Welcome to our new section on car pampering. This week, we pop into Mongkok to see what's hot in the car-care shops, so you can shine up that bodywork for cooler autumn runs. UNiCON Glass Cleaner We like this cleaner's cool blue aluminium bottle more than what it claims it does. What it does is to afford windshields and windows a 'transparent view to the outside' (at least that's what's said in Japanese). OK, so there's some truth to what the marketers say. It did turn my already transparent windshield ... viola! ... transparent. To be fair, dirt and grime are whisked away easily. My windshield becomes squeaky clean. Bought at: J. Auto HK Ltd ($35/290ml) Tire Protectant This Japanese brand claims to clean and beautify tyre walls in 30 seconds. (Aren't such products supposed to have an immediate effect?) Just spray it on dirty tyres and the dirt will be dissolved, leaving the tyre walls shiny and with a protective layer. And we like what it does. Although the solution isn't as foamy as some, it covers the tyre walls well. And the shine looks natural, too. Bought at: J. Auto HK Ltd ($25/420ml) 3M High Performance Wipe This car towel made of microfibres is supposed to do a better job than cotton cloth (so they say). Because of its density, it can allegedly hold more water, dirt and dust with the same service area. It can dry, polish and wipe clean a car much faster. And it's less likely to scratch the car's bodywork. But the thing with this product is that it's only about the size of a handkerchief. Using it to dry off a wet car, the towel is saturated with the amount of water on the headlight alone. So, it'll take a lot more wringing of the towel compared with an ordinary cotton cloth. To use it to polish a waxed car, this thing obviously can buff off more dried wax in a single wipe. But again, because of its high density, the drag is so much greater. It can make the job faster, but not easier. Bought at: Tsuen Wai Auto Accessories & Audio Co ($38) Turtle Wax F21 Wheel Cleaner The F21 is a new product series from Turtle Wax. The manufacturer claims it's formulated from nano-technology. And with a product label design that looks like something from DC Comics, it's supposed to be hi-tech. It contains a blend of biodegradable surface-active agents and a mild solvent. It has no acids and is non-toxic. What it does is dissolve the usual road dirt and brake dust that accumulate on alloy wheels and wheel caps, so the dust can be easily washed away without the need for heavy scrubbing. It's effective in breaking down dirt on the wheel, although it doesn't seem to outperform its lower-tech counterparts. Bought at: Tsuen Wai Auto Accessories & Audio Co ($44/769ml) Turtle Wax F21 Super Protectant Also from the Turtle Wax F21 nano-tech series is this vinyl/plastic/rubber/leather protectant. It has a urethane-enriched formula to 'bring out the original colours' of surfaces such as dashboards door panels, tyres and leather seats. The formula also conditions and protects them from drying, cracking and fading caused by sunlight. What we like most about this product is that, after use, the dashboard has a natural, deeper tone. Bought at: Tsuen Wai Auto Accessories & Audio Co ($35/615ml) Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Wipes There are all sorts of disposable wipes available out there for those who want to keep their cars spotless. Meguiar's newest addition to the trend is Gold Class Leather Wipes, which clean, moisturise and protect leather from dirt and UV rays with their conditioning and aloe ingredients. A tube contains 25 thick and lint-free wet tissues. The wipes leave the leather seats visibly shiny, although some polishing afterwards is needed. Bought at: J. Auto HK Ltd ($58/25 wipes) J. Auto HK Ltd, G/F, 99A Hak Po Street, Mongkok; Tsuen Wai Auto Accessories & Audio Co, G/F, 19G Nelson St, Mongkok We're keen to hear about any new products that you'd like us to test. E-mail James Chan at cars@scmp.com