the original Fuzzbuster 2, was actually and Escort in disguise

Car and Driver magazine noticed in 1979 that the Fuzzbuster 2 worked identically to the best radar detector on the market that year, the Escort, made by Cincinnati Electronics. So they opened one up, and found an Escort inside it.

Mentioned in the 60th anniversary issue of Car and Driver, page 90

FYI, there is an online Radar Detector Museum http://www.radardetectormuseum.com/




Ezra Dyer's recent column in Car and Driver excerpt

Ezra Dyer's recent column in Car and Driver excerpt

Some assignments damn near killed me, but they're now part of the lore. And a lot of them just came out of idle bluster, like:" Whats the world record distance for a limo jump? I'll bet I could beat it"
Next thing you know you're in Tallahassee wearing a prom dress.

Some of the ideas didn't pan out, but we've never lacked ambition. I look on the bright side with these things. Where some see an expensive Mercedes that's totally submerged in salt water, I see a marine habitat. Sure, that's not how Sea World looked at it, but they learned an important lesson about signage. And believe me, I caught an earful about that one.

Car and Driver Magazine, Ezra Dyers column, the 60th Anniversary issue, July 2015

Happy Christmas from Life On Cars

AS a special Christmas treat for everyone who enjoys Life On Cars and its coverage of motoring news, reviews and events I'm happy to share this, a magazine looking back at some of the automotive highlights of 2012.

Not only is it the moment when I finally get to announce what my favourite car of 2012 is but it's also a chance to look back at some of the best bits of a cracking year for car enthusiasts, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've agonised over which events and cars deserve a second look in the 20 pages of this rather special edition of the magazine.

If you're bored of your presents already or you've had a little too much wine and turkey, then sit back and enjoy this Car of the Year edition of the Life On Cars Magazine.

Merry Christmas!


Get ready for Christmas with our Car of the Year magazine

IT'S nearly that time of year again. Yep, the bit when a special festive edition of the Life On Cars magazine arrives.

As usual, it's a bit of a rundown of some of the best bits of 2012, including the not-at-all-prestigious announcement of what the best car Life On Cars has driven over the past few months is.

There have been dozens of great new cars this year, but to be in with a chance of being named Car of The Year it'll have to be at least as good as the current Ford Fiesta, the Honda CR-Z and the Citroen DS3 Racing (the winners in 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively). Even though I can only show you the cover at the moment, so far the signs are looking very good.

You can also catch up on all the old magazines - including the 2010 and 2011 Christmas specials and the current edition - by visiting the Magazines section of this blog.

The new edition will be in ready in time for Christmas...

Life On Cars Magazine issue twelve!

IT'S back!

If the miserable weather and the clocks going back is giving you the winter blues, then the latest edition of the Life On Cars magazine should help to brighten your spirits.

  • Among the highlights of the November 2012 issue are:

  • A look at the Paris Motorshow stars conceived, designed and manufactured in Britain

  • A six page special looking back at some of the best shows across the North West this year

  • What Life On Cars thinks of the long-awaited Toyota GT-86

  • Driving thrills in North Wales with a trio of very different drivers' cars

  • The latest news and reviews

Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed making it...



2012 Ormskirk MotorFest - Read the official magazine here!


IF YOU'RE looking forward to this year's Ormskirk MotorFest then has Life On Cars got a treat for you!

For the second year running I've been given the green light to team up with Aintree Circuit Club, the event's organisers, and produce the only magazine which has their official backing, and it's packed full of news, features and information all about the motorsport-themed event on August 26.

More than twice as long as previous Life On Cars magazines, it's a delve behind the scenes of the full throttle event taking place in Ormskirk on the Bank Holiday Sunday which I hope you'll enjoy reading as much as I've enjoyed creating.

See you there...



P.S: If you missed the chance to read the official magazine on last year's show you can check it out here.

Life On Cars: The Champion motoring roadtest directory

THOSE of you who have been following Life On Cars for the past few years will probably have worked out it's about motoring by now.

Driving cars - and more importantly, writing about them - is what this blog's always been about, and it's always heartening to see from the number of hits that people do read it and enjoy it. Which is why, in a tradition started way back in 2010, I've always liked to give something back by creating special, online-only magazines packed with features, reviews and test drives.

This isn't one of them.

There will be no tenth issue of the imaginatively-titled Life On Cars magazine but what I've got instead is something I use to show the car makers, the PR people and the SMMT that all my test drives do actually make it into print - what I call the Champion motoring roadtest directory.

Readers familiar with the motoring pages of The Champion will be familiar with its pages but for those of you who don't live in Sefton and West Lancashire - which I know is a lot of you - it's possibly the first time you'll get to see a range of test drives and Life On Cars pieces as they've appeared in print. Covering everything from the Alfa Giulietta to the Volkswagen Polo GTI, it's an exhaustive look at almost all the cars I've driven over the past year.

Of course, Life On Cars is about more than just test drives and there's all sorts of stories and reviews on the way, including I hope, for the first time ever, coverage of the simply colossal Cholmondeley Pageant of Power later this month. If it's got horsepower and at least three wheels involved, it ticks all the right boxes in my book!

Until then however, feel free to see how a whole raft of cars fared when they got The Champion roadtest treatment...


Life On Cars Magazine Issue Nine!


THE LATEST edition of the Life On Cars magazine is ready!

As ever it's packed with motoring features and news aplenty - including a round up of some of the stars of this year's Geneva Motorshow - and a look at two very different British sports cars.

Hope you enjoy it...


A new magazine on the way



EAGLE-eyed readers will have already seen that work is underway on a new issue of the web magazine.

It's been a while - last Christmas, in fact - since the last issue came out, but with the weather getting a bit warmer and all sorts of interesting cars coming out of hibernation it's probably the right time to look into some great motoring stories in a bit more depth, not least the mad Morgan Threewheeler I got a taste of couple of weeks ago.

Watch this space...

Merry Christmas from Life On Cars


AS a special festive treat for both our readers a Christmas edition of the Life On Cars magazine to choose the car of the year is finally ready!

This bumper 20-page edition not only looks back at some of the best new cars, but memorable events, roads and shows from across the north west and further afield. Car and bike nuts are already looking forward to a great 2012, and Life On Cars is looking forward to reflecting that, but if you just can't wait until then put your Christmas turkey down and take a look back at some of the motoring highlights of 2011.

Sit back and enjoy the read...



A Christmas gift for all you readers


CHANCES are if you're a car fan you'll like this a bit more than Mistletoe and Wine.

Yes, the not-at-all-prestigious Life On Cars Car of the Year Award is back, and as usual it comes gift-wrapped in a Christmas special edition magazine. With so many great cars launched this year it's been a right old nightmare trying to pick a favourite, but after a lot of agonising I've finally picked a winner which I reckon is just as impressive as Honda's CR-Z was this time last year.

If you liked the effort I came up with last Christmas then you'll be pleased to know all the additional awards - best road, best event, and so on - are all back as well, in what should be an enjoyable read once you've polished off your pigs in blankets and got tired of eating turkey.

The new edition will be ready in time for Christmas. Hope you like it...

Life On Cars, Issue Seven!



THE LATEST edition of the Life On Cars magazine is ready!

Packed with the latest motoring reviews, news and features, it's an edition with winter in mind, and there's plenty behind the snowy cover to keep you entertained as the nights draw in.

Enjoy the read and let us know what you think...


Life On Cars: the next issue


EAGLE-eyed readers might have already spotted that the Ferrari Enzo on this very blog is now a brand new Skoda.

That's because there's a new issue of the Life On Cars Magazine on the way, and this rather wintry cover is all I can offer as a bit of a sneak preview. The finished product should be ready to read in the next couple of days.

Hope you're looking forward to it...

The older editions, including the Ormskirk MotorFest preview edition, can still be read by clicking here.

Life On Cars: The official Ormskirk MotorFest magazine



A FERRARI Enzo owned by none other than rock legend Rod Stewart is one of the many glorious machines taking part in the Ormskirk MotorFest on August 28.



You can find out all about in the latest edition of the Life On Cars Magazine, which is given over entirely to the event and is officially backed by Aintree Circuit Club, the show's organisers.



Enjoy...











Coming soon....



THERE'S another issue of the Life On Cars Magazine on the way, and this time it's something a bit special.



Not only is the sixth issue given over entirely to the Ormskirk Motorfest, taking place on August 28, but it's a publication that's got the official backing of the event's organisers. Life On Cars has been given the behind-the-scenes look at one of the north west's most exciting motoring events, and in this new publication you'll be able to find out all about it.



Regular readers will also spot that the magazine's been given a bit of a revamp, to keep it fresh and full of ideas, which I hope you'll enjoy when it's launched in the next couple of days.



Watch this space...