would be good to create the V1ce card review one year on.
V1ce card Prices
When we did our first V1ce card review, the entry card was the V1CE One Card is currently price at £25.00. The next card in the range wass the V1CE Transparent One Card and this was also priced at £25.00. The Walnut Bamboo ECO One Card was £39.99.
The Vice One card is now called the Add Your Name card and the price is £25. The V1CE Transparent One Card has been removed from the range and replace with a new selection of cards that include the Blue PVC One Card and the Red PVC One Card.
We reviewed the Walnut Bamboo ECO One Card which was £39.99. The price has remained the same but a new selection has been introduced which include:-
- Bamboo ECO One Card – £39.99
- Black Bamboo ECO One Card – £49.99
- Sapele Bamboo ECO One Card – £39.99
- Cherry Bamboo ECO One Card – £39.99
V1ce interface
In our first review, we didn’t show or talk about the interface in which you setup your Vice card. All your V1ce card settings are managed here. We haven’t beta tested the V1ce V2 interface but it looks visually better than the first already. We will do a comprehensive review and update on the new additions and bug fixes
V1ce card durability
We haven’t noticed any issues with readability and the cards we ordered have kept their appearance despite heavy use. No warping or loss of colour in the print. Aside from some scratches on the Metal Hybrid Card caused by a too many debit cards in a Secrid wallet. There are new style cards and new accessories in the range which you can view at v1ce.co.uk.
V1ce card discount codes
At the present moment, we don’t have any V1ce card discount codes but you could try using “TrendLife” in your checkout. Visit v1ce.co.uk to see what you can save.
This week, on Saturday 12th November, Danish audio specialists, Bang & Olufsen, will open the doors to its latest boutique store at Bicester Village, the UK’s luxury open-air shopping destination. Joining a collection of over 160 leading global brands, the company aims to make the store a renowned shopping destination for the finest audio products on the market.
The Bang & Olufsen team has worked tirelessly over the recent months to ensure that the store will open with the very latest store concept, whilst adhering to the government guidelines put in place for retail in the wake of the recent COVID-19 lockdown. Upon entering the store, the distinctive interior is synonymous with the brand’s heritage and the aesthetic embodies Bang & Olufsen’s timeless Danish design philosophy – a sanctuary for any shopper.
Bang & Olufsen has been pioneering audio and video innovations since 1925 and has always had a strong presence across the UK. This latest store opening shows yet further commitment to providing customers with the opportunity to see, hear and feel the company’s iconic products.
“We are delighted to share the news of our new store in the year where we celebrate the brand’s 95th anniversary. The UK is one of our six core markets and strategically important for our growth strategy, and opening this new store indicates our ambition to continue to strengthen our presence, also in psychical retail, and further improve the experience for our UK customers,” says Scott Anderson, Director UK & Ireland at Bang & Olufsen.
We believe in providing interactive and memorable experiences for customers shopping for high-end audio and televisions. To do so effectively, we are committed to delivering these ingredients across both digital and physical environments. Customers are able to research our products on the Bicester Village website, place orders via the virtual shopping service and visit us in-store ” says Anderson.
James Simons, Head of Retail UK & Ireland at Bang & Olufsen adds, “Online has changed the retail landscape no question, but we believe an omnichannel approach is key to delivering the best customer experience. Customers will want to see our distinctive designs, immerse themselves with superior sound performance and feel the rich materials that set our products apart, with expert guidance on hand to help them with their requirements.”
Bang & Olufsen welcomes shoppers to their new store in Bicester Village. The doors will officially open at 09:00 on the 12th December 2020 and customers are invited in on the opening day to explore the new store and collect a complimentary memento.
In the first week of opening, all visitors to the store will be in with a chance to win the award winning Beoplay H9 active noise cancelling headphones. To enter, visitors will simply need to register their interest in receiving news and information about forthcoming product launches and events.
