Many of us at one point or another have experienced that 'new automobile smell' and many of you reading this will soon be collecting a new automobile from your local dealer. Relish that first drive home regardless of what it is. But when you're going to be collecting something that little bit more special, shouldn't the process of collection reflect that too? Audi thinks it should, which is why it allows buyers to go to Germany to collect their automobile. We travelled to Neckarsulm to see what the process involves while collecting Audi Ireland's new RS 3 Sportback.

The Audi…

If small is beautiful then a Kei automobile must be the most beautiful thing of all, because frankly, I've seen smaller suitcases. Kei automobiles are tiny automobiles, vans and even roadsters built to the specific Kei regulations of Japan, which were originally put in place to promote the use of small, affordable and economical automobiles that wouldn't take up as much space on Japan's crowded roads. While Tokyo traffic hasn't exactly been fixed by the Kei rules, they have led to some staggering feats of motorised ingenuity as automobile makers look for ways to make the most of the regulations.

Have you got a automobile nut to buy for this Christmas? Well then, you've come to the right place, as we have some great gift ideas that are sure to please even the fussiest of automobile lovers.

First off, petrolheads are an easy bunch to shop for, as they are usually pleased with anything that gives them another reason to spend time with their beloved motors. Take for example a automobile cleaning kit. Ok, so cleaning kits are a bit predictable and dull but they are useful. Pertrolheads like to spend hours making sure their motors are the cleanest and…

I can still remember it, with the clarity of yesterday even though 22 years have passed since then. It was the baking hot spring of 1994 and, when I should have been busy studying for my Leaving Cert, I was instead perched in a hedgerow somewhere near Killarney. In front of me was a painted white line across the road and in my hands was a timing box - an electronic stopwatch to be triggered as the automobiles competing in the Rally of the Lakes passed in front of me.

From out of the heat shimmer somewhere off to my…

asked 425 Irish male and female motorists about their driving habits and what they get up to behind the wheel of their automobile. Here are just some of the findings.

It is no surprise that, as a nation of music lovers, nearly 85 per cent of respondents said they sing during journeys and that, when listening to the radio, Irish drivers prefer local and independent stations including Spin 103.8, Newstalk, FM 104 and Radio NOVA.

Of those surveyed, 67 per cent said they drive 'most safely' when listening to quiet music, while…

Why is it such a shock? I've seen so many emails, messages and tweets from people this past few weeks saying that they'll never trust a automobile maker again, or that they'll always be sceptical of what the industry tells them. Volkswagen's exam cheating seems to have raised a level of ire that I find a touch baffling. After all, when you take a group of highly educated, talented and clever engineers and marketing people and give them a set of rules to work to, why are we surprised and shocked that they start looking for loopholes and work-arounds? Volkswagen's…