Cars,
explained from
the bolts up.
A visual guide for anyone who knows nothing about cars and is about to get a UK licence. It covers what the parts are, how they work, who makes what, and the rules of the road.
DRAG TO ROTATE · OPEN THE 3D ANATOMY & COCKPIT →
LOGOS ARE TRADEMARKS OF THEIR OWNERS, SHOWN ONLY TO IDENTIFY EACH BRAND.
Where to start
Each tab is one topic. If you know nothing at all, go through them in order. If you have a test coming up, jump straight to Driving in the UK.
Anatomy 3D
Spin, explode, sit inside the driver's cockpit, and click every part of a modern, classic and electric car.
03→How cars work
Engines, gearboxes, drive layouts, fuel types, tyres and what the numbers on a spec sheet mean.
04→Electric cars
Batteries, motors, charging, range and running costs, with an X-ray EV, power-flow story and simulators.
05→Brands
Who makes what, which brands share owners, real car photos, and what each marque is famous for.
06→Market & trends
Charts of what Britain and the world actually buy: petrol vs electric, top models, top brands, top countries.
07→History & future
140 years of the car, wind-tunnel aerodynamics, safety inventions, and the road to self-driving.
08→Stereotypes
The jokes everyone makes about BMW drivers and Range Rovers, insurance groups, and how fair they are.
09→Driving in the UK
Licence steps, tests, costs, speed limits, stopping distances, warning lights and the rules that cost points.
10→Road culture
The unwritten rules of British roads, road markings, crossings, city and country driving, and the British car scene.
11→Glossary
Every bit of car jargon decoded, from ABS and camber to zero-emission.
Ten things to know & interactive blueprint dimensions
Switch between body styles below to compare wheelbase, height, ground clearance and UK right-hand-drive cabin geometry, then read the ten essentials.
UK cars are right-hand drive.
You sit on the right, change gear with your left hand and drive on the left of the road.
Manual or automatic matters.
Pass in an automatic and your licence only lets you drive automatics.
Pedals are C-B-A.
Clutch, Brake, Accelerator from left to right. Automatics have no clutch.
Red light means stop, amber means check.
Dashboard warning lights use traffic-light colours. Red ones need action now.
Every car needs tax, insurance and an MOT.
The MOT is a yearly safety test once a car is 3 years old.
Brands are grouped into families.
Audi, Skoda, SEAT and VW share parts. So do Peugeot, Citroën, Vauxhall and Fiat.
Engine size is in litres.
A 1.0L engine is 1000 cc. Smaller usually means cheaper insurance and tax.
Insurance groups run 1 to 50.
For a new driver a low group (1–10) is the biggest money saver.
Tyres must have 1.6 mm of tread.
Under that is illegal: up to £2,500 and 3 points per tyre.
New drivers have a 6-point limit.
Get 6 penalty points within 2 years of passing and you lose your licence.