How to Feel Like a Formula 1 Driver for Under $300

Only elite racing drivers get to experience - routinely - three or four Gs. The rest of us can only dream … or maybe not. The video above is - quite possibly - insane. Pathalogically. Crazy. But cool. But definitely crazy. It’s one of the most profoundly comfort-zone obliterating experiences you’ll ever have.

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John CadoganComment
Where is my New Car Really Made?

It's very hard to know where any car is really made. It's easy to presume, and be dead wrong. In practise, the car industry does not want you to know. And yeah; it matters. We've got allegedly German cars built in South Africa, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic and Spain. So-called Japanese cars that come from 'Straya, the UK, India and Thailand.We’ve got notionally American cars coming from Mexico and Canada, and allegedly South Korean cars coming from the Czech Republic and India. There are even French cars coming from South Korea, and Italian cars from Poland. It’s a multi-cultural motoring mish-mash, and the car industry really doesn't want you to think too hard about it. Not on the cusp of writing that big, fat cheque. Especially ze Chermans.

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Mercedes-Benz Crash Repair & Insurance Counterfeit Parts Ripoff

Mercedes-Benz took a potshot at free-market competition recently, firing a gravity bomb into insurers, but what they’re really doing is trying to engineer a monopoly, so they can rip you off, with impunity, until the end of time. Mercedes-Benz even calls them "counterfeit" parts - framing the debate conveniently as if alternative suppliers of parts are in some way criminals, or perhaps black marketeers. In fact, what they are, are direct marketplace competitors.

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John CadoganComment
Should My Steering Pull to the Left?

I have had a few wheel alignments and I feel the car is still pulling to the left. Some mechanics say it's supposed to pull to the left for safety reasons-if one falls asleep at the wheel it won't veer onto on-coming traffic. Is that right? It seems to be worse on some roads more than others. It's a 2011 Hyundai i30.

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Servicing & New Car Warranty Explained

You can save hundreds of dollars if you get your car serviced by an independent mechanic. And your new-car warranty absolutely will survive. Here’s everything you need to know to save the cash and keep your warranty intact.  According to the ACCC, provided you comply with three sensible conditions, your warranty will survive. Unfortunately, though, many car owners just don’t understand the rules of this game. 

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How Do I Repair a Faulty Mercedes-Benz ECU?

To rectify this fault, I have been informed that a new module will cost in excess of $3000!!! I have also been informed that a second hand unit will not suffice, because the module is suitable for a single vehicle use only. As I understand it, if a used module is simply transferred from one car to another, the computer becomes "confused" and it will not run at all. John, may I ask if this scenario sounds reasonable to you?

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How Do I Replace My Yaw Sensor?

I hope you can help. The VSA indicater light on my (wide bodied) Honda Accord instrument panel is on constantly. A Honda dealer did the normal "diagnostic " check and quoted $1300 for a new yaw sensor. I rang a wrecking yard and was told they had the right model and the sensor would cost me $200 - except they couldn't find where it was.

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John CadoganComment
Should I Buy a Citroen?

French carmaker Citroen is a very small player in Australia on the Australian automotive landscape – just 1500 sales annually. That’s less than 0.2 per cent of total vehicles sold. So: who would actually want one? I taste tested the top three cars in the range to find out

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