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Make Lancia great again… or kill it
The death of an automotive manufacturer usually comes in one of two ways. The likes of Duesenberg, Marcos and TVR, all stayed true to their core values right to the very end. Their final efforts just as desirable as their first. Sadly however, it’s far more common for a manufacturer to fizzle out with aContinue reading “Make Lancia great again… or kill it”
Range Rover Classic – Review
By all measurable factors, the Range Rover Classic is one of the worst cars I’ve ever driven. If I was conducting a normal review for your average consumer, that first sentence would be all that’s needed to steer them away from this old British armchair and into something different. A combination of poor build quality,Continue reading “Range Rover Classic – Review”
Audi A2 1.4 TDI – Long term review
There’s things in life that you can’t stand but you equally can’t do without. My girlfriend occasionally falls into this category when she can’t seem to keep the house tidy. Every time I see empty ASOS bags stuffed into a drawer or the laundry basket overflowing, it fills me with a rage that is onlyContinue reading “Audi A2 1.4 TDI – Long term review”
Ford Focus ST225 review
Before I’d even seen the car I’d nicknamed it the blue whale. A play on the blue oval of Ford, it’s colour and it’s porky weight. In all honesty, I didn’t expect much from the Focus, my last outing in a Ford ST product was spent picking up bits of engine on the M5 afterContinue reading “Ford Focus ST225 review”
Crash, Bang, Wallop! My motoring mishaps. Part 1
Judging by the massive popularity of dashcam crash footage on YouTube, everyone loves a good fail. Not one to shy away from transparency, I’m going to share a few of my own epic fails from years gone by. The first incident goes back to when I was a bored, mischievous 15 year old with myContinue reading “Crash, Bang, Wallop! My motoring mishaps. Part 1”
FN2 Honda Civic Type R – Early ownership review
On setting out to find a replacement track car for my rolled Suzuki Ignis Sport, (see a previous blog for that story) I had a certain criteria the new car needed to meet. Naturally aspirated, practical (space for spare tyres etc), cheap to maintain, solid platform to modify, good aftermarket support and around £3000 toContinue reading “FN2 Honda Civic Type R – Early ownership review”
Driving the enemy: Renault Sport Clio 200 review
The car community is one of the most inclusive, accommodating and friendly groups you will ever come across. People from all walks of life come together for the love anything with four wheels and an engine. Saying that, in certain corners of this diverse society, there are constant feuds between rival factions. Some supporting oneContinue reading “Driving the enemy: Renault Sport Clio 200 review”
Murray Walker, my first motoring hero
“Three lights, four lights, five laps… pause… GO! GO! GO!” Is there a more iconic voice in all of sport’s broadcasting? I don’t think so. Murray Walker’s charismatic voice was the soundtrack to my childhood. Some of my earliest memories are sat in front of the TV on a Sunday playing with my toy carsContinue reading “Murray Walker, my first motoring hero”
Day Hire in a Morgan Plus Four
Morgan has always been a bit of a curiosity to me. I love their traditional, old school styling and I have a massive respect for their hand built manufacturing processes and the skills of their craftsmen. Anything that’s had the heart and soul of real people poured into bespoke products is a winner for meContinue reading “Day Hire in a Morgan Plus Four”
Why electric motorsport will never replace internal combustion engined racing
There are 5 basic human senses. Touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. For people to get excited about something, at least one of these senses has to be stimulated. The real excitement however, comes when more than one sense is stimulated. Picture this. You’ve just parked the car in the car park of your favouriteContinue reading “Why electric motorsport will never replace internal combustion engined racing”
The next track car?
For those of you that have been following me on the website or my Instagram account, you’ll probably know what happened to my previous track car. In short, for those who don’t, it ended up on its roof at Knockhill. If you haven’t already, check out my blog where I go through what happened. TheContinue reading “The next track car?”
Rolling my car at Knockhill
Colin McRae is often quoted as saying “If in doubt, flat out.” That’s incredibly fitting when you’re behind the wheel of a 109bhp hatchback and you’re sharing a race track with a Huracan Performante, McLaren 570S and a Fireblade engined go kart on steroids. The closing speed on the straights can be alarming and youContinue reading “Rolling my car at Knockhill”
Buying a Jaguar in 1993
I often wonder the thoughts of Mr. Kent, the original owner of my car, when he was on his way to the dealership to collect his brand new Jaguar XJ Sovereign. What must it have been like buying into a company that was going through a bit of a resurgence? Every manufacturer has their goldenContinue reading “Buying a Jaguar in 1993”
All the Best Car Designs have Already Been Made
It’s been said before that all the best songs have already been written. When Freddie Mercury wrote the masterpiece Bohemian Rhapsody, he was free to be as creative as his thoughts could take him. Never before had someone mixed opera into a rock song that went on for nearly 6 minutes. The result was aContinue reading “All the Best Car Designs have Already Been Made”
Can your cars Instagram account increase its value?
Whether you’re buying a performance car, a classic or even just a run of the mill daily driver, a big file of bills, receipts and documentation is imperative in checking a car’s history to make sure you’re not buying a shed. Seeing all the stamps in the service book is bare minimum, finding old MOTContinue reading “Can your cars Instagram account increase its value?”
Smart motorways, a deadly mistake
I’ll start this off by telling you a rather uncomfortable experience I had a few years ago on the M40 near Coventry. My own uncomfortable experience It was a bitterly cold December and my Dad was giving me a lift to London so I could complete in the annual British indoor rowing championships at theContinue reading “Smart motorways, a deadly mistake”
Ferrari V12: Victim of Legislation or the Petrol Head’s Last Stand?
For a petrol head, the future has been looking bleak for some time now. Constant vilifying of the internal combustion engine has culminated in a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel-fuelled cars by 2030 onwards, at least in the UK. Who knows what the future holds after that. Will the seemingly illogical pushContinue reading “Ferrari V12: Victim of Legislation or the Petrol Head’s Last Stand?”
You Don’t Need to Spend a Fortune to Enjoy Cars
At the time of writing, the UK government are going to announce a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. That’s less than a decade away. It’s scary to think that something that has been part of our lives for well over one hundred years, is beginning its final chapter.Continue reading “You Don’t Need to Spend a Fortune to Enjoy Cars”
The World’s Most Reliable Cars
If someone put a gun to your head and said you can pick only one car for the rest of your life and if it breaks down they’ll pull the trigger, what would you buy? There are a few trains of thought on this one, how many of you would go for a new carContinue reading “The World’s Most Reliable Cars”
Are the Traditional Supercar Manufacturers being Left Behind?
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ll probably be aware of the shit storm that got kicked up over the past week or so, surrounding the two way average of 316mph and a peak of 331mph in a top speed record by the SSC Tuatara. The idea for this blog came from the beliefContinue reading “Are the Traditional Supercar Manufacturers being Left Behind?”
Are Car Brands Selling Out and Ditching Their Historic Core Values?
When Ferrari stop building a naturally aspirated, front engined, rear wheel drive V12, the four horsemen of the apocalypse are truly on their way… I recently published a blog looking at the history of Citroën and how a few decades ago they were innovators in automotive technology and design. Each new model would build onContinue reading “Are Car Brands Selling Out and Ditching Their Historic Core Values?”
Cars Aren’t Cool Anymore
The current crop of super/hyper cars don’t seem to grab the general public’s attention like they used to 30 years ago… Us car guys are a dying breed. It’s sad to hear but the current generation just aren’t into cars like us crusty old bastards. And there’s more than just one reason too. In thisContinue reading “Cars Aren’t Cool Anymore”
The Rise and Fall of Citroën: Part 3
Those unfamiliar with older Citroën models may wonder why it’s worth writing about the story of a company that seemingly creates cheap runabouts for people who are not really interested in cars. Well, put simply, it wasn’t always this way… If you haven’t seen it already, take a look at The Rise and Fall ofContinue reading “The Rise and Fall of Citroën: Part 3”
The Rise and Fall of Citroën: Part 2
Those unfamiliar with older Citroën models may wonder why it’s worth writing about the story of a company that seemingly creates cheap runabouts for people who are not really interested in cars. Well, put simply, it wasn’t always this way… If you haven’t seen it already, take a look at The Rise and Fall of Citroën:Continue reading “The Rise and Fall of Citroën: Part 2”
The Rise and Fall of Citroën: Part 1
Those unfamiliar with older Citroën models may wonder why it’s worth writing about the story of a company that seemingly creates cheap runabouts for people who are not really interested in cars. Well, put simply, it wasn’t always this way… Citroën, In the Beginning The Citroën story starts over 100 years ago in France with founder,Continue reading “The Rise and Fall of Citroën: Part 1”
The Citroen C4 by Loeb: A Missed Opportunity
Citroen has been off the boil for quite some time now. The days of the wacky, unique and very French DS, SM and 2CV seem light-years away. The automotive landscape is worse off for it too — nobody seems to want to be bold and stand out or even stay true to their brand values for thatContinue reading “The Citroen C4 by Loeb: A Missed Opportunity”
Why Does Nobody Use Cruise Control?
Incoming Rant… As is becoming custom with this blog, I need to have a bit of a rant and get something off my chest that’s been annoying me for some time now. This week, it’s the subject of cruise control and more to the point, why nobody appears to use it. I’ve spent many yearsContinue reading “Why Does Nobody Use Cruise Control?”
The McLaren Senna is Ugly: But We Need More Divisive Cars Like It
In my eyes, the McLaren Senna is pretty ugly and judging by the reaction of the internet when the first images were shown, I’m not the only one who thinks so. That said, 500 people have parted with north of £750,000 to buy one. Why you may ask? Well, McLaren’s claim that it’s the ultimateContinue reading “The McLaren Senna is Ugly: But We Need More Divisive Cars Like It”
Car Door Handles: An Overlooked Part of Modern Car Design?
So many cars are fitted with the same (or similar-looking) handles that would look more at home on a child’s pedal car than on a £50k motor vehicle. Why is this?
Low Profile Tyres: Why Lower Isn’t Always Better
Until the release of the new Defender, you couldn’t go into a Land Rover showroom and order a car with off-road tyres. Just think about that for a second. In a six-vehicle line up of a company that specialises in go-anywhere capability vehicles, you couldn’t spec them with proper off-road tyres…
KILLER BEE CAR TALK 