Is the Perodua Myvi cooler than a Peugeot RCZ?
What’s cooler? A Perodua Myvi or a Peugeot RCZ? You may say that this is a rhetorical question. No debate needed, the curvaceous and stylish RCZ is much cooler than the boxy and style-free Myvi, right?
Wrong.
You see, two things happened today. Read more 
SMMT Test Day 2012: Speed dating, part one
Take 140 new cars. Add a number of closed roads and tracks. Throw in some free fuel and then sprinkle on some fine English weather. What have you got? The SMMT Test Day 2012.
If the fact that the SMMT invited me along last year was a surprise, the fact that they repeated the mistake for a second year was nothing short of a miracle. Arriving at the Millbrook Proving Ground and seeing 140 cars, each one with a set of keys in the ignition, you’ll forgive me for feeling a little like a kid in a sweet shop.
I’ve nicknamed the day ‘speed dating with cars’ and you can read last year’s report here. Here in 2012 I’ve attempted to sort the Mint Humbugs from the Lemon Bon Bons and the Werther’s Originals from the Sherbet Dib Dabs. Read more
PetrolBlog at the SMMT Test Day 2012
Is it that time of the year again? No, not Christmas, but the annual SMMT Test Day at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire. A chance to drive nearly 140 cars on a series of test tracks, including the famous Hill Route and High Speed Circuit. Doesn’t sound like a bad day, does it? So maybe it’s Christmas after all?
There’s also the small matter of having the opportunity to hobnob with 300 motoring journalists and bloggers, as well as chatting with the press and media teams of 33 different car manufacturers. Read more
Rising Sunderland – a British success story
As a child who grew up watching children’s television in the 1980s, I’m bound to say they don’t make them like they used to. Well actually that’s probably a fact as the modern stuff looks rubbish to me, Octonauts excluded.
One of my favourite features on children’s TV was when they visited a factory to see where something was made. One minute, Humpty Dumpty would be wandering around a cheese factory, the next minute Bungle from Rainbow would be taking a look at someone making chocolate. They were good features as they gave me a glimpse into something I wouldn’t otherwise have a chance of seeing.
But as far as I’m aware, they never went to a car factory. This may have been down to the fact that most of the time the workers were striking or simply because the factories weren’t shining lights of brilliance. It’s a shame. Maybe I should have written a letter to Jimmy Savile to see if he could have fixed it for me? Actually, maybe the car industry should have written to Sir Jimmy. But that’s another story. Read more
Dear SEAT, please build this for Mii
I love the Volkwagen up! and the Skoda Citigo. For me, they were two of the most interesting cars on display at the Geneva Motor Show. They are highly relevant, cost effective, cute and customisable. What’s not to like?
But as I said in part two of my Geneva Unconventional report, I was left feeling a little disappointed by the SEAT Mii. For a brand that prides itself on so called Auto Emocion and Enjoyneering, the Mii just seemed like the poor relation of the up! and Citigo. For me at least, it was almost as though SEAT was lacking in confidence. So the news that’s coming out of the 2012 Wörthersee GTI tuning festival is rather encouraging. Read more
Win a VIP experience at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
PetrolBlog is off to the Goodwood Festival of Speed again this year. Sadly I can’t promise another ride up the hill in a priceless Swedish concept car, but I’ll undoubtedly spending far too much time taking photos for the Goodwood Festival of Parking.
My friends at Michelin will be sponsoring the Supercar Paddock, part of the festival that’s not going to be of great interest to readers of PetrolBlog. Why gawp at expensive supercars when there’s a host of Rover 800s, Citroën Xantias and MG Metros in the car park?!
What will be of interest is the fact that Michelin is offering the chance to win tickets to the 2012 event. Read more
Shatchback Calendar 2013
It seems as though you can get a calendar for just about anything these days. Walk into a shop during the run up to Christmas and you’ll be greeted by a selection of calendars to suit all tastes. If you like firefighters, kittens, kittens being rescued by firefighters, Cliff Richard, New Kids Take Direction 17, Top Gear or Jordan Price, you’re pretty much sorted. But as far as I’m aware, there’s never been a calendar for Shatchbacks. Until now…
If I’d have sorted myself out last year, there would have been a Shatchback calendar for 2012. But I didn’t. So there isn’t.
Instead, it’s time to plan for 2013 and thanks to the input of James Winstanley (@JWinstanley), I have a cunning plan as to how it will work. And this is where the readers of PetrolBlog come in. Read more
Minor Details: No.2 Vauxhall Nova flared arches
It’s been eight months since the last Minor Details update, so without further ado, here’s another one.
This week, Vauxhall has proudly revealed that its forthcoming MINI and Fiat 500 rival will be called the Adam. No, this isn’t a typo, that is what Vauxhall are genuinely going to call their ‘premium urban car’. Make of that what you will, but I fail to see the name catching on. Renault can kind of get away with it with the Zoe, as the Z.E reference is quite logical. I even have a fondness for the Nissan Cedric, Nissan Silvia and Datsun Violet. But Adam? No. Read more
PetrolBlog drives the Nissan Juke-R
Last week, Nissan announced the unthinkable. It’s going to put the Juke-R into production. They probably would have made less of a stir if they’d announced that they were going to develop a 480bhp rear-wheel drive Nissan Note GT-R. When I had the chance to get up close and personal with the Juke-R last year, the team was adamant that it was purely a concept. The chances of a production Juke-R coming from Nissan were a million to one, they said. But still, they come. Or words to that effect. Apologies to Jeff Wayne. Read more
Ask MajorGav: 7 seats for £5k
A good friend of mine, Carol, has recently rediscovered the joy of driving by purchasing a Fiat Panda. To say she’s besotted with it would be putting it mildly. Given the chance, I think Carol would have the Panda parked up in her living room and treated to a warm drink before bed. Clearly buoyed by her new found love of cars, Carol has taken to helping her friends out with all matters of an automotive nature. So last week, I received an email from Carol looking for some advice for her friend, Sarah. Here’s the brief I received. Read more
Car insurance: What price loyalty?
Car insurance is a bit like Christmas. There’s a flurry of activity for about a month every year, but for the most part, you’re happy to forget about it for the remaining 11 months. Like Christmas, car insurance also comes with a painful demand for payment. But unless you’re turned on by the thought of a free cuddly meerkat, you’re unlikely to be receiving gifts with your insurance policy. Read more
Dawn Refuelling: Run to the Castle report
It appears that it isn’t just me who likes to get up at an ungodly hour to go for a drive across the countryside. Barely a week after the Volvo V60 Dawn Raid, I found myself waking up early once again. This time however, I would be joined by five other hardy fellows. This was Dawn Refuelling: Run to the Castle.
In preparation for a drive to the Pentillie Festival of Speed in August, I’d organised a small gathering of petrolheads at Pentillie Castle. For most people, the prospect of bacon sandwiches and coffee was enough to head straight for the castle. But the rest of us met at Sourton Down at 7am and drove the long way to the castle. Game on. Read more
Dawn Raid: Volvo V60 T6 R-Design Polestar
4.28am. That’s the time the alarm was set to go off. But it didn’t get a chance to, because at 4.24 I awoke and by 4.25 I was out of bed and getting dressed. Even my alarm clock gets a day off on a Sunday.
Funny how during the week, the alarm is greeted with a swift smack on the snooze button as I savour every second in bed. But with the thought of a Dawn Raid ahead of me, things are different. By 5am, I was in the car and heading for the Shell garage at Sourton Down. As the highest point on the A30, I thought it would make a suitable point for the start of my pre-breakfast challenge. Read more
Old Gold Top Gear: Renault 19 and 21
It’s been two weeks since the last episode of PetrolBlog’s Old Gold Top Gear, so to make up for lost time, this week’s video features not one, but two Renaults. Not only that, but you’re also treated to an appearance from William Woollard and Chris Goffey. Call it an early Easter present from PetrolBlog. Read more
PetrolBlog Fleet update: March 2012
I’ve been planning a PetrolBlog Fleet update for a little while, but for some reason I never seem to get around to doing it. But following quite a busy month for the Fleet, I figured there’s no time like the present to kick things off. So, pinch and a punch, first day of the month… Read more
Dawn Refuelling: Run to the Castle
A few weeks ago, PetrolBlog introduced the Pentillie Festival of Speed. It’s fair to say we’re getting quite excited about it. The prospect of a hillclimb, retro and classic cars, 4×4 driving and even a few supercars is enough to excite any petrolhead. But having spoken to the team behind the event this week, I know there’s going to be so much more. PetrolBlog is even planning one or two surprises of its own. Read more
PetrolBlog looks at: The A-Z of 21st Century Cars
It’s sad to think that future generations may not turn to books and magazines for their automotive fix. Today’s petrolheads are just as likely to use a smartphone app than to wander down to Waterstones when the latest concept cars are unveiled at Geneva. Yes, it’s progress and yes, we’ve never had it so good. But for me, you can’t replace a good book or a magazine. They just feel more compelling. They also represent a moment in time that a smartphone app or website simply cannot replicate. Read more
Old Gold Top Gear: Skoda Favorit
Following on from last week’s Yugo, it’s the turn of Skoda to make an appearance on Old Gold Top Gear. But not just any old Skoda. This is the Skoda that signalled the end of ‘old Skoda’ and heralded the dawn of a new era, not least because it was the first front-wheel drive car from the manufacturer.
What’s more, the Favorit represents the last hurrah for Skoda before the takeover by Volkswagen. They had some help too, with none other than Porsche having a hand in the car’s suspension, Bertone taking car of the styling and Ricardo tweaking the engine. Admittedly, the Favorit is no Miura, Stratos or X1/9, but I think the design is charming. I just love the unashamedly angular and boxy design, it feels very ’80s. In fact, give it a multicoloured paint job, à la Polo Harlequin, and it could pass for a Rubik’s Cube on wheels. Read more
PetrolBlog Car of the Year 2011
Perhaps I underestimated the scale of the task in choosing a winner of the PetrolBlog Car of the Year 2011? But having dreamt up the new PetrolBlog Score as a way of benchmarking the cars in question, I then had the less than enviable task of compiling the list of candidates. Yes, I know it’s now mid-March, making PetrolBlog the last website in the world to announce its car of the year from 2011, but at least I’ve had time to give it the overnight test. Or several overnight tests. Read more
Old Gold Top Gear: Yugo Sana
This week it’s the turn of the Yugo Sana to make an appearance on PetrolBlog’s Old Gold Top Gear. I fully appreciate there’s probably a generation of PetrolBlog readers who will have no idea what a Yugo Sana is. It’s hardly surprising when you consider that it endured a relatively short life in the UK and was eventually killed off when its importer, Zastava GB, was put out of business by the Yugoslav conflicts. Read more
