Calculating loan affordability – what lenders think about?

When considering loan affordability, it’s important for borrowers to establish how much of the loan they can afford.

Most will do this with the help of a loan calculator. Such a tool is readily available online and is extremely easy to use. When you apply for a loan, the lender has the final say when it comes to actually paying out. Most will use different factors when it comes to helping them decide whether you pose as a risk, read on to discover what these are:

How much can you afford to borrow?

An online loan calculator is a great asset to those wishing to answer the question ‘how much can I afford to borrow?’ Such a tool will reveal the payment amount, the number of payments over a certain period of time and the interest rate. Many forget about the latter, which can cause huge problems in the future.

Will a calculator tell me if I qualify for a loan?

A calculator, although an extremely handy tool, won’t tell you whether or not you qualify for a loan. This generally depends on your credit rating and how much you intend to borrow.

Credit score

All lenders will consider your credit score. If this is poor, you’ll appear unreliable. There are a number of ways to build your score prior to applying for a loan, one of which includes combining any existing debts. Lenders have their own preferred ways of checking a credit score – just because you’re disapproved by one, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be refused by others too, you may even find a company specialising as a bad credit lender.

Credit reference agencies

Credit reference agencies come in the shape of companies that are allowed to retain information about various consumers’ borrowing habits. On applying for a loan or credit card, the individual wishing to borrow will be asked to fill out an application form. Such a form will give the lender permission to look over your credit reference file. If a lender refuses you due to what they see on your file, they are obliged to tell you why. Once you know the reasons you have been refused in the past, you may be able to address some of these issues to improve your chances for future applications.

How could a debt consolidation loan benefit you?

Debt consolidation is a little like putting all of your eggs into the one basket. It involves taking out a new loan to pay off a number of existing debts.

Advantages of debt consolidation

As with any type of loan, there are risks. There are also a number of ways a debt consolidation loan can benefit you. For example, such a style of loan often boasts a lower interest rate with lower payments as these are typically loans over 12 months in duration. Ultimately, this helps to make your overall finances and monthly outgoings far more manageable leading to less stress in your life!

You only have to think about the one loan

We live in an extremely busy world, which is why forgetting to pay a certain debt isn’t unheard of. With debt consolidation, you only ever have to think about the one repayment each month. This makes life a great deal easier – you can even set a reminder on your phone or laptop to help you to remember when to pay off your debt.

Lose the high interest rates

If you have a number of loans in place with high interest rates, such as credit cards, mortgage repayments and car loans, it could be a lot more cost-effective to pay these off as ‘one’ every month. You’re not only more likely to remember the one loan; you’ll also be avoiding high interest rates.

Better control of your finances

If you want to stay on track with your finances, then debt consolidation loans could be just the ticket. Instead of having to contend with multiple bills and confusing statements, you’ll concise all of your loans into one. You’ll only ever have to deal with one interest rate, one repayment amount and one set of loan fees.

Is debt consolidation right for me?

If your ultimate goal is to be debt-free, then a debt consolidation loan could be a great option for you. This is especially the case if you’re looking for a loan with lower rates, fewer payments and one simple bill.

An in-depth discussion on budgeting advance

Budgeting advance is a useful and crucial component of the United Kingdom’s social security system as it provides additional help to an individual to pay for certain essentials. You can receive the facility of budgeting advance along with your other benefits and most importantly, it is interest free in nature. With the help of budgeting advance, you can pay your house rent, buy necessary things, or clear your previous debts as well.

Claiming process of budgeting advance

To claim your budgeting advance benefits, you do not have to specify for what reason you are claiming, instead, you need to just mention your category of expenses and the amount you required. Depending on your region, you can either start your claiming process by downloading the application form directly from the DWP ( Department of Work and Pensions) website or contact your nearby local social security and benefits office to get a claim form. After that, your claiming procedure will start and one mandatory thing that you need to submit is your national insurance number. Along with it, you also have to state who else lives with you and your current savings and debts details. The claiming process begins from the day you submit your application form and it generally takes 5-6 weeks to process your claim. If you are expecting a child and need financial assistance, you can also apply for a SureStart Maternity grant through budgeting advance, within which you can avail £500 and you do not even have to pay it back.

However, you cannot claim an amount of your wish for budgeting advance. The minimum amount you have to claim is £100, and the maximum amount varies as per your circumstances. If you are single, you can claim up to £384. If you are married or part of a couple, you claim up to £464, and if you have children, the highest amount you can claim is £812. The things that can influence your budgeting advance amount are:

• If you have any prevailing social fund loan.
• If you have saved more than £1,000 as savings (for people aged more than 63, this amount rises to £2,000).

Challenge a budgeting advance decision

If you think the decision made on your budgeting advance application is unsatisfactory, you can ask for a review by contacting the Jobcentre Plus portal within 28 days. You also have to provide reasons on behalf of your dissatisfaction. If the review decision cannot make you happy, you can request the office of the Independent Case Examiner to re-examine your decision within 21 days of the preliminary review date.

Repayment of budgeting advance amount

The process of repayment for budgeting advance is quite simple. You can start repaying the loan right after getting your benefits. However, you have to pay back the full amount within two years. After the loan approval, if you cannot repay it as per the discussed repayment method, then you can contact the respected office that sanctioned your loan to find out any other way of repayment.

Three types of insurance you don’t always think about

There’s a saying that goes: “Nothing in life is certain but death and taxes.” Insurance should definitely have been added to that quote as well. Almost every person on Earth has to apply or be a part of some type of insurance policy.

Whether it be the basics like life insurance, car insurance, etc., or the more complex, like body parts insurance, “cold feet” insurance, etc. Our list will dive into the eccentric insurance policy world that exists in the underbelly of society.

Bicycle insurance

Now, not the most cryptic entry, however, still odd to most. Your average bank actually offers this service if asked. There are die-hard cyclists who have swagged out their “ride” with all the bells and whistles making it cost five times the sale price when originally purchased.

These are the main customers of these insurance policies as their bikes act as their primary vehicle or are used for races, etc. Bicycle insurance policies differ from one place to another, so you need to be aware of the minimum requirements for this particular policy.

Just know, the average bike can cost upwards of $200, and most bicycle insurance policies will cover up to $1,000. Making this decision requires taking climate into consideration and many other factors, so it’s not for everybody.

Tenant insurance

For the average homeowner, tenant insurance isn’t something that crosses their mind. Even for the average renter, it’s usually on the back burner, if being thought about all. Obviously, if you’re renting, you don’t “own” the place, so why the need for insurance on top of rent? Well, tenant insurance can actually protect all of your belongings in case of a third party catastrophe such as a fire or flood.

It will also protect from stolen items if a burglary occurs. The central myth behind tenant insurance is that it’s flat out “too expensive”. You’d be surprised to find out that the average amount of money this type of insurance costs monthly is less than $30. You can even apply through your bank for a discounted quote.

Most renters are starting to warm up to the fact that tenant insurance is actually worth it. Do your research and figure out which premium is right for you.

Wedding insurance

This entry is a practical idea for any couple to be wed and who’s forking out tons of cash for their wedding. You can protect just about anything that’s associated with your wedding day, right down to the flowers on the reception tables!

Life is unpredictable. Imagine losing the bride’s dress in transit to the wedding venue, or an unthinkable tragedy strikes, and you must postpone the wedding. All these problems and more can all be covered with wedding insurance.

Making sure that everything is 10/10 for the big day should bear no cost, and having proper wedding insurance incurs that. Policies will vary depending on the budget you are working with, but it’s more than worth it.

In conclusion

These are just some of the weirdest insurance policies offered to the general public. If you do your research, you’ll find that there really is an insurance policy for just about anything out there.

Suzuki makes mid-life upgrades (inside and out) to popular Ignis

Although it seems only like yesterday, the motoring ‘funster’ that is the Suzuki Ignis was introduced in 2016, highlights Iain Robertson, which suggests a model life expectancy of around eight years and, therefore, an essential round of changes.

Some wag on social media the other evening posted a statement about the genuine shortage of entertaining vehicles in our new car scene. In the same post, he also proposed that the fun aspect of just going out for a drive (which, let’s face it, is difficult, when we are all confined to quarters) had all but disappeared. While I found it quite easy to recommend a shortlist of vehicles, which included the Suzuki Ignis that I shall come to in a few moments, I did find myself reflecting on just driving for the sake of it.

The biggest barrier that most of us encounter is of work intervening with our playtime. Yet, when I analyse my last few drives that I have undertaken for work purposes, I must admit that I also work especially hard on making them enjoyable. With a priority of reaching a destination in a timely and efficient manner, taking the speediest route is usually the primary choice. However, return journeys are seldom placed under the same time restrictions and my way of livening up the process is to take a more direct but often slower route.

While my car is equipped with a proficient sat-nav system that also provides ‘live’ information in respect of traffic snarl-ups and roadworks, by adjusting the guidance parameters, which can mean ticking the ‘Avoid Motorways’ box, my return journey home will be not only more interesting but can also provide some engaging diversions onto roads less travelled. As part of that process, with which I have become exceptionally familiar over the years, I also have a good manual map, on which I can spot various en-route features and attractions. Although my journey times may vary by as much as 50%, selecting alternative routes enhances the attention span, which can be too readily squandered traipsing around the nation’s often tedious motorways network.

Winding A and B roads can be tremendous fun to drive along, even without breaching the 60mph speed limit. Of course, possessing the right car, in which to indulge one’s motoring fantasies, is a different thing altogether. There is no getting away from it, a sportscar, whether a Porsche 911, or a Mazda MX-5, can be great company. Cracking open the driver’s window to hear the rise and fall of engine revs, in association with snicking through the gear ratios, whether on a manual, or automatic transmission, and extending the performance envelope, is immense fun.

My previous experience of the Suzuki Ignis resulted in a blend of cross-country and motorway mileage, driving from my Lincolnshire home to a venue in leafy Berkshire. The sheer joy of being able to ‘play’ with a Porsche in such an innocuous motorcar was rare and unparalleled. While we did stretch the limits a little, we swapped places on the roads, the Porsche driver leading sometimes, with Ignis taking the lead at other times. When I took a slip-road off the M40, Porsche-man waved cheerfully from his driver’s window. It was memorable fun, on public roads, in complete safety, with two like-minded drivers taking advantage of conditions.

That drive reinforced my regard for the Ignis. Its firm but not uncomfortable suspension allowed me to corner with agility, stability and total confidence, both important aspects of enjoying a driving experience. While the ‘Porker vs Suzuki Challenge’ lasted for only around 90 miles of a 140-miles trip, it was abundantly clear that the other chap was enjoying it equally and Suzuki’s well-padded and supportive driver’s seat proved to be a genuine boon.

In typical Suzuki form, the company seldom makes major alterations in the middle of a model’s lifespan. Instead, they tend to be minor technology changes, trim upgrades and detail improvements, after all, when the car is already well-sorted, there is no reason to do much more. Just as Jeep has its seven-bar grille, Suzuki rather cheekily apes it with a five-bar alternative, better suited to a significantly smaller car, and the revised radiator grille and more aerodynamic front bumper styling, with alloy-look ‘skid guards’ (both at the front and rear), does not detract from Ignis’s funky façade.

Its lighting signature is both stylish and friendly, affording the dimensionally restricted tiddler the perception of a wider snout, as the lamp units wrap around the front corners of the car. The application of silky black highlights, like the window-surrounds and grille slots, as well as the slivers of wheel-arch protection, that are complimented by glossy black alloy wheels, bolster the car’s charisma.

There is a choice of eleven single body colours that include a new yellow metallic, creamy beige and pearly white, supplemented by seven two-tone options for the bodywork. However, the hinted gills in the rear quarters and the clamshell bonnet are retained as known and loved design elements. Within the car’s surprisingly ‘Tardis-like’ cabin, a psychological lift is provided with its bold black and white dashboard and grey, or blue, seat facings. There is plenty of space for a 6 feet 6 inches tall driver, thanks to a decent range of both driver’s seat and steering column rake adjustability.

Recently uprated for the Swift model, the 1.2-litre, normally aspirated, four-cylinder petrol engine features a more efficient fuel injection system, supported by electric piston cooling jets, variable valve timing and a new oil pump. Mild hybrid technology is now standard across the range, except for Ignises equipped with the automated, single-clutch transmission (something to do with the integrated starter-generator and stop:start facility, although a constantly-variable transmission that will feature hybrid tech replaces it from July), the former SHVS 3Ah system has been uprated to 10Ah to provide a torque boost and greater fuel economy. In top SZ5 trim, Ignis includes all-wheel drive.

Suzuki has a firm handle on funkiness with its compact crossover Ignis. The fact that it is exceptionally well engineered and such a total joy to drive is much to its credit as a true exponent of automotive fun.

Crucial factors to consider before investing in the real estate business

Real estate is considered as one of the best and most profitable investments out there. If you are looking for a risk-free investment, most experts would recommend you embark on a real estate business. But while it is more promising than other types of investments or businesses, it does not mean that it is 100% free from any risks. Commit to doing your homework and get as much knowledge as you can about real estate to ensure maximum returns.

Identifying the suitability of investment properties

Tips before starting a real estate business (Image Source: Unsplash)

One of the biggest challenges that potential investors would have to face is how to determine whether certain properties are worth investing in. This process will take time and a lot of research. You need to adopt proper evaluation techniques in order to determine whether a property is a suitable addition to your investment portfolio.

If you are a prospective investor, take time to visit the property and to research the neighborhood. It is also important to get your hands on a comparative data analysis for other similar types of properties. For example, if you are looking for new condos for sale in Toronto, you need to evaluate how other condos in nearby areas are doing. What is the target market? Is there intense competition in that area? 

Once you have the information you need, this is when you have to sit down and use your calculation tools. You need these tools to produce concrete data to compare the profit potential of the said properties.

Educate yourself on real estate investing

Expert investors like to point out that you will never succeed in a business that you don’t understand. While real estate investing might seem straightforward, there are several aspects that you need to take into account. You can opt to take a short course on real estate investing or read up on relevant books as much as possible. Start with the fundamental principles of real estate investing so you have the basic information needed to invest your money wisely.

Do note that there are a variety of investment strategies in real estate nowadays. Choose the type of investment that is most promising profit-wise and you are on the right track.

Understand the different ways to profit

Cash flow is a vital part of any successful business or real estate investment. When you are looking to invest in real estate such as the launch of Prestige Condos in Toronto, you need to look at different ways to monetize your investment. 

One of the most common strategies available to generate profit is to fix up a property and then sell it, also known as flipping. This is one of the most common strategies employed in the business of real estate investing. Flipping, though, requires active management and often has a quick turnaround (in order to maximize profits). The longer the property stays on the market, the more profit you are losing. On the other hand, if you can find an ideal buyer for the property, it has the potential to make you a good revenue.

Renting is another common way to profit via real estate investing. It is recommended if you have multiple properties and you want to ensure a steady flow of cash. This is a passive income source and is a good way to diversify your investments. It also gives you the flexibility to sell the property when the right time comes, or when there is an opportunity to do so.

Your decision as to how you want to profit from your investment will depend on your investment goal. It is also important to weigh in on the annual income you can get from each option.

Managing your real estate business

How to maximize profits from your real estate business (Image Source: Unsplash)

There is a common misconception that real estate businesses are infallible because you can simply watch your money grow. But this could not be any farther from the truth. In reality, owning a real estate investment business is a lot of work. It requires you to manage the investment property first-hand. From fixing up a property to finding renters, there is a lot of work involved!

Budgeting, marketing, and managing your investment property can also entail some form of investment. There is an option to hire a professional property manager. You have to consider the cost of hiring these services, though, and how it will affect your bottom line. Either way, starting a real estate investment business does not mean you can leave it to run on its own. If you want to succeed, you have to learn how to manage it. 

Conclusion

Do you have what it takes to run a real estate business? Take time to consider the factors mentioned above to ensure that you can handle any challenges or pitfalls along the way. The most important thing to do is to educate yourself so you know how to handle things when these problems arise. The most successful real estate investors are the ones who are willing to learn and who are open-minded enough to welcome new opportunities.

Citroen’s faltering funkiness warrants some recognition for a soft return to avantgarde

The latest Citroen C3 boasts a marginally intriguing level of funky design elements, suggests Iain Robertson, a factor for which he doffs his flat cap, with due deference to the French carmaker’s historical desire to be perceived as slightly edgy.

From the outset of Andre Citroen’s car manufacturing concern, his company was regarded as something of an innovator, a business prepared to travel the extra mile and wake up its potential customers. By the 1940s, it was developing front-wheel drive technology for a new generation and, by the late-1950s, its ID and DS models were like visitors from another planet; super streamlined, expensively engineered and world-defeatingly weird.

Citroen was destined to being declared insolvent, despite the everyman nature of its 2CV (the ‘tin snail’) and avantgarde 1960s’ models like Ami8, Dyane and GS. Its brief partnership with Michelin Tyre led to state recovery and the subsequent formation of PSA Group…from which point, although glacially slow, its character was subsumed into a Gallic, mostly Peugeot, corporate subset. Yet, it always managed to dip into its innate oddness to formulate cars like the AX, BX and CX; mere sops to its near-militant history.

In the not too distant past, the C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and even the large and brash C6 have done their level best, even with muzzles and restraining harnesses applied, to be standout abnormal but, apart from oddball suspension media, corporate conventionality has been the governing feature. Visit a motor show and Citroen’s concept cars will have painted, with Renoir detailing, a somewhat more out-of-the-ordinary portrait, or one-off portent, of the future…only for minute details to be carried onto the production alternatives.

Yet, if there is one major problem with displaying avantgarde qualities today, it is that they can be upsetting to the eyes and, in a society that is influenced by online output, anything that rocks a boat of apparent civility is also sure to generate largely mindless chatter but not necessarily of a positive nature to the ‘snowflake generation’. When the C2/C3 models were revised and incorporated the murmurings about DS revival as a separate brand, the application of optional graphics and appliques demonstrated a hint of design genius that Citroen could clearly not contain.

Despite possessing the appeal of an escapee from a ‘Judge Dread’ movie, the digitised graphics in contrasting colours added a soupcon of fun and gifted owners of fairly ordinary motorcars with the essence of ‘look at me!’. Well, Citroen is revisiting its graphics department for the latest versions of the C3. While ‘airbumps’ were intended to provide a design differential on only the Cactus hatchback, the company has adopted them in varying forms for several models in its car parc. Alone, with their highlighted ovals on the front doors, they provide a vital recognition point for the Citroen brand, now supplemented with no less than 97 exterior customisation choices, with four colour packs, four roof colours, three roof decals, two interior ambiences and new 17.0-inch diameter alloy wheels.

You may note that I am skirting over the all-new look for the C3, borrowed from its loftier Aircross variants, because I feel that I need to explore Citroen’s inner being that is trying ever so earnestly to resurrect its sometime avantgarde design stance. After all, PSA Group, being funded by the Chinese State indirectly, neither wants to court controversy, nor allow its customers too much leeway, despite referring to its ‘styling programme’ as ‘Inspired by You’.
In some respects, I can sense the firm’s frustration. It really wants to go that extra mile. It wants to return to its reputation for weirdness. However, the company’s funders want normality to perpetrate a fresh image for the brand. Smart graphics, at which the company is most adept, are retained largely for the roof panels, with a squiggle for the flanks. It lacks confidence. It is devoid of the ‘stuff you, we’ll do it our way’ attitude that was inherent to Citroen for more than five decades.

Yet, pick the right colour combination of the several available and turning heads will remain an element of C3 stewardship. As a regular five-door hunchback, with its recent propensity for installing flat, featureless and totally non-Citroenesque seats (a popular diversion since the arrival of Cactus), the new C3 will continue to entertain customers desiring familiar and moderately dependable engineering but it will struggle to generate new business, in a market segment that plateaued many years ago and is in partial decline, thanks to the ingrowing toenail that is SUV (and crossover).
Citroen describes unashamedly its choice of a pair of interior ambiences as being influenced by Scandinavian furniture. The company’s marketing department ought to be careful with its various non-Gallic references, after all, pursuing a Germanic one for its most recent C5 was not dissimilar to over-egging the omelette and then pouring it from the pan directly onto its own head. To be fair, as shapeless as the new seats appear to be (they are in essence the same as those fitted to several other Citroens), they have a whiff of former billowiness familiar to Citroen owners of yesteryear.

While nothing can replicate the on-road luxury, self-levelling and magic carpet ride quality of Oleo-pneumatic suspension, the gas and fluid medium that Citroen developed and even licensed to Rolls Royce, Citroen’s engineers have given the new C3 a remarkably resilient, soft but not floaty, suspension quality that, allied to the isolating qualities of a well-padded/silenced cabin, just might be the model’s strongest selling point. Ride and handling is always a compromise exercise but Citroen can ride out this one with a feather in its cap. It is excellent, regardless of the car falling into (just!) the sub-4.0m class.

Connectivity and ADAS are all at the latest and highest levels. Practicality is good, with plenty of storage space, bins and lockers available. Petrol power comes from 1.2-litre ‘triples’ in either 83 or 110bhp forms, with a 100bhp turbo-diesel option. Ordering, if you manage the opportunity safely and healthily, commences in April. While the most satisfying aspect of Citroen might be to see it grabbing the limelight by its balls and taking a positive design stance, I am afraid that we no longer live in that era. Yet, looking down onto the car park from an office or living-room window, at least you can tell which C3 might be yours.

Lotus scales the junior supercar ranking with the latest version of Evora GT410

Appealing to both enthusiast and money-spinner, Lotus is a brand possessing a troubled history of more than seven decades, writes Iain Robertson, following Italian Ferrari’s business model in a typically quaint English way that deserves more than ‘hit or miss’ dynamics.

Left in the hands of Colin Chapman, the brand’s founder, Lotus Sports Cars was doomed to failure. My suggestion that its trajectory was Ferrari-like is not entirely pie-in-the-sky. Enzo ‘Il Commendatore’ Ferrari was a racer at heart, just like Chapman. He perceived a winning formula that relied on production car sales to raise the funds to go racing, just like Chapman. As a result, often incomplete, frequently ill-engineered but enthusiastic at best, road-going sportscars emerged during the histories of both carmakers.

Ferrari would never have survived without the patronage of the Fiat Group. Lotus continues to survive, albeit now in the guiding hands (51% stake) of the Chinese Geely organisation that also owns Volvo and London Taxis. I hope sincerely that it sees what I can in this archetypally British brand. Lotus survived during the ‘money no object’ era of over-indulgence, Chapman having outgrown his modest North London premises, relocating his car company to the relative wilds of Norfolk. Perhaps its greatest asset was Mike Kimberley, the former Jaguar engineer, who became the Norfolk firm’s boss and provided its most positive sense of direction during the 1970s, returning in 2005 to manage a somewhat different operation.

Chapman’s self-destruct button had already been pressed by the time his company was engaged by John Z DeLorean to develop a chassis for the outspoken American’s eponymously named and ill-fated stainless steel bodied ‘sportscar’, to be built in Northern Ireland. Chapman passed away of a heart attack in late-1982, aged just 54 years, but not before being embroiled in the DeLorean ‘scandal’. The Lotus Group of companies behaved like the proverbial headless chicken for much of the next 30 years, barrelling from one potential disaster to the next, owned by a succession of, in the case of Romano Artioli, enthusiastic, or totally idiotic CEOs.

While Artioli was in charge, the outstanding Elise, with its revolutionary riveted and glued aluminium substructure, was launched in 1996 and made great headway. The latest Evora 410 sticks rigidly to that rigid platform and extols the long-standing Chapman ethos of ‘adding lightness’. Alfa Romeo has tried to emulate the Evora, with its 4S model, but failed to attain the same level of dynamic competence. Having produced a series of fibreglass kit cars during its existence, the precept of a sturdy chassis, powered by a proprietary power unit, suspended by race-developed coils springs and dampers at each corner has remained central to Lotus. Of course, the company has not produced ‘kits’ (a legal car tax avoidance measure) since the 1960s but the scent of resin is a difficult one to eradicate.

Evora was revealed in 2008 as a 2+2, mid-engined sports coupe. It has been through several refinement exercises since. Toyota provides the 3.5-litre V6 engine and Lotus refines it to produce a dependable 410bhp (hence the model name) and 295lbs ft of torque. It tips the scales in latest GT410 form at 1,361kgs and, apart from the latest Evija electric supercar, is the heaviest version of the model. Possessing aerodynamic detailing to enhance its overall efficacy, the Evora smashes the 0-60mph benchmark in a cool 4.1s, before scorching on to a top speed of around 186mph, hence my ‘junior supercar’ description. Its official combined fuel economy is given as 26.7mpg, with CO2 emissions posted at 239g/km.

The GT410 Sport continues in production and provides owners with improved usability and a revised level of driving comfort to increase legroom for taller Northern Europeans and to make cabin entry and egress easier. Mind you, it is still a nightmare trying to slot an adult in the rear, a space better suited to limbless children, if the front seat occupants are taller than six feet! Several features have moved from the Evora options list to become part of the new model’s standard specification. Costing £3,000 less than the GT410 Sport, at £82,900, the new model is not exactly ‘cheap’.

Yet, Lotus intends to make its Evora GT410 more usable as an ‘everyday’ car. The driver (and front passenger) benefits from an accommodating hide-clad Sparco sport seat and air-con creates a more comfortable environment for occupants, while a reversing camera improves the rearward view during low-speed manoeuvres. An upmarket infotainment system, complete with sat-nav and Apple CarPlay, is fitted and now includes DAB digital audio. Not before time, cabin sound insulation reduces annoying road noise and improves refinement levels, so that occupants (two mostly) can actually hear the stereo system. The GT410’s door cards now feature integrated arm rests and storage bins for greater normality. Paint colour choices have been revised to include several historic shades from Lotus’s past.

While the damper rates have always provided an outstanding compromise between being high-performance capable and overall compliancy, their valving has been altered to create a more comfortable ride quality and using Michelin Pilot Sport all-weather tyres provides assured grip levels. A new rear tailgate features a large glass section that improves rearward visibility significantly. The red AP Racing brake callipers and a choice of either silver, or gloss black, V-spoke alloy wheels (19.0-inch diameter front; 20.0-inch rear) set off the exterior, while cruise control, heated seats and rear parking sensors factor in an additional dose of luxury and convenience.

Lotus has always concentrated on providing a strong driver experience and the Evora GT410 maintains its stance as the most driver-focused and relatively lightweight choice in the line-up. With access to the purposeful layout and zero speed restrictions on the Hethel test facility, Evora remains the fastest choice for consistently safe lappery. The enhanced refinement means that dropping the driver’s window an inch is the best way to hear the bark of its V6 engine, which sings up and down the rev-range with beguiling intent.

Supercars, of most types, are immensely popular in the corporate sector. While it helps, if you have a few quid stashed away to acquire a Lotus Evora, justifying the purchase may prove to introduce some awkward moments. Yet, in driving terms alone, with its superglue traction and fabulous handling adding to the entertainment quotient, it is virtually peerless.

The UK’s Most Iconic Motorcars

While we are all ‘confined to quarters’ and seeking ‘interesting’ aspects of life, reports Iain Robertson, one of the UK’s largest car clubs has compiled a list of automotive preferences, which is sure to generate lively conversation, if you let it!

From the outset, I should point out that I am not a fan of the loose application of a rather confining noun, ‘icon’. The very act of placing something on a pedestal to declare its praiseworthiness is open to much literal abuse. In many ways, it is as bad as the over-abundant use of ‘unique’ that underscores an inherent language laziness. However, when Boundless, a name that might not be familiar to you, even should you work in our nation’s public sector, but is a membership organisation that used to be known as the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA), formulates its preferences, they can be eye-opening.

Boundless believes that the Range Rover, which has beaten James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5, should be nominated as the most iconic car of all time. Although changed significantly since its 1970 unveiling as a £2,000 refinement of the potentially more legendary Land Rover (which became Defender), it is a vehicle that changed the face of the former, agricultural 4×4 scene. In half a century, the Range Rover has evolved from intriguing go-anywhere into the glossy and luxurious transport of royalty and celebrity. I can understand its Top of the List position.

Possessing international infamy arising from its filmic exposure, it is no ‘ordinary Aston’ but James Bond 007’s famous silver Aston Martin that has taken second spot in the Top Ten, thereby underscoring the value of a movie timeline. Yet, the svelte, timeless, head-turning appeal of the Jaguar E-Type has been relegated into third spot. Interestingly, no less than six of the Top Ten are British brands.

Boundless began life back in 1923, as the CSMA. Engaging with a panel of five motoring ‘experts’, its management team compiled a long list of potential motoring ‘icons’, prior to presenting it to its 230,000 members, who voted on which of them ought to be included in the overall Top 100. Amassing 52% of the vote, the Range Rover percolated to pole position. To a certain extent, JB007’s 1964 Aston Martin DB5, described variously as ‘the most famous car in the world’, was an understandable runner-up. Only recently, an example that had been used to promote the film Thunderball sold for £5.2m at auction. I can recall watching it perform on the parade ground at Edinburgh Castle, while attending The Military Tattoo with my parents in the mid-1960s. It is not a surprise to see it so high up the list.

Sixties legend, the Jaguar E-Type (1961-1975), took third place but I was truly gobsmacked that the BMW Mini came fourth, with the original Mini Cooper (which starred in The Italian Job movie) grabbing fifth spot. In some ways, this underlines my aforementioned issue with the word ‘icon’. The almost twice-the-size Germanic replica should never replace the original Mini, which defined a new era of small but highly talented city cars, in my opinion. Yet, equally intriguing is the 12th place given to the all-electric Tesla Model S, which emphasises the impact of that large car on our new car scene, although I am slightly disappointed that the streamlined and game-changing Citroen DS of the late-1950s could manage no better than rounding out the Top Ten.

Top Ten most iconic motors of all time:

1 Range Rover

2 Aston Martin DB5

3 Jaguar E-Type

4 BMW Mini

5 Austin Mini Cooper

6 Jaguar Mark 2

7 VW Golf

8 Ford Fiesta

9 Audi Quattro

10 Citroen DS

Other stars inside the top 100:

Top Budget Cars

1 Volkswagen Golf (7th overall)

2 Ford Fiesta (8th overall)

3 Skoda Yeti (37th overall)

4 Vauxhall Corsa (48th overall)

5 BMW E39-Series Estate (51st overall)

Top Supercars:

1 McLaren F1 1992-98 (14th overall)

2 Bugatti Veyron (15th overall)

3 Ford GT40 (16th overall0

4 Bentley Blower (18th overall)

5 Lamborghini Diablo GT (29th overall)

Top people’s cars:

1 BMW MINI (4th overall)

2 VW Beetle (11th overall)

3 Ford Cortina Mk1 (17th overall)

4 Austin Seven (36th overall)

5 Citroen 2CV (47th overall)

Top sports cars

1 Jaguar E-Type (3rd overall)

2 Austin Healey 3000 (20th overall)

3 Porsche 911 (31st overall)

4 MG MGB (32nd overall)

5 Ford Mustang (44th overall)

There exists an inherent danger of confusing ‘classic’ with ‘iconic’ and both might possess legendary status but it is still fascinating to read the views of a motoring club the size of Boundless. We are a nation of car lovers, a factor of which we ought to be proud, and whether you have enjoyed a personal experience of any of the listed models, or just admire them from afar, the listing makes an interesting read.