Nissan’s crazy Juke-R
There’s a lot of waffle and bunk on the internet surrounding the Nissan Juke-R. For example, there’s a rumour that the bigwigs at Nissan HQ knew nothing about the concept and weren’t best pleased when news of its existence emerged from Europe. I suspect the story is the stuff of internet legend, but I rather hope that parts of it are true.
There’s something delightfully old school about the story. I have visions of a couple of chaps meeting in the bar after a work and, following a few of pints of Old Thumper, somebody makes the point that “we’re not using the GT-R enough”. A direct quote from Nissan. Read more
Practical magic: Renaultsport Twingo, Clio & Mégane
I must be the only person in the civilised world not to have seen one of the Harry Potter films. I haven’t even read any of the books.
Until now, this has never caused me any real problems. In fact, it’s only dinner parties where my lack of Potter knowledge has caused any real concern. As the subject invariably comes around to the latest ‘soopa-doopa’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Half-Pint movie, I’m forced to either miss 20 minutes of riveting conversation or nod my head gormlessly in a manner that would do John Redwood proud at a Welsh National Assembly meeting. Read more 
Driven: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X FQ-300
It might be hard to believe, but the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was born in 1992, so next year it will celebrate its 20th Birthday. Does that make you feel old? It does me, not least because 1992 was also the year that a mad fool gave me a driving licence and presented me with the freedom of British roads. I can’t remember the name of the chap who uttered the delightful words “you’ve passed”, which is a shame really, because he’s probably one of the most significant people I’ve ever come into contact with. Thank you Mr unknown chap at the Bournemouth test centre. Read more
Winter warmer: Peugeot 308 CC GT THP 200
It’s often reported that here in Britain, we buy more convertible cars than our friends on the continent. Despite having what can best be described as a changeable climate, we like nothing more than the thought of ‘wind-in-the-hair’, topless motoring. Indeed, research earlier in the year by LV= suggested that the number of convertibles on the road has risen by 599% since 1993, making them the fast growing car type in Britain. The total figure is just under one million, which must be music to the ears of hairdressers up and down the country who are tasked with fixing bad cases of ‘convertible hair’. Read more
Back to the future: Audi A1 Sportback
Considering how much I rate the Audi A2, it’s quite a surprise to discover that in PetrolBlog’s 21 months of existence, it hasn’t warranted a single mention. Oh for sure, it’s often a topic of conversation on twitter and it isn’t long before someone tweets that the A2 was ‘ten years ahead of its time’ or it was ‘launched ten years too early’. Thinking about it, it’s often me who says that.
The truth is, when the car was launched in the year 2000, the public wasn’t really ready for the A2. This was a car for the new millennium and yet many people seemed unwilling to embrace the future. Read more
Recession buster: Jaguar XKR-S
I’ve cracked it. Where countless politicians and economists have failed, I think I may have found a solution to the economic crisis. Forget quantitative easing, interest rates and house building, the one thing that can drag us out of the recession is the Jaguar XKR-S.
You might need to bear with me on this… Read more
First Drive: New 2012 Suzuki Swift Sport
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Date: 31st October 2011
I’ll get straight to the point. The new Suzuki Swift Sport is a better car than the old model. There you go, I’ve said it. PetrolBlog’s Car of the Year in 2010 simply wouldn’t stand a chance in a playground game of Top Trumps. The new car is quicker, lighter, faster, bigger and more powerful. It’s also more fuel efficient and produces less CO2 emissions. Job done then? We should be congratulating Suzuki on the new car and asking them to prepare an acceptance speech for PetrolBlog Car of the Year 2012? Well no, not exactly. Read more
Giantkiller: Suzuki Swift 1.2 SZ4
Make no mistake, the small car market is a tough environment in which to exist. Look beyond the cutesy appearance and cheeky persona and you’ll find that the modern supermini is a tough little cookie. I won’t go as far as saying it’s a war out there, but there’s a battle for supremacy being fought and small cars don’t pull their punches.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the best selling car in the UK in 2010 and therefore the biggest selling small car was the Ford Fiesta, with some 103k finding new homes. The Vauxhall Corsa sold over 77k, the Volkswagen Polo notched up nearly 46k with the Mini knocking on the door of 42k. This isn’t to mention the likes of the Fiat 500, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Micra and a plethora of other superminis jockeying for position. Read more
Brief encounter: MINI John Cooper Works Coupé
Social media has revolutionised the business of new car launches. When I were a lad, I had to turn to Autocar & Motor to read all about forthcoming new cars or spy shots. Alternatively, I’d flick through the pages of the local rag or rely on a certain TV programme that used to air at 8.30 on a Thursday night. Well, as Robert Allen Zimmerman may have said, the times they are a changin’. Read more
PetrolBlog takes a SEAT…
“Which one would you take home then?”. That was the question posed as the inaugural ‘#SEATtweetup’ drew to a close earlier this month. Taking a long, hard look up and down the line up of new SEATs, I couldn’t help myself from focusing on the Ibiza. The problem was, this just happened to be the MK1 Ibiza – 1989 vintage. Oh dear. Read more
Škoda at Frankfurt: MissionL accomplished?
If the rumours coming out of Frankfurt are anything to go by, the MissionL is a glimpse into Škoda’s future. As the company gears up for an ambitious global sales target of 1.5 million cars by 2018, the concept shown in Frankfurt is said to closely resemble that of the new car that will slot in between the Fabia and Octavia. In Škoda’s words, this is a ‘close to production ready concept car’.
Maserati Kubang: as if one ‘Super-SUV’ wasn’t enough…
Fans of tasteless and vulgar cars have never had it so good. Hot on the heels of the Eterniti Haemorrhoid comes the Maserati Kubang. What’s the betting that the same person who demanded the creation of the Eterniti also demanded a Maserati SUV?
I’ll start with a positive and say that the Kubang looks slightly better than the 2003 concept car, but that’s a little like saying that being hit around the head with a baseball bat is a little less painful than being hit with a sledgehammer. Read more
Copy Cat: Peugeot 508 GT HDi 200
The life of a photocopier toner salesman can be a lonely existence. The seemingly endless days spent negotiating Britain’s A-roads and motorways in search of that elusive order. The result is that the hapless salesman will invariably see more of their car than their own home and his children will recognise the postman before they recognise him. But he does have a unique and unrivalled knowledge of the road. He’ll be on first name terms with the waitresses in the Little Chef and he’ll have his own named parking space outside the Travelodge at Toddington Services. The photocopier toner salesman isn’t the king of the road, he is the road. Read more
Eterniti Hemera: So who asked for a ‘Super-SUV’?
Come on, own up. Who asked for a ‘Super-SUV’?
Who in their right mind woke up one morning and decided that what the world needs most right now is a ‘Super-SUV’?
Well whoever you are, please proceed to the corner of the room, bow your head in shame and promise never to open your mouth again. Because, my friend, the result is the Eterniti Hemera. Read more
Suzuki reveals the new Swift Sport
Last year, the Suzuki Swift Sport stole my heart and drove away with the title of PetrolBlog Car of the Year 2010. It therefore comes as no surprise that I’m just a little bit excited about the prospect of a new Swift Sport. Expected to go on sale in 2012, the car will be launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.
Take your seats: Volvo V60 T6 Polestar
I’ve never taken an electronics shop for a hot lap of the Nurburgring, but if I did, I have a feeling it would be much like my recent experience in the Volvo V60 T6 Polestar. Not only is the car loaded with technical gadgetry and wizardry, but it’s also a bit rapid.
The headline figures say it all. A 6-cylinder 3.0 litre engine, 329bhp and a top speed limited to 155mph, so there’s no doubting the performance. But to borrow a phrase from a well known tyre company, this power would be nothing without control, so it’s just as well that the T6 comes with a Haldex all-wheel drive system. Without it, the V60 T6 would either be torque steering for the next decade or planted firmly in a hedge. There’s only one word that can be used to describe the power and that’s ‘brutal’.
The lion wakes tonight: Peugeot RCZ GT THP 200
Regardless of what you think about the Peugeot RCZ, if you’re a petrolhead then you should be mighty pleased that it exists. Because, although the RCZ is far from perfect, it represents a clear turning point for Peugeot and is quite possibly the first genuinely desirable Pug in a decade. Who knows, maybe Peugeot will shortly be making a car that finally puts an end to the tiresome ‘is it as good as a 205 GTi’ comparison used for modern hot hatches? Read more
Economy drive? Volvo S60 DRIVe SE
On the face of it, there’s much to admire about the Volvo S60 DRIVe SE. The level of quality is exceptional, the standard of safety is astonishing and on paper at least, the economy credentials are eye catching. Having given the C30 T5 Polestar a glowing reference, I was keen to see if the brilliance could be carried into the rest of the range, so where better place to start than Volvo’s 3-series and Mondeo rival, the S60? Read more
First impressions: Volvo S60 DRIVe SE
This week I’ll be spending some in the company of the Volvo S60 DRIVe. You may have noticed that I recently took a shine to the C30 T5, so it was only natural that I’d want to check out the rest of the Volvo range. But rather than opt for another hot Volvo, I thought I’d give one of the more frugal models a run out. After all, we are still living in an age of austerity. Read more
SMMT Day: Speed dating with cars
This week I was invited to the annual SMMT Day at the Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire. Put simply, the SMMT Day involves automotive journalists and bloggers getting together in a central place with the primary aim of driving as many cars as possible. Or as I like to call it, speed dating with cars. OK, there’s also the opportunity to mingle with the good folk of the UK press offices, but in truth, the real attraction is the vast selection of cars available to drive. Think ‘kid in a sweet shop’ and you’d have some idea as to how it felt to be there. Read more
