The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
A rally good love story
When Martin Page decided to build a rally car from scratch, he had no idea his hobby would lead to two lovely daughters and a trip up the aisle.
The retired police sergeant finally said I do to his partner of 10 years, Claire, at the weekend, and the couple’s two daughters, Emily and Martha, were bridesmaids.
Their beloved camper vans also witnessed the occasion, as Martin and Claire run Deeside Classic Camper.
Their thriving business has been built on their shared passion for camper vans, but Martin, 50, and Claire, 47, who live in Finzean, first met when Martin was getting to work on his rally car.
He spent 30 years in the police and also served in the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, having only retired last year.
Rally cars have been his hobby since he was a little boy however, and Claire has gone on to support him in racing all over the country.
“You could say we met over rally cars really, I used to be in the garage working on the rally car when Emily would go past, and she’d always stand and watch,” said Martin.
“We used to give each other a little wave.
“I’ve never called her my stepdaughter, she’s my daughter in my eyes but it took me months to ask her mum out on a date.
“We’ve done all the big things, set up the business together and had Martha who is now six.
“It’s the girls who have been on at us to get married all these years later.
“I blame Emily for me and Claire getting together in the first place, if she hadn’t been so fascinated in the rally car we might never have got talking.
“We both had Minis but mine was used for rallying of course.
“It has been a passion for so long and I was brought up with it.
“I bought a brand new BMW Mini Cooper only to take it all to pieces and turn it into a tarmac rally car, I literally took it to bits.
“I loved doing it and I really enjoy the mechanical side of rallying, once you’ve got the bare shell you start welding it up and then you fit a road cage.
“Thankfully Claire supported me 100%, you can’t really be a rally driver if you don’t have that support.
“She drives behind in a support vehicle and she understands my competitive side.
“I’ve even got Emily rally driving, and when Martha was only four days old we went to the rally on the Isle of Mull.
“We reasoned that babies are babies wherever you take them.
“There’s this misconception that rally driving is dangerous when it’s actually one of the safest sports you can do.
“I’ve ended up in some ditches a fair few times but more people get injured on golf courses than they do rally driving.
“I think I love it because of the sheer thrill and having Emily as a co-driver is brilliant.
“Martha is also involved, she isn’t scared of getting her hands dirty and has her very own plastic spanner kit.
“She’s always crawling underneath the car to help when I’m doing work on it.
“Rally driving is a world away from driving a classic camper van where you trundle along at 45 miles per hour, but we’re equally passionate.
“We loved getting away and going camping whenever we could which got us thinking about starting the business in the first place.
“After Claire had Martha, she was toying about whether to go back to work as a PA.
“The business is really an extension of our lifestyle, we hit on this idea of hiring out classic high-end campers and the idea really took off.
“We couldn’t not have the campers at our own wedding and thankfully the business is always busy.
“This isn’t your usual retirement but we really couldn’t be happier.”
On the move, Vauxhall’s new Insignia Grand Sport feels like the bigger car it's now become, the suspension floating you over broken surfaces that would have troubled and impeded the previous model.
Importantly, this second generation model is 175kg lighter than its predecessor and that really shows when cornering at speed, where there's less body roll than before and, generally, a much higher level of agility.
As for engines, well most buyers will continue to want a diesel, with the majority of sales likely to go to the 1.6-litre Turbo D unit we tried, offered with either 108 or 134bhp. If you trade up to the 167bhp 2.0-litre diesel, efficiency drops off markedly, though there's the compensation of 295lb/ft of pulling power, a figure that will be improved further if you go for the 207bhp biturbo variant.
Engine-wise, you'll find much more that's really different if you turn your attention to petrol power, with both units on offer being completely new. Small capacity turbocharged engines that use unleaded are very much in vogue at present and the 1.5-litre unit supplied here should suit that trend, offered with either 138 or 162bhp.
Further up the range sits a potent 256bhp 2.0-litre petrol Turbo model that showcases both of what are arguably the two most significant engineering developments introduced with this second generation In- signia. One is the superslick eight-speed auto gearbox that's optional on lesser models.
The other is a sophisticated new intelligent allwheel drive system that uses a state-of-the-art rear torque vectoring system for greater cornering traction and sharper turn-in.
Vauxhall reckons that this Insignia Grand Sport has ‘the aura of a car from
“Will business buyers used to signing up for yet another BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 or Mercedes C-Class really be minded to consider it? The Griffin brand hopes so”
the premium, upper class'; you decide. It certainly looks a great deal smarter than its predecessor. It comes only in hatch form but, as an alternative, there's the option of a Sports Tourer estate.
The prominent grille and slim-line headlamps enhance the wide horizontal design of the front end and provide it with a bold appearance. The grille sits lower than on the outgoing model and further emphasises its solid stance. What Vauxhall calls a “sweepspear” feature starts in the front door and gives the impression that this model is always ready to pounce, which is a nod to the athletic lightness of the Monza Concept car that inspired it.
There are seven trim levels available – Design, Design Nav, SRi, SRi Nav, SRi Vx-line Nav, Tech Line Nav and Elite Nav. The asking figures start at around £17,000 and range to around £28,000, pricing that offers extremely strong competition to the German premium-badged compact executive models that Vauxhall would ideally like to target.
There's plenty of clever equipment features that should interest that target market. The IntelliLux LED matrix light for example, which illuminates with 32 LED segments and integrates in this Insignia's smarter, slimmer headlamps. Other driver assistance systems include a Head-up-Display, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
Vauxhall is still one of the few manufacturers to offer seats certified by the Campaign for Healthy Backs. And, as for media connectivity, well, as you would expect, the IntelliLink infotainment system is compatible with the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Insignia Grand Sport buyers also get Vauxhall OnStar, the brand's ground-breaking connectivity and service assistant. This offers services ranging from automatic crash response to stolen vehicle ss-sistance. A new concierge service is available to Insignia Grand Sport customers, enabling passengers to ask OnStar advisors to select a hotel and proceed to room reservation. Furthermore, up to seven devices can be connected to the car's wi-fi hotspot.
Around 85% of Insignia buyers go for a diesel – and you can see why. Well over 70mpg is possible from the 1.6 CDTi unit most Grand Sport buyers will choose.
As for residual values, well these will depend on whether the industry recognises this Grand Sport model's shift up-market. Even if it does, the depreciation levels won't match those of premium German rivals. But then, you'll be paying less upfront in the first place, so it's swings and roundabouts. CO2 figures are very competitive, the base 108bhp 1.6-litre diesel capable of putting out as little as 105g/km. The volume 2.0litre diesel manages 136g/km. The base 1.5-litre petrol variant manages 133g/km.
You'll also need to know that Vauxhall includes a three-year, 60,000 mile warranty as standard, a package that can be extended up to five years and 100,000 miles at extra cost. A year's free breakdown cover is also provided, along with a six-year anti-corrosion guarantee. Plus you can opt for a service plan that lets you pay monthly to spread the cost of regular work to your car. As part of this, Vauxhall offers discounts on wear and tear items, such as brake pads and windscreen wipers.
Can this second-generation Insignia really appeal beyond the medium range Mondeo segment? Will business buyers used to signing up for yet another BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 or Mercedes C-Class really be minded to consider it? The Griffin brand hopes so. What we can tell you from this first look is that, if this car carried a premium German badge, those customers would buy into it without question. The quality and technology is that good.
But of course it does bear a Vauxhall badge – which requires in turn a degree of open-mindedness on the part of potential buyers. That's asking a lot but it's difficult to see what else the brand could have done in pursuit of its objectives here.
If you're buying in this sector and are among the few people untroubled by badge equity, you'll find plenty to like.