DON’T BLAME THE MOTORIST

The point made by Joseph Dunn (Motormouth, March 16), that UK motorists are unfairly targeted by Alistair Darling as big CO2 polluters, is even more accurate than he may realise. Dunn highlighted the fact that road transport accounts for 26% of total UK CO2 emissions, but did not say that private motorists account for just 9% of that figure, making the extra tax burden even more unsavoury.

Naturally our government chooses to ignore a more important cause of global warming – burning of tropical rainforests in South America – preferring instead to blame UK motorists for the minuscule impact they have on climate change, in order to raise even more “green” taxes from an already hard-pressed section of society. Kevin O’Sullivan, Halstead, Essex

BUY A BMW, KEN

So it turns out that in the “real world” (Oh Mr Prius, it seems you’re quite the little gas-guzzler, March 16) the legendary fuel consumption of the Toyota Prius is precisely that - mythical. Is anyone surprised? Sell your Prius, Mr Livingstone, and buy a BMW - you’ll save money! David Simmons, west London

TYRE WARNING

I believe I may have discovered why the original tyres on a new car seem to last longer than replacements. I had always assumed that the reason was the wear in suspension and steering parts but I now find it may be a deliberate ploy by tyre makers.

Last week I had new tyres fitted to the front wheels of my Ford Ranger. By coincidence I had a service done the following day. My Ford agent gives feedback on various items, including tyre wear. The tread on my one-day-old tyres was 10mm, while the tread on the remaining tyres was 8mm. The spare, which has never been fitted, had 13mm. The new tyres were from the same manufacturer although with a slightly different tread pattern. Are we all being ripped off to the tune of 3mm on each replacement tyre we buy? Peter Waite, Thurnham, Kent

SPICY CAYENNE

I can’t imagine why Jeremy Clarkson thinks the Porsche Cayenne GTS is “ugly as sin” (Lovely to drive, awful to live with, last week). He admires its performance, its handling and its build standard. Compared with a Range Rover, which he acknowledges is about the same size, the Cayenne has curves. So has a temptress and I thought Clarkson liked sin.

The Cayenne’s styling is synonymous with the Porsche range, and unlike most other SUVs still turns heads wherever I go in Europe. In France, where beauty is much admired, I return to find admirers of my parked Cayenne, and taxi drivers ask me what it’s like to drive - formidable, of course. If this is sin, I am a sinner, although being informed at the recent GTS launch party that the Cayenne is the favoured transport of the Russian mafia is a dubious accolade. There again, robbers in films always drive the best cars. Geoff Chapman, Royston, Hertfordshire

BICYCLE HERO

We were impressed with Kate Spicer’s Australian dotcom date (Backpedaller, last week). Apart from pumping up her tyres, which we thought was divine, he let her ride on the inside and so protected her from traffic. Please reveal his e-mail address. Pamela Meredith and girlfriends, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex

DIESEL PRICE HIKE

About 18 months ago diesel fuel was 1p cheaper per litre than unleaded petrol in my area. Currently it is 6p dearer. I would like to know why. A friend living in France tells me that diesel is nine cents cheaper than unleaded petrol. There could be a number of reasons relating to the fuel duty in both countries causing this. Yet my inclination is to believe that this is a case of petrol companies ripping off Britain, with a government that stands by and lets them do it. What is the answer? Peter Martin, Swanland, East Yorkshire

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