Michael McAleeranswers your questions
From Stiofán Ó Dálaigh:
At the risk of being pedantic, but in the spirit of the IT's distinguished position of Ireland's newspaper of record, I have to say the Motors supplement has been very unkind to the poor undeserving VW Corrado.
On a number of occasions I have seen the Corrado name lumbered with the rather judgmental "short-lived" tag, which is rather unfair - especially since the Corrado was not produced from 1992 to 1996 as had been repeatedly reported in Motors, but from 1988 to 1995. By today's standards, this is quite a healthy run of seven years.
The Corrado had been intended as a replacement for the Scirocco II, but demand for the Scirocco was such that both cars were built together by Karmann for some four years.
The demise of the Scirocco in 1992 coincided with the end of the Supercharged 1.8 G60 in the Corrado, but it also heralded the introduction of the 2.0 16V and the acclaimed narrow-angle VR6, which was fitted to the Corrado in a 2.9-litre capacity. With no obvious successor, the Corrado was shelved by VW in 1995, leaving the Golf Cabrio the only VW in Karmann's hands at the time. So while the Corrado may be criticised as being underpowered given its substantial weight (especially in 1.8 and 2.0 16V guises) and for using a few too many bland Passat components from the VW parts bin for what was supposed to be an exclusive coupé, it certainly wasn't short-lived.
Stiofán, you are correct and we were wrong. Apologies for that. The Corrado was built in 1988. In editing the piece back, we dropped a reference to the initial variant from 1988.
The last model to be introduced was in 1995 as a 2-litre, which was sold into 1996. Let's hope the new Scirocco doesn't fall foul of the same tendency to raid the parts bin from other models, though it is a trend within the VW Group.
From David Walsh:
I understand that clamping on private property is not governed by regulation; whereas a parking fee is acceptable and I presume can be regarded as an agreed contract when one parks. Does the owner have the same justification in law to clamp and then charge for removal? In other words, can it be assumed that if I enter such a park and clamping fees are displayed, that I am accepting the owner's right to penalise me if I overstay?
Private car parks are not governed by regulation and, as you say, it is a contract entered into by the owners of the property and the person. Unfortunately, it does seem as if the owners of the land do have the right to clamp you, provided they have adequate notice to this effect on display within the grounds. There is not only a lack of regulation in this regard in Ireland, but the clampers involved are not subject to the same regulation they are in Britain, where they must be licensed by the Security Industry Authority (SIA).
No such body exists in Ireland. Given the increasing number of privately operated car parks, it is really time that the Government regulated both the rates and the penalties.
From T Kirrane:
If the Government is about to introduce new CO2 emissions taxation for cars, am I best to wait or buy now? I'm thinking of a 2-litre BMW 3-Series. It all seems very unclear at present. and the advice changes depending on who I talk to.
We are not in a position to speculate on the Government's tax policies on new cars as yet, but it's likely that the new regime will not come in until later in the new year. The good news is that the 2-litre engines in the 3-Series range are either 140g/km or 146g/km, so they are unlikely to be unduly punished by the new legislation as they are close to the industry targets set out by the European Commission some months ago.
That may mean a saving if you wait, but so far it's still unclear. I would suggest that you wait until after the budget before making any decision, and then move quickly, depending on which way the Government decides. It also depends on how long you intend to hold the car for. After a few years, any potential difference will represent a minor percentage in the resale value.
Your dilemma highlights the problem faced by many car owners seeking to buy a new car in the coming months. Prevarication by the Department of Finance over which new system to adopt is causing confusion and uncertainty in the market, something that the Government should be seeking to avoid.
Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara Street, Dublin 2, or e-mail motorshelp@irish-times.ie