Archive for the ‘Road Tests’ Category
Driven: Fiat 500C TwinAir
The Fiat 500 is not new news, but stop! (collaborate and listen) there is something in this certain 500 that makes it harp back to its predecessor more than some retro glad rags - the engine. Powering this certain Italian throwback is not your standard four-cylinder engine but a new two-cylinder, just like the original ...
Driven: Honda Civic Type-R Mugen
As a youngster, did you ever have one of those remote-controlled cars that only travelled in two directions: either forwards or left-and-reverse together? Annoying wasn’t it? For those that didn’t, this meant that every time you wanted to turn right to avoid the table/dog/supplementary-model-car-to-simulate-traffic, you had to do a series of back and forth shuffles ...
Driven: BMW 1 Series M Coupé
Four hundred and fifty. That is precisely how many of these little 1 Series M cars BMW is planning to sell before each dealer has to borrow a Sold Out sign from the nearest bakery specialising in overly-warm cake products. To put that number in to perspective, it is roughly half the amount of Z3 M ...
Driven: Nissan Juke
It has got to that time of year where people sit around a pseudo-boardroom filled with cameras to be shouted at by a man who used to sell TV aerials out the back of a van in the name of becoming ‘The Apprentice’. If you have seen the show, or have a BTEC in Business ...
Driven: Skoda Yeti
I was taught at a young age that you should never judge a book by its cover. However brand prejudice is a funny thing, especially in the world of motoring. When you are parading a big shiny badge on the front of your car day in day out, it is easy for people to make ...
Driven: Renault Clio Gordini 200
In an ideal world the Renault Clio Gordini 200 would be the car of ‘le moment’. And in an ideal world you would confess that Renault has pulled off one heck of a good marketing stunt. You see heritage sells. Describing a jacket for instance, as a ‘garment in the style of classic, British tailoring’ ...
Driven: Porsche 911 Turbo
People condemn Porsche’s decision not to change the overall design of the 911 as boring. But no matter what people say about the shape of the 911 its design consistency serves as a very useful timeline. The 911 Turbo, for me at least, is the easiest Porsche to track through their design history. Before the ...
Driven: Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo
There is something seriously satisfying about seeing numbers increase at a significant rate on a heads-up display, 100kmh…150kmh…200kmh…225kmh…250kmh… BRAKE! That was my experience in the awesomely powerful Alpina B5 Bi-turbo, the M5 for people who like things to be a bit different. You know the people, they are the ones walking around with the latest ...
Driven: Volvo V60
As much as I love Volvos, I realise that a lot of people don’t. Amazingly, Volvo also realise that I’m not everyone too so they’re transforming their model line-up. Remember that 400bhp Polestar-tuned C30 shown earlier this year? That might become a production reality, and so too might a 5-door all-new C30. But that’s all ...
Driven: SEAT Alhambra
Getting older is inevitable. I know this to be true, and I’m doing all I can to prevent it from happening. Indeed, video games, play fights, and general misbehaviour are the order of the day for me – and I don’t see that ever stopping. But the thing that really, really scares me about getting ...