Tristan Shale-Hester

Q Are funky-looking 3D gel number plates fully legal?

I HAVE seen a lot of cars with 3D gel number plates recently and think they look good, so I’m interested in purchasing a set for my car. Are they legal to fit to your car in the UK? They seem to be a new trend, so I’m unsure. HM, E-mail

A

WE asked Sergeant Dan Pascoe from Surrey Road Policing Unit. He informed us that, although gel number plates can be legal, they must meet the standard criteria for number plates regarding font, size, colour and standard markings. The letters must not stick out so much as to prevent them being read from an angle and they must be permanently attached to the plate, rather than removeable.

Q Leon has a bit more power but costs much more – why?

I’M looking to buy a brand new SEAT Leon FR Sport with the 1.5-litre TSI EVO engine. I note the 148bhp version is £1,290 more expensive than the 128bhp version. This seems a large gap. Is there a difference in the cars’ standard equipment? Norman Riley, E-mail

A

WE spoke to SEAT and the company confirmed that there is no difference in equipment if you opt for the 148bhp version of the 1.5-litre TSI EVO engine over the 128bhp version. All equipment is governed by the trim level, which in this case is FR Sport. The £1,290 reflects the additional power and faster acceleration from the 148bhp engine. It’s worth noting that the 128bhp engine has better fuel economy.

Will using E10 fuel make me exempt from clean-air cost?

DOES the introduction of E10 unleaded mean modern petrol cars could be given discounts when entering clean-air zones? Surely if there’s less CO2 coming out of the vehicle’s exhaust, that’s a benefit that should be recognised by authorities.

JB, E-mail

A

THE CO2 benefits of E10 petrol come purely from its production process; it doesn’t burn any more cleanly at the tailpipe and, as such, the clean-air credentials (or lack thereof) in urban areas are unaffected. No plans have been announced to give petrol cars exemption or discounted rates for entering clean-air zones, nor are any vehicle excise duty breaks expected to be announced by the Treasury.