Wednesday, September 11, 2013

The Revolution was a technological success.

The Revolution was a technological success.

"Before the 1960s, the population of India was multiplying like rats in a barn," said Jagjit Singh Hara, "but we didn't have the grain to feed them. After the Green Revolution, we doubled our yield and now we have proved that India can feed the world".

But the process has limits and they may have been reached. Population, on the other hand, has continued to rise in poor parts of the world.

The graph, compiled for the BBC by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, shows that while yield per hectare has increased, the amount of land used for the major staple grains has remained fairly constant; this is because the amount of good farmland is finite.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Duck Dynasty

Duck Dynasty is a reality television series on A&E. It shows the lives of the Robertson family, who became wealthy from their family-operated business, Duck Commander, operated in West MonroeLouisiana, which makes products for duck hunters, primarily the duck call named Duck Commander. The Robertson men, brothers Phil and Si, and Phil's sons Jase, Willie, and Jep, are known for their long beards. The business began in a family shed, where Phil Robertson spent 25 years making duck calls from Louisiana cedar trees.[1] His son Willie is now the CEO of the company. The family was previously featured on the series Benelli Presents Duck Commander and its spin-off Buck Commander, which still airs on the Outdoor Channel.[2] On June 10, 2013, it was announced that the family is working on a Christmas album, titled Duck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas. It is scheduled for release on October 29, 2013.[3]

Tibetan Mastiff

Zoo visitors in China are in an uproar after a wildlife park tried to pass off a Tibetan mastiff dog as an African lion.

 

A Chinese news agency reports that visitors became suspicious when the supposed "big cat" started barking at the zoo in the Henan Province.

Officials are apologizing and claim the mix-up occurred because they couldn't afford to have real lions.

Paulina Gretzky

Golfer Dustin Johnson is having a pretty good year. He won the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, has five top-10 finishes, finished tied for eighth at this year's PGA Championship and is No. 14 on the PGA Tour's money list with earnings of $2,572,844.

Oh, and he just got engaged to Paulina Gretzky, daughter of The Great One, Wayne Gretzky. Yup, things are looking up for Johnson.

He posted the picture on Instagram, with the caption "She said yes!!!!!"

Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are an American Football team in the National Football League based in SeattleWashington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference (NFC), and joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Seahawks have had some notable stars on the team, such as Steve LargentJim ZornDave KriegKenny EasleyCurt WarnerJoe NashBrian BladesCortez KennedyJoey GallowayWarren MoonWalter JonesShaun AlexanderMatt HasselbeckRussell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch. Two of them have inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and some have been inducted into theSeahawks Ring of Honor. Seattle is the only team to have played in the AFC (American Football Conference) and NFC Championship Games, winning the latter. The Seahawks have won seven division titles, the first two from 1988 and1999 coming from the AFC West, and their only Super Bowl appearance was in 2006 for Super Bowl XL.


Seahawks

For the record, I really dislike writing post-game wrap-up articles because quick first impressions can be can be flat wrong and watching live you tend to miss what about 20 of the 22 players on the field are doing at any given time. It's easy to forget some of the good things and the bad things you saw, and it's chaotic trying to sort out all the stats and numbers without a 2nd or 3rd viewing to match them up to what happened on the field.

With that in mind, here are some thoughts I had whilst watching the game for the 2nd and 3rd times last night and this morning.

Running Backs:

My initial impression was that Robert Turbin didn't have the greatest game - I had visions of several ankle tackles at the line of scrimmage or downfield when Turbin had a lot of green in front of him, plus one missed blitz pickup where he held and drew a penalty. Upon further viewing though, he definitely did some nice things out there and showed some power pushing the pile and gaining positive yards. Here's how I view the running backs group, for what it's worth:

Turbin is a different style running back than Marshawn Lynch. Lynch is elite because of two things - lateral agility/explosiveness and raw, punishing power. I would probably add vision as his third attribute that makes him elite. When you watch Marshawn Lynch with the football in his hands, he's making explosively quick lateral cuts behind the line - subtle at times - making defenders miss in the backfield and setting up linebackers and safeties in the secondary to take bad angles and miss tackles. It's like he's sees two or three moves ahead. When Lynch runs, you see the rubber pellets or dirt clods flying behind him while he's making these explosive cuts laterally - somewhat like a slide step by a defender in basketball - all the while he keeps his balance going forward and somehow packs more punch than you'd expect from a human being of that size. When Lynch runs, if you used a highlighter to track his path, it would probably zig-zag at sharp angles all the way down the field rather than smooth arcs or a one-cut and go style. This is why it's so weird to see him run in a straight line. He just looks weird doing that.

Turbin, though, from my impression, lacks that lateral burst and agility, and when he changes direction sideline to sideline, he loses some speed and power. This is partly why I think he gets picked up with these ankle tackles. When asked to change direction laterally, he loses some of his inertia - something Lynch is not burdened with - and some of the power in his legs dissipates. While Lynch's legs break through those tackles, Turbin's get hung up and he falls forward.

What Turbin does have, though, in spades, is explosive north-south speed and acceleration. I'm not expecting Turbo or Christine Michael or Spencer Ware to be Marshawn Lynch - Lynch was the 11th overall pick for a reason, he's elite for a reason, and by definition elite players don't grow on trees - but, I do expect that Turbin will be an effective and useful player in this system. Because Seattle will focus on what he can do over what he can't do.

It comes back to that speed and acceleration that makes him a change of pace from Lynch. When Turbin sees daylight ahead of him, there might not be a player on this team that can get from 0 to 60 in a faster time. He accelerates like a drag racer and once he has a full head of steam he's tough to bring down. So, when Turbin has a nice seam in front of him, he can take advantage better than maybe any back on this roster, - that's why you see him hit the hole at full speed and sometimes he'll get gobbled up by the line and sometimes he'll emerge unscathed like the Millennium Falcon flying out of the Death Star's explosion (god I'm a nerd).  But, I also don't necessarily think he's a creative runner nor an elusive one. He'll get around the corner on you at times, and has the speed to be dangerous out there, but he's not going to create much if the blocking up front breaks down and won't make many miss with quick jukes or stutter steps. Or, at least, he hasn't much yet, in my opinion.

In the zone blocking scheme, that's okay, really, because the idea is for the offensive line to, on wide-zone, get the defense flowing to the sideline and create cutback lanes (which Turbin can explode upfield through), or on inside zone, create a seam right up the middle for the back to explode in to. At that point, it's Turbin against safety or linebacker, and if Turbin can get two or three steps to get to full speed, holy shit watch out, because he will run you over. Turbin had a few nice runs last night doing exactly this - hitting the hole at full speed and taking a linebacker or safety about four or five yards downfield just as they hold on for dear life to this runaway freight train about to go off the tracks.

The other thing about Turbo that I really like is that he's a strong receiver out of the backfield. When he catches the ball, he gets back up to full speed quickly, and again, god help you if you're a cornerback trying to tackle him on a short leak out route because he's not going to go around you, he'll go through you.

Now - most of this analysis is based on last year's tape, but I think it showed up last night too. Turbo is a great weapon to have in this offense, so don't take some of the critiques I offer as meaning I'm down on him as a player.

What Turbo lacks in lateral agility and power in the phone booth, Spencer Ware shines in that area. Ware isn't a speedster, but he has nice vision as a runner, good forward lean and takes short, explosive choppy steps that make guys miss in the open field. Ware was stuffed behind the line a few times in Saturday night's game, but he also had some runs where he sifted through the chaff past the second level and picked up extra yards where a less physical or agile back would have gone down. I see Ware more in the category that Lynch fits in to as a laterally explosive tackle breaker, - creative after the initial first couple of steps, and a strong-finisher rather than a home-run hitter - which is why the thought of Ware and Turbo complementing each other in the backfield is exciting.

At the end of the day, I'm thinking more and more that Seattle will keep five running backs this season. I think they're high on Ware as a tailback that could potentially transition to H-back/Fullback down the line, but for now is more valuable as a change of pace or wear you down at the end of the game type of weapon. He's only 21, he's on a rookie deal, and he's flashed enough for them to keep him around to develop him down the line. Keeping five means that Mike Rob will still be lead-blocking in the I-formation for Marshawn Lynch, but in split back shotgun looks, pistol formations, or anything in between, having versatile pass-catching and open field threats like Turbin and Ware makes this offense that much more deadly. While Mike Rob is dangerous on Spider Y Banana as a leak out route on bootlegs, you don't see him running any traditional routes and he's even less agile in the open field than Turbin.

Regardless, in the aggregate, Seattle's five top running backs have a wide-ranging skillset and style, and thinking about defending this team's punishing and relentless run game - a team that ran more than any other in the NFL last year - must keep defensive coordinators up all night. I haven't even talked about Russell Wilson yet.

Offensive line:

Anyway. So how does Seattle keep five running backs? By going with 9 offensive linemen. This is something I've been throwing around in my head lately and with the way that Tom Cable has been experimenting with Alvin Bailey and Michael Bowie, I am starting to think this is how it will play out.

With Bowie and Bailey each getting time at guard and tackle last night, Seattle would, in theory, be capable of carrying 9 offensive linemen (with one on the practice squad) and not have to worry too, too much about quality depth at either tackle or guard position (because Bowie and Bailey are both T/G). The main issue becomes the center position, so Lemuel Jeanpierre, John Moffitt, Mike Person, or Rishaw Johnson can fight for that honor as backup center. Further, Bowie and Bailey's emergence gives Seattle some wiggle room with Paul McQuistan - who is slated at starter at left guard but has competition with James Carpenter and the trio of Bowie, Bailey, and Moffitt. Ryan Seymour and Jared Smith seem like perfect practice squad candidates and Mike Person might be a guy you could sneak onto the PS if he's still eligible (I'm too lazy to look thatt up).

Last night, I thought that both Bowie and Bailey looked natural at the multiple positions they played, and Seattle as a whole has still only given up one sack all preseason. This emergence of possible quality depth could shake things up on the o-line and give Seattle the option to keep 9. When it comes down to quality skill players like Ware or Robinson over a backup tenth offensive lineman, it will be interesting to see which direction they go.

The other option, of course, is to keep only five receivers and run with five running backs and ten linemen. With Chris Harper still not doing anything to separate himself from the rest of the bubble, Seattle may just go with the group of Golden Tate, Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, and Stephen Williams.

Kearse looks like a very quality fourth receiver (eventual fifth receiver once Percy gets back) - he runs quick, fundamental routes and can play all three receiver positions, plus stands out on special teams. His route for a touchdown last night was textbook - faking a slant on the wing, turning his head back into Russell Wilson, which got the corner in coverage to turn his hips and false step forward. Once the corner turned his hips, Kearse broke outside quickly, and the corner had to turn all the way around back toward the middle of the field, and was toast. That kind of awesome route and separation is the reason Wilson could pick up a botched snap and still make the throw from the pocket.

Likewise, Williams showed his ability as a deep threat again in this one, but also ran some nice routes underneath and caught a crossing pass over the middle of the field as well. Williams gunned on at least one punt, and was badly juked and missed his tackle (this was the big Trindon Holliday return), so his special teams' contributions are still very much up in the air. I am still thinking he makes it regardless, though.

Tight Ends:

The tight end group is interesting. Sean McGrath separated himself somewhat as the third tight end for this roster, but he isn't explosive downfield and I didn't really see him doing a whole lot of run blocking in-line. Jameson Konz got some garbage time late in the game and looked really, really fast, but again, didn't see him do much blocking and he didn't get any targets downfield. Cooper Helfet caught a nice pass crossing the field and toe-touching at the sideline, so he's impossible to discount at this moment as well. Darren Fells looks like the real deal out there - size-wise - but he got held up at the line of scrimmage badly on each of the downfield routes I saw him run, so he has a lot lot work on with his releases - using his hands to deflect defenders and fight through the jam. It really effects timing when you can't get off the line and settle into zones.

I do still think Seattle will look to swing a trade for a tight end before it's all said and done, but for now, it looks like McGrath is still the favorite.

Defensive line:

Jesse Williams' play is kind of concerning at this point. Williams got most of his snaps with the twos and threes and didn't show anything in terms of a pass rush, and at times was pushed back off the line too easily. He's a space-eater, and these are super vanilla schemes, so maybe his value as a nose tackle or base three-tech will be seen later on, but in the game last night, he didn't do anything that impressed me (not that I am an expert on defensive line play). At this point, it's a toss-up as to who is more effective between Clinton McDonald and Williams - and I'd really only side with Williams because of potential and club control. At the three-technique spot, I think Jordan Hill has shown a lot more versatility and explosiveness than Williams so he may be fighting for more snaps in the starting unit there.

I think Hill had another good game. He was active, disruptive, and I like how he hand-fights, holds his ground, and keeps his eyes in the backfield at all times. He never seems to lose track of where the play is going, and if he's out of position, he reacts quickly to compensate. I don't think that Seattle's first-team run defense was overly good or bad last night, but if Hill can play the run he's going to earn a lot of playing time.

Also, rookie UDFA Michael Brooks continues to surprise me. He was in the backfield on several occasions in Week 1, and made a couple more flash plays last night. He's sort of in the Michael Bennett mold as an undersized penetrator with strong, strong hands, quick feet, and an explosive first step.

If you've noticed, Bennett's get-off on the snap is lightning quick, and he beats offensive linemen when a quick step one way and a counter step another way. Strong swim move, relentless, violent playing style. He's not overpowering, he's just too quick and too violent to be blocked. Bennett, if he can stay healthy, looks to be a core player in this defense, and made some really nice plays again last night.

The Seahawks found themselves stuck to some personnel groupings early on when Peyton Manning and the Broncos went no-huddle and some hurry up, and Red Bryant got some snaps on the interior, and it wasn't necessarily what you'd hope. He is so long and plays so upright that he gets pushed off at the snap and sometimes five or ten yards out of the play. This upright style is suited for the five-technique spot because he's playing against tackles, but when you get him playing a center-guard combo block, he's washed out of the play too easily. This is something Dan Quinn may have to get worked out when playing against teams that employ the no-huddle.

LEOs:

Seattle's corps of SAM linebacker and LEOs is actually a little stronger than I had thought. While the Seahawks weren't able to generate a ton of pressure early on, guys like O'Brien Schofield, Benson Mayowa, and even Kyle Knox showed some potential as pass rushers. Knox in particular - who was playing off the line mostly as a WILL or MIKE before, lined up with his hand in the turf a few times and looked good - busting past Broncos' right tackle Vinston Painter for a sack on one play and nearly doing the same a short while later.

I can't wait to see how this group shakes out. Mayowa looks like a depth guy at the moment, but his potential is intriguing. If Chris Clemons makes it back for Week 1, though, he's more likely a practice squad type.

Defensive Secondary:

One more note on the game - I am starting to think that Winston Guy may be on the outs this year, and guys like DeShawn Shead and Jeron Johnson are pushing past him. Shead is intriguing in particular because of his ability to potentially play cornerback as well, so his versatility as a free safety/corner hybrid sets him apart. Derek Stephens brought this point up to me this morning, but with the Seahawks' ability to rush the passer from more angles with their SAM/LEO corps, Guys' value as a nickel pass rusher is somewhat diminished. This means he needs to be stronger in coverage but will he be stronger in that area than Shead or Jeron? We'll see.

More later.

Iams Recall

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Procter & Gamble is voluntarily recalling some of its dry dog and cat food because of potential Salmonella contamination. The company said the products were distributed to most states along the East Coast, including Georgia.

The recall includes select packages of Iams dry dog and cat food, and Eukanuba dog food. Use-by dates generally are November 2014. A complete list is at www.iams.com. P&G said all retailers have been notified and are working to remove the products.

No illnesses have been reported, P&G said. Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans, the company said.

P&G said it is recalling the products as a precautionary measure. The company said the products represent one-tenth of 1 percent of its production and were made during a 10 day window at a single manufacturing site. No other dry dog or cat food products are affected, P&G said.

Consumers who purchased them should stop using the products and discard it and contact P&G toll-free at 800-208-0172, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Laura Prepon

We already know Donna Pinciotti — played by Orange Is the New Black star Laura Prepon — was the most badass character on That 70s Show, but we had no idea she was also secretly psychic.

Fraley: Rangers’ Perez outpitches his idol, King Felix

Perez, the Rangers’ growing left-hander, followed up his first major league complete game with a suitable encore: outperforming his idol. Perez pitched seven innings in a 15-3 victory against Seattle and its ace, “King Felix” Hernandez, at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Perez was not as precise as he was in the complete-game win Sunday at Houston. He trailed after four pitches but gathered himself and harnessed the excitement brought on by facing a national hero in his homeland of Venezuela. Perez grew up watching telecasts of Hernandez’s games and marveling at his ability.

The win returned the Rangers to a 1 1/2-game lead over Oakland in the AL West.

“Winning the game, pitching against Felix Hernandez, it’s great,” Perez said. “I feel pretty good now.”

Perez has won three consecutive starts. In his last four starts, he has a 2.12 ERA. With the rotation down to four healthy starters, Perez is blooming at the right time for the Rangers.

“You’re watching him grow in front of your eyes,” manager Ron Washington said. “But as I always say, a couple of outings don’t make a season. Just let the kid continue to pitch and have fun and grow. Watch it and enjoy it.”

Hernandez entered with the American League’s top ERA at 2.28. He lasted only five innings, allowing five runs. The Rangers beat Hernandez for the third time in four meetings this season.

They spotted Hernandez a two-run advantage but flattened him with a five-run second inning that featured a suicide-squeeze bunt and a hit-and-run single, but no homers.

“That inning was perfect,” said Elvis Andrus, who had a vital hit.

The Rangers had near-flawless execution in the second. The telling fact was the Rangers had six plate appearances with a runner at third and fewer than two outs. They scored on four of those appearances.

Jurickson Profar drove in a run with a single, and David Murphy followed with a two-run double against his favorite pitcher. Murphy is hitting .329 with 16 RBIs in 73 career at-bats against Hernandez.

The Rangers played small ball to get the final two runs. Leonys Martin put a squeeze bunt in the perfect spot, scoring Profar. Andrus followed with a hit-and-run single through the gaping hole on the right side, producing the final run of the inning.

The Rangers won their sixth consecutive game in which they did not hit a homer, tying Cleveland for the longest such streak in the AL. They scored a season-high in runs and matched the second-highest run total for a homerless game in club history. The Rangers had 16 in a homerless win against Detroit in 1976.

“They were grinding against a very good pitcher,” Washington said. “When we can do that, that’s when we’re at our best.”

 

Laura Prepon

Laura Prepon and Orange Is the New Black have received strong reviews, but the actress will be leaving the Netflix show after this season. The former That '70s Show star will appear in a limited role in some episodes in the second season of Orange Is the New Black before wrapping up her storyline, Buzzfeed reports. Though she'll have the option to return in the future, Prepon has not inked a contract for the next season. She plays Alex Vause, the former girlfriend of lead character Piper (Taylor Schilling); their relationship lands Piper in prison, which is the catalyst for the show's main storyline.

2013 Summer TV Preview

Netflix has made big moves into original programming this year, reviving Arrested Development for a fourth season and picking up nine Emmy nominations for the political drama House of Cards. The streaming media service also released its first original feature filmShotgun Wedding, this past April Fools Day.

Season Two of Orange Is the New Black started filming last month in New York and will premiere next year.



Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/laura-prepon-leaving-orange-is-the-new-black-20130815#ixzz2cKYfJjk1 
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8-run eighth inning fuels Rangers' 15-3 rout of Mariners

ARLINGTON  — Long before the Texas Rangers set a season high for runs, the AL West leaders had a big inning against Felix Hernandez that put them ahead to stay.

Jurickson Profar hit an RBI single before scoring on a suicide squeeze in a five-run outburst against Hernandez, all the runs Texas managed in five innings against Seattle’s ace on the way to a 15-3 victory over the Mariners on Saturday night.

“I can’t put a finger on it, because there’s games when he’s really dominated us,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “One thing you have to do against King, and it was odd tonight, usually when he gets a lead, he knows how to take it home.”

The Rangers finished off their big night with an eight-run eighth in which Profar had another RBI single.

Profar had a nifty slide to score on the bunt by Leonys Martin that dribbled only a few feet in front of the plate in the second inning. Seattle catcher Henry Blanco pounced on the ball and reached back trying to tag Profar, who made an elusive move to slide around and slap the back tip of the plate.

“It was pretty close, but I never tagged him,” Blanco said. “You’ve got to expect anything. It was a good situation for them. Against a good pitcher like Felix, you’re trying to get as many runs as you can.”

Rookie left-hander Martin Perez (6-3) pitched into the eighth to win his third consecutive start in August, even after giving up single runs in each of the first three innings.

Perez had allowed exactly four hits in each of his previous three starts, including his first career complete game six days earlier.

The Mariners had four hits in the first two innings, when they built a 2-0 lead — usually plenty for Hernandez (12-6). He was 103-25 with a 2.80 ERA in his previous 170 career starts when Seattle scored at least two runs for him.

Hernandez had a season-high five walks and allowed five runs and five hits. The big right-hander, who threw eight shutout innings last Sunday against Milwaukee, came in as the American League ERA leader, but that mark went from 2.28 to 2.47 — higher than the 2.41 for Hiroki Kuroda of the New York Yankees.

“My pitches were flat, up and I was not getting ahead of them. It just started in the second inning. I tried to settle down,” Hernandez said. “I was wild. It was just mechanics. I was too quick to the plate.”

Adrian Beltre led off the Rangers second with an eight-pitch plate appearance. Beltre shouted out to Hernandez, his former teammate and good friend, while running to first base on his sharp single to center.

Texas loaded the bases with another hit and a walk before Profar blooped an RBI single and David Murphy hit a two-run double to deep center. Elvis Andrus added an RBI single after Martin’s bunt for a 5-2 lead.

“Beltre got us going, and from that point on we just made contact and found some holes. It was a perfect situation right there to squeeze,” Washington said. “With some luck, probably could have scored more runs. But I’m not going to be greedy. I’m going to take what we got.”

Hernandez hadn’t allowed more than three earned runs in his previous nine starts since June 20. He is 0-3 with a 5.55 ERA in four starts against Texas this season.

Kyle Seager homered and had an RBI single for the Mariners, who have lost 13 of 20. He extended his hitting streak at Rangers Ballpark to 13 games since May 2012.

Brad Miller led off the game with a double and scored on a single by Seager, who was picked off second base by Perez. Dustin Ackley had a single and stolen base in the second before scoring on Brendan Ryan’s single.

Seager’s 19th homer, a 409-foot shot into the second deck in right field, came in the third.

NOTES: It was Texas’ highest-scoring game at Rangers Ballpark without hitting a home run. The stadium is in its 20th season. … Murphy’s 16 career RBIs vs. Hernandez are more than any other player. … Craig Gentry pinch-hit for the Rangers for the fourth game in a row, and reached each time. He had a pinch two-run double in the seventh, and added an RBI fielder’s choice in the eighth in the No. 9 spot where Murphy started. … Beltre is 6 for 12 this season against Hernandez. The Rangers third baseman, who played five seasons in Seattle, was 3 for 15 previously.

  1. jake pavelka Breaking News and Photos | .com

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Phillies fire Manuel, Sandberg named interim manager - Philly.com

the butler way

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BMW 320d xDrive Auto road test

Are you one of the many company car drivers who got stranded in snow last winter? If so, you may want to have a good look at the BMW 320d Sport xDrive.

Effectively, it combines all of the attributes which make the 320d one of the best company cars with a four-wheel drive system for bags of extra grip. The thing is, you do have to pay for it. In fact, not only is the two-wheel drive version a whopping £3,000 cheaper, it’s also cheaper to run and emits less CO2 so is cheaper to tax too.

Let’s find out how much, then. Emitting 125g/km of CO2, the xDrive model qualifies for 19 percent Benefit-in-Kind taxation. With a P11d value of £32,435 that means a monthly tax bill of £108 for a 20 percent tax payer and up to double that for 40 percent tax payers.

The two-wheel drive Sport, however, sits two percent lower than the xDrive and will cost £93 per month at 20 percent. Which means over 12 months you’ll save £180 in tax alone.

Of course, it’s highly unlikely you’ll actually pay that amount each month since you’ll probably want some optional extras. Our car came with nearly £10,000 of extra equipment, which pushes the monthly tax bill up to £129 per month on the 20 percent pay scale.

We’re not quite sure we’d pick all of the options on our car, though. We’d certainly splash out on the Professional media package – it’s intuitive and slick to use with the rotary controller next to the gear lever. The system features real-time traffic information for the built-in sat-nav, along with Bluetooth handsfree and even access to the internet.

BMW 320d xDrive

If you’re an enthusiastic driver then the adaptive suspension system is worth a punt too. You can adjust the stiffness of the suspension depending on whether you’d like a softer, more comfortable ride or a sportier and bumpier experience. This is controlled using the switch on the driver’s side of the gear lever.

So, on the open road the 320d is impressive. It has that rare cocktail of excellent handling and decent ride quality. The steering is a little vague, especially around the straight ahead, but it is incredibly well-weighted so it offers drivers enough accuracy.  This weighting can be changed as per the setting you put the car in, be it Comfort, Sport or Sport+.

You may be wondering whether the four-wheel drive system actually has any effect on the way the 320d drives. Of course, there’s a lot more grip available, but you also lose a tiny bit of engagement in the process. It’s down to the fact that the front wheels are doing steering and driving together, which dilutes the excellent purity you can feel in the regular 3 Series chassis and its rear-wheel drive configuration.

The somewhat noisy diesel engine will get the xDrive from 0-62mph in the same time as the normal 320d - 7.4 seconds - while its top speed is 142mph, which is a 1mph reduction.

In terms of range the xDrive suffers once again. BMW claims an official fuel economy figure of 58.9mpg for the four-wheel drive car and 62.8mpg for the two-wheel drive one. That means you’ll get an extra 50 miles per tank of diesel by choosing the two-wheel drive car. The range itself is up to 777 miles for the xDrive, although we’d expect closer to 550 when driving at normal speeds.

BMW 320d xDrive

Our car is in Sport trim, which means you get features such as 17-inch alloys, gloss black interior trim, red stitching on the seats and steering wheel, and an aggressive look for the grille on the front bumper. It’s designed to look sporty, and it does.

So, this is a car you should be looking at if you’re after BMW quality but with the extra levels of grip afforded by four-wheel drive. Just be wary that you’ll have to pay for the privilege.

You can read our full review of the BMW 3 Series by clicking here.

Mercedes-Benz SLK AMG (12 on) - Review

The Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG Roadster is a convertible performance car with a folding hard-top.

It’s based upon the regular SLK but comes with a huge petrol engine which makes it one seriously quick cabriolet. While it’s not the best driver’s car in its class – the Porsche Boxster takes that title - it’s extremely quick and does offer the enthusiastic driver a level of enjoyment befitting its price tag. 

Big petrol engine

The engine in the SLK 55 is the real news here. It’s a 5.5-litre V8 which develops enough power to get it to 62mph in 4.6 seconds. Its top speed is electronically limited to 155mph. On the road those performance figures are believable, but the thing you really notice isn’t the speed. It’s the noise this car makes.

Bellowing out from the quartet of exhaust pipes, there’s a thunderous roar from the V8 as the rear tyres battle to hook into the tarmac and get you on your way.

Thanks to its rear-wheel drive configuration it handles fairly well too, the steering sharp and precise and the controls well-weighted. All that grunt is metred out through a seven-speed automatic gearbox which Mercedes calls ‘Speedshift Plus’, yet despite the name it isn’t the quickest thing in the world to change gear when left in ‘Comfort’ mode.

Press the button to change to Sport mode and this sharpens things up a touch, the changes coming with noticeably more ferocity. The finally option is Manual mode, which allows the driver to change gears using the paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.

Slow roof

While it’ll beat a Porsche Boxster to 62mph, we suspect that if you had to live with either car every day you’d end up with the Porsche. As well as being a more rewarding driver’s car, the Porsche’s roof operates twice as quickly while travelling at over twice the speed of the SLK’s.

Inside the cabin you’ll find a blend of familiar Mercedes switchgear and AMG badging which serves to remind you you’re driving something a little bit special – not that you’d forget it once the car barks into life when you turn the key.

To find out more about this monster engine, and the car around it, read on for the full Parkers Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG review.