Pedantic Intervention

Some people appear to have gained the impression that the new top rate of vehicle excise duty is a '4x4 tax'. In fact, Band G applies to all vehicles with carbon dioxide [anyone know how to do subscript?] emissions over 225g/km. This, in fact, includes the largest-engined versions of almost all cars of 'medium' (e.g. Ford Mondeo) size or above, and most 'sports' cars except the small roadsters. The really villanous SUVs are of course very definitely in this band - e.g. Range Rover, up to 376g/km; Porsche Cayenne, up to 380g/km. But it's important to realise that CO₂ [thanks Andy] emissions of 4x2 and 4x4 cars are far from a bimodal distribution. And that a lot of 'ordinary' cars have four-wheel drive, as well as SUVs. And that a Mini Cooper uses slightly more fuel and emits only 10g/km less carbon dioxide than a diesel-powered Honda CR-V. And so forth.

Anyway, innovation and creativity. Really must do some work on that. I'd probably be feeling better had I not eaten that seriously-expired Quorn for dinner.

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I've been trying not to be a pedant about this too, but I was watching some detective show last night, and we were expected to believe that the junior detective, who looked about 20 and wore a baseball cap, not only drove around in a £70,000 Honda NSX, but found a customised Nissan 300ZX - which must be worth all of, what, £5,000? - incredibly exciting in comparison. There's suspension of disbelief and then there's simple balderdash...