“Consequences” for insane close pass (NMoTD 217); Sagan reacts to Giro 2020 route (+ vid); Genesis chainset recall; ‘Emergency’ filling of Queensbury Tunnel; Motoring journo films himself at 100mph on Snake Pass; Froome big in Japan +more
SUMMARY
Motoring journo filmed himself driving at 100mph on Snake Pass
A motoring journalist YouTuber has been given six points and fined more than £600 after he posted footage of himself driving on the Snake Pass at nearly 100mph.
A motoring journalist who posted a video of himself driving an Audi R8 at nearly 100mph on #SnakePass – one of the most notoriously dangerous road in the UK – has been given six points and fined more than £600. #FatalFour @DerbyshireRPU @Road_SS https://t.co/x2JIgQZUC6 pic.twitter.com/L9qObWNRX5
— Derbyshire Police (@DerbysPolice) October 21, 2019
The speed limit on the Snake Pass is 50mph, but when officers from Derbyshire Constabulary’s Roads Policing Unit happened across the footage, which was posted on Facebook, they were confident Joe Achilles had been driving way in excess of this.
They sent the video to Road Safety Support, who measured the distances between road signs and landmarks and took timings.
They calculated 11 average speeds between different points. The slowest he was travelling was 58mph and the fastest 93mph.
Achilles’ website says he runs a London based chauffeur company.
“For a man who drives for a profession I am appalled that he seemingly has so little value for the lives of other road users,” said Sergeant Adam Shipley.
“The roads of the UK are not race tracks and should not be used as such. Strapping a Go Pro to the side of a car and driving in this manner – all in a bid to get viewers on social media – is quite frankly pathetic.”
The Snake Pass is a popular road with local cyclists.
Achilles’ Twitter account describes him as a Brompton racer and Mountain bike rider and features footage of him riding up Alpe d’Huez.
(By the way, we think we deserve a pat on the back for refusing to make a single Achilles joke.)
Lidl offer klaxon!
Wooden balance bike for £30 anyone?
From today. Here’s the flyer.
What new bikes didn't get launched this year?
It’s been a really busy year for new product launches in 2019, but there are some products that didn’t get launched that we might have expected to see announced.
Here are some bikes and products we thought might get launched, but didn’t.
Not just heavy rain…
According to the Queensbury Tunnel Society, the flooding that the tunnel is suffering is at least in part because a pumping station was switched off.
It was switched off because Highways England twice failed to pay the £50 annual rent for the land on which it is sited.
If you want to understand the justification – or complete lack of it – for @HighwaysEngland ’emergency’ infilling of No.2 Shaft, we’ve produced a report about it…https://t.co/q0lIpCTJZ4 pic.twitter.com/8l2AAOXDJc
— Queensbury Tunnel (@QburyTunnel) October 23, 2019
Check out this sleek Wilier e-road bike
The march of the e-bikes is upon us and Wilier, an Italian bike brand founded in 1906 and best known for creating beautiful lightweight race bicycles, has launched its second e-road bike with the brand new Cento10 Hybrid.
Read all about it here or watch the video below.
London's cycle lanes are *always* empty...
Our cycle counter on our CS3 cycle route on the Embankment is about to reach a big milestone
Will you be the millionth person to be counted cycling past this year? https://t.co/ndsri6rVDb
— Transport for London (@TfL) October 24, 2019
Interesting point about Achilles’ speeding (see below) from Sriracha in the comments
“The fact that he filmed this and posted it are significant aggravating factors. They show that he planned this in advance, and was proud of having done it. His purpose was to drive dangerously, and he is wedded to doing the same.
“Given that I am surprised he was not banned from driving for a significant period.”
Jarlinson Pantano announces change of career
When you’re potentially facing a ban for cheating, there’s really only one career left open to you…
Jarlinson Pantano* has swapped cycling for politics, wants to get elected in Cali, Colombia. Rigo Uràn, Egan Bernal among cyclists supporting his campaign
* provisionally suspended by the UCI following a test for EPO pic.twitter.com/n2EcU1VGL8
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) October 23, 2019
Stupid is as stupid does: Batribike have a shipment of brand new e-bikes stolen... and thieves forget the batteries
“This is not how we wanted to announce our new model”, said Batribike’s MD; although hopefully the stolen bikes won’t get very far, because they’re without their unique batteries that the thieves won’t be able to source from elsewhere. Full story over on eBikeTips.
Mark Cavendish and Owain Doull win the Madison at Six Day London
Mark Cavendish and Owain Doull climbed the rankings at Six Day London yesterday after taking a lap during the Madison.
Let’s re-live that incredible @MarkCavendish and @owaindoull attack in the Madison Chase
Look at that speed
Watch #SixDayLondon LIVE:
– Eurosport 2
– Eurosport Player: https://t.co/0Fa7uXvkcz pic.twitter.com/gSy6Rqytg4— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) October 23, 2019
“You’re suffering, suffering, suffering, but when you make a move when you’re riding with Cav, the crowd just goes up and it lifts you to that next place,” said Doull, who is on his Six Day debut.
Worth pointing out that the Madison is back in the Olympics for Tokyo and Cavendish is a three-time world champion.
Cav and Doull are now fourth overall. France’s Bryan Coquard and Donavan Grondin are in the lead with Simone Consonni and Elia Viviani, who won the second Madison, second.
Even the local MP didn't know Queensbury Tunnel was being filled
Hi Edward, the Government only saw fit to inform me about this by letter yesterday! I have already responded demanding to know what evidence they have to support their claim that emergency works are necessary.
— Judith Cummins MP (@JudithCummins) October 22, 2019
They’ve started filling in Queensbury Tunnel
Campaigners have been battling to have the Queensbury rail tunnel re-opened as Europe’s longest cycling tunnel.
Earlier this week, Highways England announced emergency safety works following recent heavy rain in the area.
Apparently this is what the safety work entails…
Highways England have started filling in Queensbury Tunnel at one of the shafts. No planning permission, so they’re using emergency powers for safety reasons. Campaigners who want to reopen it’s a cycle way are outraged. @BBCLookNorth pic.twitter.com/EQolvNysaI
— Spencer Stokes (@spencerstokestv) October 22, 2019
Pavel Sivakov to ride Red Bull Timelaps this weekend
Red Bull Timelaps will be held at Windsor Great Park on the 26th and 27th of October.
1,000 riders will take part in team and solo racing.
The aim for both categories is to complete as many laps of a 6.6km closed circuit within 25 hours.
A smaller 4.5km loop will be opened at 2am for the “Power Hour” where laps count double.
Team INEOS’ Pavel Sivakov will be taking part.
“I’m incredibly excited to be racing at this year’s Red Bull Timelaps,” he said. “From everything I’ve read and watched, it seems like a unique race that should also be a lot of fun.
“It’s something completely different to a grand tour like the Vuelta or the Giro, so will be good to do going into the off season. And I’m sure it’s still going to be tough, being part of a team that needs to ride for a full 25 hours.”
The Apprentice does e-bikes
In an episode that in no way stretched the truth or embellished what would have happened in real life whatsoever, the team that came up with the Aphrodite folding e-bike managed to secure £1.2 million in sales from some of the UK’s biggest bike brands – a record in the 15 years The Apprentice been on TV. Though it featured bikes for a nice change, the show featured all the usual cluelessness, over-inflated egos and tw**tery we’ve come to expect from the contestants.
Full story on eBikeTips here, and you can watch the episode on the BBC’s iPlayer here.
The Froomedog has landed
Four months after his horrific crash at the Criterium du Dauphinne, Chris Froome will be back this weekend in Japan at the Saitama Tour de France Criterium.
It’s effectively an exhibition race, but one that gets him back in the saddle ahead of a close season in which he will continue his rehabilitation with a view to going for a record equalling fifth Tour de France title next summer.
Happy to be back in Japan for the @saitamacrite #cycling #saitama #saitamacriterium pic.twitter.com/iYGz0V8AEq
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) October 24, 2019
Don't know if you saw yesterday's story about West Highland Line carriages with space for 20 bikes
New bike-friendly carriages that will be coming to the West Highland Line next year.
We’ve not checked names off a list or anything, but we’re pretty sure our story has now been flagged for the attention of every train operator in the country.
A green light for Leicester drivers to park in new cycle lanes (for now)
Leicester’s getting a £3.9m cycle scheme along London Road and large parts of it are now finished.
Congratulations @leicsccc for putting sustainable infrastructure into the heart of the city – London Road Cycle Route #Leicester #cycling #green #fitness #HealthyLiving pic.twitter.com/uOEn6kLISL
— Warren Jukes (@WarrenJukes) October 22, 2019
However, the Leicester Mercury reports that drivers are parking in it.
One local cyclist said that when she rode along it, she kept having to veer out into traffic to avoid parked vehicles.
“There were people parked with their cars half on the cycle lanes, and others just making the last minute decision to turn left. They were not stopping to check to see if anyone was there.”
She reported all the parked cars, but the council says that drivers aren’t yet being fined for parking across the lanes, as the work on them has not yet been completed.
“Work on the cycle lanes is very nearly complete,” said a spokesperson. “Once finished, they’ll be protected by large bolt-down kerbs, bollards and parking restriction lines and enforcement will recommence.”
We'd very much like to see someone riding this
Got a Genesis Day One?
After becoming aware of a potential problem with the durability of Samox AF-13 single speed chainsets on various models of the Day One, Genesis is voluntarily recalling them and will replace them free of charge with a brand-new redesigned Samox chainset.
In a statement, the firm said: “If you have one of these bikes with the original single speed chainset, please contact your Genesis dealer so a replacement chainset can be requested from UK-distributor Sportline.
“If you are not certain if you have one of these chainsets, please take your bike to your local Genesis dealer, where they can check and confirm for you.
“We would like to sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused, but rest assured our commitment to quality remains our highest priority.”
We tend to agree
A driver improvement course for that seems a very generous outcome, https://t.co/1Fp5cCExFi
— Martin Porter QC (@MartinPorter6) October 24, 2019
Update: This was actually Near Miss of the Day 217 from November 2018.
It happened on a group ride of Warwick Lanterne Rouge Cycling Club.
In a tweet, the club said: “The rider was pretty shook up to be honest as it was SO SO close.”
They said the horsebox hit the kerb of a traffic island as the driver overtook, and that the motorist could not have missed the group as it was on a club ride involving 8 to 10 riders.
“Just a pure idiot wanting to overtake then running out of room rapidly … easy option other than braking was to nearly kill someone.”
Those #consequences again: a driver improvement course.
Peter Sagan to ride the Giro and the Tour next year
Guess who’ll be riding the @giroditalia next year?
For the first time in his career, @petosagan will be participating in the Corsa Rosa in 2020!
Read more here https://t.co/I2rQVkhpjL pic.twitter.com/Sop5viX1o4
— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) October 24, 2019
They haven’t bothered trying to make the press release quotes sound like him…
“Italy holds a special place in my heart. It is the country where I won my first World Championship in 2008 and where I spent the formative years of my professional career, riding for an Italian team.
“In the last ten years I have had the opportunity and privilege to compete, many times, in some of the most prestigious races held in Italy, but I always felt that something was missing, the Giro d’Italia.
“I don’t think there is any rider that doesn’t dream of taking part in the Corsa Rosa, one of the most beautiful and challenging races in the world. This is why I’m delighted to announce that on May 9th, I will be on the starting line in Budapest, ready to tackle this iconic Grand Tour for the first time.
“It will certainly not be an easy race but I look forward to it. With the Grande Partenza and the first three stages held in Hungary, next year’s Giro d’Italia will also give me the chance to race so close to Slovakia and I’m sure the cheers of the Slovak crowds will be felt along the course.”
Team boss Ralph Denk says he’ll ride the Tour de France too.
Giro d'Italia 2020 route unveiled - and it looks like a cracker
The route of next year’s Giro d’Italia has been announced today in Milan. With a Grande Partenza in Budapest followed by a transfer to Sicily, the race will then snake its way up Italy’s Adriatic coast ahead of a final week in the Alps – the penultimate stage to Sestriere taking in the Col d’Izoard on the way looks particularly mouth-watering – ahead of the final time trial in Milan.
Here’s the fly-through video, plus the stage-by-stage details and the overview map.
Sagan and Carapaz react to Giro 2020 route
Peter Sagan and Richard Carapaz were both present at today’s launch of the Giro d’Italia 2020 route in Milan (see post below for route details).
Carapaz is heading from Movistar to Team Ineos, and with their wealth of Grand Tour contenders, it’s too early to say whether he will be in Budapest to start the defence of his title.
Geraint Thomas has already signalled his intention to target the Giro, leaving the way clear for Chris Froome and this year’s Tour de France winner Egan Bernal to ride that race.
What does seem certain though, is that Bora-Hansgrohe’s Peter Sagan will ride the Giro – improbably, given he started his career with an Italian team, for the first time; previously, he’s preferred to spend May racing the Tour of California, where he has enjoyed great success.
Carapaz said: “The 2019 Giro d’Italia will always be a very important moment in my history as a pro rider, just thinking about it excites me!
“I owe so much to my parents and to all the people who helped me become the rider I am today. I will never stop telling the kids in Ecuador who start cycling how important it is to pursue their dreams.
“I really hope to be at the start of the Giro next year. It is a very interesting route with stages that present many surprises. In the last week, there are a lot of mountains, the Stelvio could be decisive, I really hope to be there.”
Sagan commented: “It’s nice to be here today at the presentation of the Giro d’Italia 2020 route. I want to announce that I will be at the start in Budapest. It is still a few months away but I can announce that I will be there.
“I really like this route, right from the first stages in Hungary. I am sure there will be many of my supporters on the route for the first three stages because Slovakia is very close to Hungary.
“But we will also enjoy the stages on the Italian roads, as I lived and used to train in Italy. It’s a nice Giro route; the first part suits me best but I will try to stay until the end in Milan.”
Help us to bring you the best cycling content
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £2.49. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.
31 Comments
Read more...
Read more...
Read more...
Latest Comments
@MoralHazard From what little I have read of Richardson, his life was pretty much 'ruined' in the first place.
@whosatthewheel "Reducing the speeds wouldn’t have helped in this case" Yes, it would, because knowing the junction layout very well (I live nearby) the driver approached it at high speed, likely did a quick check to his right (from where Mr Mullins approached), and continued on at high speed. Making it a T-junction would have forced him to slow down to a crawl before turning - else he'd have gone through the hedge opposite.
@andystow That is, or at least used to be, the notorious cost/benefit analysis applied to roads by the Department for Transport.
There are parts of the UK that are not yet called 'London', surprising as that might appear to readers of this story and similar ones in the national media.
@mdavidford Ah. Thank you.
@kil0ran Look, you are arguing against higher profits for car manufacturers obtained through changing to SUVs and 'trucks'. To argue thusly is a heinous offence under capitalism. If it is not already unlawful we can expect that to change soon, given the seriousness with which holding a sign declaring support for Palestine Action is taken by the police, media and criminal justice system.
@whosatthewheel Perhaps there is a correlation between high levels of wealth and sociopathy.
@Rendel Harris Wow. A reasoned comment using evidence. Are you real? You must be a lefty... which the far right thinks is a term of abuse.
@Mr Blackbird Judging by the coverage on The Daily Mail, it is treated as a 'reason' to bring back hanging.
Neil here, the guy in charge of Kingston Wheelers visual identity. That poster was sent out without my approval. When I found out about it I was not happy. I’m a professional animator and designer with a zero tolerance approach to AI slop. It never appeared on our official channels, and one were to look at our IG feed, it should be obvious that we promote good design. It was too late to stop it as it had been shared by the local ‘cross leagues already by the time I found out about it. We take great care on how we present ourselves. Currently we are working with an external brand agency on our upcoming rebrand and new website, for example. I myself have designed many event posters over the years and we’ve worked with some very talented illustrators, designers and photographers. It’s been communicated to the members that no AI is to be used for anything that could be construed as club communication. I do wish Jo had reached out for comment before publishing this as it makes us look lazy and generic. I hope you are going to correct the record, Jo? Best wishes, Neil Grunshaw
31 thoughts on ““Consequences” for insane close pass (NMoTD 217); Sagan reacts to Giro 2020 route (+ vid); Genesis chainset recall; ‘Emergency’ filling of Queensbury Tunnel; Motoring journo films himself at 100mph on Snake Pass; Froome big in Japan +more”
But that can’t be right,
But that can’t be right, surely? I mean, that just doesn’t happen.
The journalist pays “road tax”, and they have a registration plate on their car, and they’re driving A Car, so they surely can’t possibly have broken the law…?
Quote:
Doesn’t surprise me.
Seems that spurious claims of “emergency powers” get made by “our” Government quite a lot nowadays…
The fact that he filmed this
The fact that he filmed this and posted it are significant aggravating factors. They show that he planned this in advance, and was proud of having done it. His purpose was to drive dangerously, and he is wedded to doing the same.
Given that I am surprised he was not banned from driving for a significant period.
Sriracha wrote:
Exactly; he showed intent, so this was not some accidental breaking of the limit, and the amount he broke it by is so huge, 86%, on a road he must have known to have a poor safety record, that he should have been banned for a considerable time and made to re-sit his driving test. By any measure, he is clearly not a fit person to hold a licence to operate lethal machinery in a public place.
But, you know, hardship, and driving is a right etc.
He’s getting lots of support from petrolheads on twitter, but the most popular post is:
“The guy who hit me at 80 mph reckoned he was a great driver. I tell myself the same thing when I put my prosthetic legs on every morning.”
burtthebike wrote:
Exactly; he showed intent, so this was not some accidental breaking of the limit, and the amount he broke it by is so huge, 86%, on a road he must have known to have a poor safety record, that he should have been banned for a considerable time and made to re-sit his driving test. By any measure, he is clearly not a fit person to hold a licence to operate lethal machinery in a public place.
But, you know, hardship, and driving is a right etc.
He’s getting lots of support from petrolheads on twitter, but the most popular post is:
“The guy who hit me at 80 mph reckoned he was a great driver. I tell myself the same thing when I put my prosthetic legs on every morning.”— Sriracha
Just to be clear, I don’t disagree with either of you that the driving was idiotic and reprehensible. However, it seems he was charged with speeding, not with careless or dangerous driving. Premeditation is not (legally speaking) an aggravating factor for that offence – there’s just a simple scale for how much you broke the limit by. The sentence is a fine and either disqualification for somewhere in the range 7 – 56 days, or given 6 points, but not both. He got the latter. I would guess he was charged with speeding as it’s the easier offence, it may have been difficult to demonstrate any aspect of the driving other than the speed that was dangerous, and a careless or dangerous charge could have gone before a sympathetic jury, whereas speeding is magistrate only.
burtthebike wrote:
They’re not petrolheads, they’re wankers. Proper petrolheads save those speeds for the track, not the roads.
Don’t confuse genuine petrolheads with the status-obsessed wankers who tear around at antisocial speeds and care more about their infotainment systems than they do about their standard of driving.
That r8 did sound good though
That r8 did sound good though. If was up to such deeds and needed to put it on Youtube I’d pretend I was a US diplomat or relation of, as they can get away with anything.
“For a man who drives for a
“For a man who drives for a profession I am appalled that he seemingly has so little value for the lives of other road users,” said Sergeant Adam Shipley.
Has Adam ever come across taxi drivers, bus drivers, lorry drivers…?
I’m amazed (but sadly not
I’m amazed (but sadly not surprised) at the number of people who seem to think it’s OK to drive at 90+ along that road which has a limit of 50.
Holy horsebox! On the West
Holy horsebox! On the West Mercia Police video, I’ve said this before but:- that moment when you think “that was close”, and then realise there’s a trailer coming too… That one is absolutely terrifying
quiff wrote:
Don’t overlook the lovely and totally safe way that the horsebox was actually bouncing
Holy Shitballs, that close
Holy Shitballs, that close pass by a vehicle towing a trailer and you get a “Driver Improvement course”.
West Mercia Police need to rethink publishing that as a good thing. FFS the driver hit the pedestrian crossing with the trailer and almost lost control of their vehicle as a result of the MGIF attitude.
I am just wondering whether or not the RSPCA might want to be looking at whether or not that particular person should be allowed to keep horses (or whatever large animals) would most likely have been in that trailer.
That should have been as a minimum a conviction for dangerous driving. That could so easily have ended with the death of the cyclist. If that trailer instead of bouncing over the traffic island, had skipped sideways it would have caused catastrophic injuries to the cyclist. But hey the cyclist only got a little fright so we can’t do anything more than give a slap on the wrist to the driver.
The horsebox incident, with
The horsebox incident, with possibly the most dangerous close pass ever, with the driver receiving the totally disproportionate sentence of a driver improvement course, makes me wonder exactly who they know in the West Mercia police. In any sane society, that driver wouldn’t be driving for the next five years.
Never mind, the government’s review of road laws, which started in 2014, is sure to bring sense.
burtthebike wrote:
FTFY.
brooksby wrote:
You’re right, thanks.
burtthebike wrote:
Glad to help. I’d presumed it was a typo.
Standard driving from
Standard driving from horsebox driver. The absolute worst drivers round here. Don’t say hello to a horse rider though and you’re scum
Looks like the horsebox
Looks like the horsebox actually hit the centre island – the offside wheel seems airborne. So yes, the RSPCA should be interested. So should the BHS.
Horse owners are the first to get uppity if you baulk them driving their horsebox with its precious charge inside. Rightly so, it’s not the horse’s fault. God fobid you do it whilst they are actually riding their steed. How much brain can it take to see that cyclists are likewise vulberable road users?
Sriracha wrote:
It’s a shocker alright, the horsebox did hit the centre island curb, but no horses inside box. This was a club member of mine whilst out with another club, he was pretty shook up from it. I’m glad he captured this on camera. Without that footage, there’d have been no repercussions whatsoever it seems.
So… dangerous driving round
So… dangerous driving round cyclists and someone else posts it on youtube… driver awareness course.
Post your own video on youtube of you driving fast… 6 points and a fine + costs.
Next time, to avoid inconvenience and expense Joe Achilles should get cyclists to post videos of him zooming past them.
Horsebox pass – so close, so
Horsebox pass – so close, so dangerous; worst I’ve seen. Pathetic slap on wrist.
These days I take matters into my own hands… and take the lane through pinch points; looking back in advance, indicating if needed to reinforce the manoeuvre.
Bournemouth is the place to
Bournemouth is the place to ride
https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/17990024.mcdonalds-milkshake-thrown-car-cyclist-potentially-lethal-force-near-somerford/?Ref=fbpg
Pyro Tim wrote:
Lots of comments from people with no grasp of physics.
On the speeding moron, didn’t
On the speeding moron, didn’t a roadcc member have his offer of working out the speeding claim using the same methodology as used above rejected by police?
I love the fact that they
I love the fact that they decided a Driver Awareness Course because of his previous clean record. Are they really stating he is such a law abiding citizen and this is a one off case they would never have expected? It was only through pure luck that the box didnt send the rider to his grave, but I’m sure then it might have been upgraded to points on the license as he has such a clean driving record normally.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
No first-time burglar is a burglar until they’ve first burgled.
So clearly, we should send all first-time burglars on a Property Awareness Course…
TBH, Ive held a driving
TBH, Ive held a driving license for over 25 years. I know I have had close calls through my own fault and others in that time. The highway code has probably had multiple changes but even if it hadn’t, I couldnt remember most of it. My dad got his license driving trucks in the National Service in the late 40’s / early 50’s and never had to take a retest. I think most current drivers agree that with the bad habits they pick up driving, they would fail the practical test.
After seeing the videos like above, and experiencing first hand on the bike in the last few years, I have come to the conclusion that refresher tests should be mandatory every 10 years and if you fail, you lose your license until you retake and pass. Fork lift truck drivers have to do this but driving a 20 ton HGV or a 2 ton Chelsea Tractor is ok, the former only requiring regular medicals after 45 and the latter not even requiring that until you are 80.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
Couldn’t agree more.
Given that you now have to renew your photocard licence every ten years anyway, there is no good reason not to make passing a competence test part of the renewal process.
So Foookling dangerous. The
So Foookling dangerous. The vehicle only just made it passed the central island, the trailer mounted the island and fishtailed, so close to the rider. That is dangerous driving without a doubt.
A complaint at the police chief for what amounts to slap on the wrist. That one deserves a short custodial sentence
I don’t know when it became
I don’t know when it became the default to just keep going, or even to speed up when a situation looks a bit tight. Nobody seems to just brake and wait a few seconds until the situation becomes safe anymore.
I think it might come from
I think it might come from the infantile school of motoring, encouraged by top gear/clarkeson idiocy, where the answer to anything seems to be POWER!.