The new A45 has over 120 more
horsepower, so why not give the A35
30 or 40 more? It would not tread on
its bigger brother’s toes and would
stand out as an entry-level AMG.
It i s i n d a n ge r of de v a lu i n g t he
badge – a bit like putting an M Sport
badge on a BMW 316.
Greg Thomas
Via email
In defence of Silverstone
Not sure if I understood Jamie
Buchanan’s letter about Silverstone
(7 A u g u s t). W it h r e fe r e nc e t o t he
Si l v e r s t one C l a s sic , a c c e s s i s s t i l l
available everywhere to see cars,
including at the Wing. As for
the grand prix, the access is not
c ont r ol le d b y Si l v e r s t one but b y ‘ t he
F 1 m a n a ge me nt ’. Hav i n g at t e nde d
other GPs, including the armed-
guard-controlled Singapore event,
I can assure you Silverstone is one
of the most friendly.
Bob Bull
Via email
Cycle of life
A good question on battery
replacement from Stephen Rhodes
(7 A u g u s t). I h a d a n e le c t r ic b oat w it h
£18k’s worth of lithium ion batteries
a nd w a s t old t h at t he y w e r e go o d for
1000 cycles, then had to be replaced.
I didn’t do many top-to-bottom
cycles, but I imagine daily use of
a car might be different.
Gavin Howe
Via email
Puncture-proof
Ty r e t e c h nolo g y a nd p e r for m a nc e
has improved over the years in all but
one key aspect: today’s tyres are no
more puncture resistant than they
were a century ago.
Some prams and pushchairs have
inf latable tyres which are very prone
to punctures, but there is a solution.
A f lexible, puncture-proof barrier can
be fitted between tyre and tube, and
it almost eliminates the problem. If
the industry can help our youngsters
l i k e t h i s , s u r e l y it c a n c ome up w it h
something for us grown-ups.
Stuart Underwood
Weston-super-Mare
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