First drive: Seat Exeo ST
Seat Exeo ST
The estate version of Seat’s first large family car is a solid, low-cost way to own a premium load-lugger
What is it? This is the Exeo ST, the estate version of Seat’s first large family car and a value proposition meant to rival the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia.
You may remember that the Exeo saloon is actually a last-generation Audi A4 with a few cosmetic nips and tucks and this …
Read moreFirst drive - Mazda3 2.0 Sport i-Stop
Mazda3 2.0 Sport i-Stop
Opposites attract: the new Mazda3 gets a stop-start system and punchy 2.0-litre petrol engine – but it works
What is it? This is the first model from the Japanese carmaker to receive start-stop technology, coupled with a new 2.0-litre DISI (direct injection spark ignition) petrol engine. An engine of this size might sound like an odd choice to be combined with fuel-saving technology, but …
Read moreFirst drive - Fiat 500 C 1.3 Multijet Lounge
Fiat 500
Drop-top 500 sticks close to the original and is full of retro charm.
What is it? The 500 C is the convertible version of the retro-cute Fiat 500. Inspired by the original 1957 Fiat 500 Nuova, it features an electric-folding fabric roof that retracts like a very large sunroof, down through the rear window, to sit just above the bootlid.
Fiat says that the benefit of keeping the roof lik…
Read moreFirst drive - BMW X6 Xdrive50i
BMW X6 Xdrive50i
Brilliant. The V8-powered X6 is loud and lairy – and definitely not for the faint-hearted
What is it?
The Xdrive50i is currently the most outrageous version of BMW’s X6. Designed with coupe-like styling and X5 proportions, for many this controversial crossover SUV is an object lesson in pointlessness. This particular model reinforces that view even further, as it sports a massive 4.4-li…
Read moreFirst drive - Clio Renaultsport 200 Cup
Clio Renaultsport 200 Cup
Rating = 4 Stars
This stripped-out Clio 200 Cup is agile, nippy and brilliant fun on a track, but it’s compromised and hard to live with.
What is it?
This is the Renaultsport Clio 200 Cup – a lighter, sharper and more aggressive version of the popular Clio 197 with a bit more power.
If Renault were Porsche, this would be the Clio GT3, as the French firm has removed heavy parts suc…
Read more50 Cars from Film and TV
Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5
The object of a million childhood fantasies. Every boy that saw the film in 1965 wanted a DB5, even without the bulletproof shield and ejector seat. There is a story that this car actually led to the invention of satellite navigation. Apparently the US President was so impressed with the idea of James Bond tracking Goldfinger via an in-car screen…
Read moreSupercars: Ford GT
Ford GT
Introduction:
Although clearly inspired by the original 1960s Ford GT40, the latter-day GT is, underneath its retro styling, a thoroughly modern supercar. The original concept appeared at the 2002 Detroit motor show and was not intended for production. Widespread popular acclaim, and the neat coincidence of the company’s approaching centenary celebrations, saw a production car commissioned s…
Read more
Still here...Just
It’s been some time since I last applied fingers to keyboard, for which I offer my profuse apologies. As you can imagine, working in the motor trade for the last few months has been far from the proverbial bed of sweet-smelling flowers, and although I still have my job, dozens of my erstwhile colleagues are already looking for new ones.
Let me start by saying that, despite all the prognosis …
Read moreSupercars: Lamborghini Murcielago
Lamborghini Murcielago
Introduction:
The Murcielago is the fourth generation mid-engined supercar made by Lamborghini, and can trace its ancestry back through the Diablo and Countach to the original Miura. Yet despite the heritage, the familiar powertrain layout and the V12 engine, the Murcielago is anything but a backward-looking car. As the first Lamborghini developed since Audi took control of the company in 19…
Read moreWinners and losers
It’s been a miserable Christmas for tens of thousands of people who work in the motor trade, from the Land Rover engineers wondering if they’re ever going to get a chance to develop new products, all the way down to the kid who makes the tea in the showroom. And on everybody’s mind, the same question: how much worse will things get before they improve?
I’ve always regarded myself as an optim…
Read more
