Drive

Can we master driving Bentley's continuation Blower in a morning? Can we get fast-food? Stay classy, TG. Jack Rix. Published: 30 Oct 2022.

We set off and my first attempt at first to second is a crunchy but ultimately successful affair, second to third a fraction smoother, and third down to second as we approach a tightening right hander a flailing mess of mistimed throttle application and heaving at the wheel – my first taste of just how heavy and low-geared the steering is. Which is why tiny victories – a slick downshift or a smooth three-point turn – have me punching the air and whooping like a fool. No matter, because I’m finding gears and making progress and absorbing the most important lesson for driving a Blower – planning ahead is everything. I proceed to Laguna Seca and hop in next to Hallmark, who’s driving first. The result I fully intend to get framed. You pull away in first as you would in any manual car – lifting the clutch to find the biting point, sparing on the throttle and you’re away. Which is why I’m up with the pelicans, for a crash course in how to pilot a 100-year-old motor car. Each shift up or down the synchro-free four-speed gearbox requires a dip of the clutch to visit neutral, then another dip to select the next gear. I’m concentrating furiously, but still fear the majority of this has whistled in then straight out of my brain. This is not that car, this is Car Zero, the development prototype for a run of 12 continuation cars announced back in 2019, costing £1.5m each. Mike drives first, calmly explaining that the throttle and brake have swapped positions and that the brakes aren’t so much stoppers as gentle decelerators, before launching into the principles of double declutching. Occupying the higher ground, enormous showboat mansions battle it out for the best view.

Kia Australia has stopped taking orders for its turbo Rio GT-Line city car, as it works to clear six to 12 months of backorders amid low supply of its ...

The cheapest Kia available with the 1.0-litre turbo engine is the Stonic GT-Line, at $32,190 drive-away. A date for this is yet to be locked in. Existing orders will be fulfilled.

Australia's leading motoring news and reviews website Drive.com.au – owned by Nine – has appointed respected creative powerhouse Tim Flattery as Drive's new ...

Tim Flattery said: “Drive is already Australia’s leading auto editorial publisher staffed by the most talented and passionate journalists and technologists I’ve met. It’s an honour to be chosen to lead the creative vision for brand content for business.” Tim’s experience in bringing innovative content to life across all media platforms will further lift Drive’s service offering to the automotive industry.”

Inside Higher Ed is today publishing a new report exploring how and why some colleges and universities collect and use the perspectives and opinions of ...

A copy of the report can be downloaded [here](https://www.insidehighered.com/content/collecting-student-perspectives-drive-supports). Eastern, Inside Higher Ed’s editors will conduct a free webcast to discuss the themes of this report. [“Collecting Student Perspectives to Drive Supports,”](https://www.insidehighered.com/content/collecting-student-perspectives-drive-supports) draws from numerous surveys of students conducted in 2022 as part of Inside Higher Ed’s Student Voice news hub.

Every two months, this site sends out an appeal for donations, which can be made through the “become a supporter” buttons at the top of the page and the ...

[election guides](https://www.pollbludger.net/vic2022), for the looming Victorian state election on November 26. [latest developments ahead of the New South Wales election in March](https://www.pollbludger.net/2022/10/30/new-south-wales-election-minus-five-months); Things I’ve done to deserve it lately include publishing one of the site’s famous