A ban on smoking in cars seems to be gaining momentum. The idea first surfaced a couple of years ago during the wider law change it seems, primarily touted as a road safety measure.

Two years on, and it’s making headlines again after a doctor has expressed his concerns about child passive smoking. 

We don’t really need to go into the health issues here, which are well documented. But the case as a threat to driver safety seems much less clear. Is holding a cigarette really any more dangerous than tuning the radio, and do we need legislation to control it?

I don’t know about you, but I get the feeling a ban is coming…  

Fiat UK Marketing Director Elena Bernardelli addresses the press at the Launch of the Fiat 500 C

When Marketing Director Elena Bernardelli told us about Fiat’s sponsorship deal linking the 500 C to up and coming UK band Florence And The Machine, I pondered whether the terms of such an association would have had to have been rubber-stamped in Italy.

Since the announcement to the UK motoring press was met with almost complete silence as journalists turned to one another whispering, “I’ve never heard of them”, I imagined that the sell-in to the big bosses in Turin might have gone something like this:

BigBoss: “So oo ees dees Florenz en da mesheen ? I nevar erd ov dem.”

FiatUK: It’s a great fit. You know, Florence - like the great Italian city of culture, Firenze – and machine means macchina (Italian for car)!

BigBoss: “Fantastico! Fiat 500 C - Firenze e la Macchina. Eet’s perfect!

Yes, I think that’s exactly how it played out.

Read more about Fiat’s UK progress in the feature: Fiat finds 500 way to build a brand

Our Editor-in-Chief drove an electric car recently, called the ev’ie. Unlike the GoinGreen G-Wiz that urbanites typically associate with battery cars, this one is based on the crash-tested Citroen C1.

You can read his thoughts in full for yourself, but what comes across is that combustion engined cars that have been morphed into electric ones convince much more than their purpose-built, quadricycle city runabout rivals. Ed Morris drove the Mitsubishi iMiEV and drew a similar conclusion.

This led to me thinking: if you could convert any car into an electric one, which would you choose? Since smart is trialling electric versions, for my money the defunct smart roadster holds considerable appeal. Granted, it’s not exactly practical for most people, but then a G-Wiz isn’t either.

Which car would you turn electric?

A Series 1 Lotus Elise

Those of you with Series 1 and early Series 2 Lotus Elises will no doubt be familiar with the perennial steering rack problem.

Check with any Lotus dealer and they will quote at least £312 plus VAT for a complete rack, when all most of us need is a tie rod and a couple of Delrin shoes, although these components alone are seemingly impossible to buy from a Lotus dealer.

I have some good news. If you contact Titan (the makers of the steering racks) they will supply the precise bits you need. There is a minimum charge of £25, but that will buy you a tie rod and the shoes. You can also buy a complete rack for £289.00 plus VAT, and Titan also offer a refurbishment service. Needless to say, they also supply ‘quick’ racks for track use.

In these days of expensive, disposable car parts, what a refreshing change to find a company that will supply you parts to enable a REPAIR rather than simply fob you off with a new unit.

You will find all the contact details here.