Real World Reviews: MG Metro Turbo
This Real World Review heads back to the 80s and takes a trip down memory lane in an MG Metro Turbo. Telling the story this time is Chris Claydon of Shine My Ride fame. You can follow him on twitter at @shinemyrideuk. It is fair to say that Chris’s story starts well enough but then heads downhill rather rapidly. This doesn’t make particularly good reading for me as I view the little MG Metro with some degree of affection. Firstly, my sister had one when I was younger and through my distinctly rose tinted glasses, it was perfect in every way. Also, I’ve been checking them out on eBay recently and it seems like they’re becoming quite collectable. So hopefully I’ll receive a glowing Real World Review some time soon. In the meantime, it is over to Chris… Read more 
PetrolBlog’s Real World Dream Barn
You may have arrived here following my potentially shocking confession about supercars. If you didn’t, can I politely suggest you have a read of it first?
My super cars aren’t supercars
But having confessed that a lottery win wouldn’t see me searching for a copy of What Supercar? magazine, I thought it only fair to name and shame the contents of my own Real World Dream Barn. Remember, ten cars and a maximum budget of £30k for each. Anything left over can be used for fuel or the inevitable ongoing maintenance and breakdown cover. Read more
My super cars aren’t supercars
On a recent episode of Fifth Gear, Tiff Needell introduced a piece on the new Ferrari FF by implying that it was every petrolheads dream to drive a Ferrari. Well I’m sorry Mr Tiff, I know I’m a little weird but it isn’t and never has been my dream to drive a Ferrari. Sorry.
In fact, I’m going to say something rather controversial now. I’m not that fussed about supercars. There, I said it. I know I’m probably going to have to turn in my petrolhead badge now and be told to empty the contents of my desk into a box, but hey, sometimes it’s good to get things out into the open. Read more
Real World Reviews: Honda S2000
Another Real World Review, this time from fellow blogger Rob Smith. Rob considers himself to be a ‘normal petrolhead’ and you can read his opinions and reviews over at Performance Car Blog. When he’s not blogging, Rob is probably driving his rather lovely Honda S2000, a car I’ve always held in high esteem. My interest in the S2000 resurfaced recently when I discovered that early examples can now be picked up for about £4k. With legendary Honda reliability, 50/50 weight distribution and rear wheel drive, surely this makes it a contender for performance car bargain of the decade? Whatever, here’s Rob giving us the lowdown on his own car. Over to you Rob. Read more
On days like these
It had been too long. The frozen winter hadn’t helped, but the responsibilities attached with being a grown-up dictated that I hadn’t been for a drive for the sheer thrill of it since last autumn. You know the drives I mean. Those that tempt you into an unfathomably early start and see you hit the sack the night before with a sense of anticipation and delight. Those snatched moments of driving pleasure that only us petrolheads seem to understand. For us, driving isn’t a means to an end, it is one of life’s gifts. The pleasure isn’t in arriving, it is in getting there.
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Suzuki Jimny: How not to do video reviews
At a recent Suzuki press launch, we were given the keys to a Suzuki Jimny, pointed in the direction of a nearby field and told to have some fun. Well it would be rude not to take up the opportunity, so here’s James Batchelor doing a couple of laps of the field. Read more
Here’s one they made earlier: Audi Q3 vs Rover Streetwise
Here we go again then, another new Audi and another niche market to satisfy. Yawn. I’ve been quite vocal in my criticism over Audi’s increasingly lazy approach to styling and the fact that for the vast majority of the buying public, the brand has become this kind of untouchable hero. But credit where credit’s due, Audi is a monster and if they say we need a Q3 in our lives, then we must need a Q3 in our lives. Heck, I’m pretty sure if Audi released a four wheel drive Danish pastry, stuck four rings on the top in place of a cherry and charged £80 for it, people would be queuing in the streets. Read more
Shatchbacks V: The Final Frontier?
I’ll start the fifth update of Shatchbacks with a sobering point. I’ve received enough content suggestions to ensure that Shatchbacks will continue until at least the seventh episode, so not quite the final frontier – yet. Who would have thought that there was so much misery on our roads? On a lighter note, I’m delighted to report that manufacturers are clearly seeing the marketing potential of Shatchbacks. A quick Google search reveals that Hyundai, Peugeot and Vauxhall have all bought Shatchbacks as a Pay-Per-Click AdWord. Nice. But for your information Google, no I didn’t mean to search for hatchbacks! Read more
PetrolBlog buys a shed
PetrolBlog recently reviewed the Bangernomics Bible which, in short, is about buying and running a car for the cheapest possible outlay. I was so inspired by the book that I decided that I’d like to have a go at running a Banger for myself. So when the Audi and Citroen developed temporary faults, I was presented with the perfect excuse to look for a ‘PetrolBlog Shed’. More petrolhead logic perhaps, but like we need an excuse to buy another car. Besides, this is public service at work here.
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In pictures: FailCar’s Peugeot 205 GTi
The 5th of November 2010. A date I shall always remember. Maybe. Sending e-mails back and forth to someone on eBay while my girlfriend suggested I might want to be looking at the bloody fireworks display we had gone to see.
The next morning at the crack of dawn I was out the door to go and see it. That night a very original but a bit tatty Peugeot 205 GTi (57,000 miles) with one owner from new was in my mate’s storage barn. Read more
Driving simplicity: Mitsubishi Lancer Juro
The Mitsubishi Lancer Juro isn’t a bad car. But then it isn’t a great car either. Indeed, I spent the first half of my week with the car bemoaning the fact that the car is so incredibly dull. But then, as the week went on I began to realise that this is perhaps the car’s biggest selling point. No, I’m not suggesting that Mitsubishi markets the car on a proposition of dullness, but there’s a lot to be said for good honest motoring. Let me explain. Read more
