If you are looking for _performance cars for sale then you might get a little bewildered by the choice and options currently available. Performance cars can range from a hot hatch to a Ferrari, of course there are some hot hatched out there that can give a Ferrari a good run for their money. Not all of us are lucky enough to own a performance car, even if we can buy one insuring and maintaining it is another story.

I have put together a small list of performance cars from either end of the budget spectrum, so there is something in there for almost everyone.

For my affordable buy I would have to go with the Renaultsport Clio, it’s a proper hot hatch with a lot of power and excellent handling. At around £16,000 it is also affordable and insurable, being a Renault it is fairly reasonable to maintain and service too.

The best driver’s car, voted by many industry leading publications is the Porsche Cayman. At £47K it isn’t cheap but it has excellent performance, ride and handling. For a high performance car it also has decent fuel efficiency.

For the top end of my price bracket I have chosen the Ferrari 458 Italia, at nearly £200k it definitely is not cheap. As it is a Ferrari servicing and maintenance will be very expensive; but it is so gorgeous and has scary performance.

Whether you go for the likes of the Renault or the Ferrari, owning a high performance car is a special experience. 

It’s been a fairly mild new year so far. Although as I sit writing in my office at home, I can hear the wind howling and the rain sheeting and I know it’s only going to get worse! Give me a bit of wind or rain any day though, compared with ice and snow. Driving in the rain can be dangerous, but in snow and ice it’s a whole different ballgame.

They don’t teach you how to drive in harsh conditions in your driving lessons. In fact, unless you know a very experienced driver who can give you some tips, how else would you ever know the do’s and don’ts?

Here are some I’ve put together, let’s hope we won’t need them this year though!

·         When you pull away, do so gently and progressively. If you slam your foot on the accelerator, you will lose traction and end up wheelspinning all over the place. This can cause loss of steering control in a front wheel drive car and oversteer in a rear wheel drive car.

·         If you do start wheelspinning, take your foot off the accelerator and then reapply gently.

·         Change gear sooner rather than later and if possible pull away in second gear. Always use the highest gear possible to reduce the chances of wheelspin.

·         Drive as smoothly as possible and don’t do any sudden braking or accelerating if you can avoid it.

·         Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front. It will take you a lot longer to brake in snow and ice; the car in front doesn’t want you to hit him any more than you do.

·         If your car has ABS, you will be able to feel if it has engaged by feeling a pulsing sensation in the brake pedal. If you feel it, do not pump the brake. Keep a firm pressure on it instead. ABS is there to help you to steer as you’re slowing down as locked brakes cannot steer. Use this to try and avoid possible collisions.

·         Get your car fitted with winter tyres, or at the very least have a winter service to make sure your car is ready to handle the harsh winter conditions.

Drivers with 4x4’s like Land Rover’s are able to cope much better in bad conditions. But even these must be drive and maintained carefully. Many dealerships offer Land Rover servicing, so make sure you get booked in as soon as possible.

Who said you can only travel when you are young and single? My neighbours are setting off on their travels with their 3 year old son, sounds crazy right? But they’ve decided to spend a year travelling as much as they can before the boy starts school and nursery. They have decided not to travel too far at the moment; they are going to set off on national trips around the UK in their Mitsubishi Outlander London.

The idea is that the short journeys will get the little guy ready for bigger journeys across the globe to America and Australia. To be honest I think there are lots to find out in the UK before you need to go overseas, and even then Europe has lots to offer before venturing further afield. Being a bit of a petrol head I’m quite intrigued by their choice of car, the outlander is not a common car so I decided to do some research, just for my own knowledge.

The second generation Outlander has been in production since 2005, it is a compact crossover based sports utility vehicle. It received four stars at the Euro NCAP car safety performance assessment programme. It comes with a choice of 2 diesel engines; both are 2.2 litre units with either 154 or 175 bhp.

As of last year Mitsubishi have been offering the Outlander in 2-wheel drive format, which is the first time since the model was launched in the UK. My neighbours have opted for the more powerful engine with 4-wheel drive, just to make sure they can handle all types of terrain. I have recommended they get a wrench fitted too, just in case they get stuck in a ditch or something. 

The BMW 1 series has been in production since 2004 it is a small family car available as a hatchback, coupe and convertible. The new model range was launched to act as an entry point for new consumers to enjoy BMW ownership. The 1 Series is based on the BMW 3 Series and shares many components and under pinning.

BMW has launched the 2012 model version of the 1 Series; it will be at UK dealerships in a few months. The new BMW 1 Series in Shropshire will initially come as a five door hatchback, followed by the three door, coupe and convertible models. Like the 5 Series GT the 1 Series will get a new 5 door hatchback version that has coupe like styling.

Once it goes on sale it will be available with a choice of 5 engines in total, the 1.6 litre petrol engine will be available with 136 or 170 bhp. The 2.0 litre diesel unit will come with a choice of 116, 143 or 184 bhp. Personally the larger diesel engine would be my choice, it provides the perfect balance between power and fuel economy.

The current model has just been given a boost with the announcement of new special edition trims for the coupe and convertible models. The “Edition Sport” gets an M body kit in exclusive Carbon Black metallic paint, along with double-spoke 17- or 18-inch M alloy wheels. On the inside there are more special touches such as seats in Pearl Grey with grey contrast stitching, or black with white stitching.

The “Edition Exclusive” gets small visual enhancements all around such as window surrounds in chrome, chrome exhaust tip covers, chrome grille and a range of 16-, 17-, and 18-inch alloys. Inside, the seats are finished in either Pearl Grey with grey contrast stitching, or black with white stitching.

I was really happy to hear that a new Rolls Royce showroom has opened in Paris, as I think everyone should be given the opportunity to have a great car like a Rolls Royce. I have had my Rolls Royce Ghost in West Midlands for a while, and it still runs like it did the first day I bought it

The new 300 square metre showroom has enough space for three Roll Royce vehicles, an espresso bar and customer configuration lounge. In the article about the showroom it said the showroom is design to be very modern to attract many new customers.

Rolls Royce has commissioned a number of collaborations with leaders of the art and fashion worlds to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Spirit of Ecstasy. Photographer Rankin is capturing 100 images inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine from the Rankin: Spirit of Ecstasy collection, which was shown at the showroom opening.

There was a comment made by Torsten Muller-Otvos, who said: "Paris is a global capital of style and fine living. I am delighted to see the new French home of Rolls Royce in the heart of Paris, which complements the unique mood of the city, as well as the core values of our company."

Also a comment by Eric Neubauer, Dealer Principal of Rolls Royce Motor Cars Paris, who said: "The investment in our new showroom underpins our successful business partnership with Rolls Royce in France. Working with our architects we were keen to create an atmosphere befitting the Spirit of Ecstasy, as we celebrate the centenary of this famous figurine."

The Skoda Superb is the Czech can manufacturer’s flagship model; it is a full size family car. Skoda has been producing the modern version of the Superb since 2001; it is based on a stretch out version of the Volkswagen Passat. Skoda utilise a lot of components and power trains from parent company Volkswagen to build the Superb.

The current version of the Superb has been around since 2008, this particular model uses the Skoda Octavia platform that has been stretched. The new car is described as a five-door five-seat liftback saloon, with an innovative tailgate that can double as a regular separate saloon boot, and full liftback, known as 'Twin-Door'. The Superb also comes as a 5 door estate.

There are seven engines to choose from, four being petrol and three being diesel. The petrol range starts off with a small yet powerful 1.4 litre TSI that has 123 bhp, followed by a 1.8 litre TSI with 158 bhp and then there is a 2.0 litre TSI with 197 bhp. The largest petrol engine is the 3.6 FSI that’s comes in the VR6 model, it has 256 bhp. The diesel range kicks off with a 1.6 litre TDI that has 103 bhp, followed by a 2.0 litre with either 138 or 168 bhp.

The Skoda Superb in Oxfordshire has created quite a name for itself, it has won numerous awards since its launch and been recognised by respected enthusiast clubs. The latest award by an enthusiast magazine is the 2012 Tow Car of the Year award by the Caravan Club. It was also named Best Estate Car 2011 by Diesel Car Magazine.

The Editor of Diesel Car magazine said, "The big Czech is our favourite estate because it shows emphatically just how clever car packaging can be. It superbly marries nimble road manners, robust performance and great value for money with one of the biggest boots and largest cargo bays around."

German car maker Audi has been producing the A6 model since 1994; it is currently in its fourth generation of production. The current model went on sale last year and is available as a saloon and estate (Avant). When it was introduced in 1994 it replaced the Audi 100 as an executive saloon car, the 2011 model has followed that.

Most of the UK models will be sold as diesel models; customers will have a choice of a 2.0 litre unit with 175 bhp and a 3.0 litre unit with either 201 or 242 bhp. For petrol enthusiasts it will be available as a 2.8 litre petrol with near enough 300 bhp!

Being an Audi means that the A6 is packed with the latest and most innovative technology. The new Audi A6 in Surrey comes with all the gadgets from the new A8 with the addition of a head-up display and Active Lane Assist. It also features an optional full-LED head lighting system.

The S6 has become a very popular high performance Audi, in the new generation this is rumoured to be available only as an estate (Avant). All previous generation S6 models have been mainly sold in the Avant body style so this was expected.

The Audi S6 Avant is rumoured to get the single-turbo version of the new engine, with an output around 440bhp. A twin-turbo version with around 555bhp is believed to be reserved for the RS6 version but will be seen first in a new entry-level Bentley Continental GT V8.

Along with the S6 Audi may very well reveal the S7 and S8, the high performance versions of the new A7 and new A8. This will complete the S Range line up for Audi; all Saloon and hatchback models will have a high performance derivative.

New Volkswagen Beetle for 2012

I really like my Volkswagen Beetle, but I’ve had it for so long now that it feels really old. So I have decided that it’s time to buy a new car but I won’t change the car brand or the model, as I have chosen the new Volkswagen Beetle for sale.

Volkswagen dealerships in the UK are currently taking orders of the new Volkswagen Beetle, which is expected to be delivered in spring 2012. I don’t mind the waiting for the new car, as I believe my old car still has life in it to go on for a little longer.

The new Volkswagen Beetle is available in three trim levels, Beetle, Design and Sport and will initially be available in two engines, a 1.2 litre TSI 105PS with a seven speed DSG transmission and a 1.4 litre 160PS TSI with a six speed manual gearbox, the prices are:

·         The 1.2 litre is available in Beetle or Design trim from £16,590

·         The 1.4 litre is available in Design or Sport trim from £19,470

Later on this year, three other engines are expected to be added, a 1.6-litre TDI BlueMotion Technology 105 PS, 2.0-litre TDI 140 PS and 2.0-litre TSI 200 PS alongside an optional six speed manual gearbox for the 1.2 litre TSI model.

I have decided to go for the top of the range Volkswagen Beetle Sport, which comes with air conditioning, remote central locking, an RCD 310 CD system with DAB radio, 18 inch alloy wheels in two styles, tinted glass, cruise control, sports seats, parking sensors, gloss black door mirrors, dashboard and door panel and 2Zone electronic climate control.