Bangerwatch: Renault 11 Turbo
French performance cars from the 1980s just look better when they’re painted black and come complete with yellow fog lights. Throw in a red pinstripe around the plastic bits and add some shouty red decals and we may as well be in petrolhead heaven.
Not since the Renault Fuego Turbo have we seen such gloriously over-the-top side decals on a car.
I therefore give you, the Renault 11 Turbo.
An old Alfa is for life, not just for Christmas
It is the kind of detail only a petrolhead would notice. Forget the controversy surrounding a cold dog, I doth my cap to John Lewis for featuring an Alfa Romeo 164 in their Christmas television ad. You can see the fine Italian specimen at 34 seconds. Well, the rear three quarter anyway! Read more 
Skoda Fabia vRS: Less batty, more evil
Skoda has unveiled a brilliant new Fabia vRS TV ad which takes the original ‘cakes’ concept and slams it into the middle of next week. Julie Andrews has gone and has been replaced by a menacing Goth-like soundtrack. With snakes, vultures and pierced gentlemen, the overall effect is less ‘Sound of Music’ and more ‘Hell’s Kitchen’. Read more
Shatchbacks 3: The Rise of the Machines
When I first wrote of my irrational hatred of Shatchbacks, I fully expected to be singled out as a little strange. Some people choose to despise 4x4s. Some people chose to take a dislike of BMW X6s; and X5s; and X3s; and X1s. Quite right too. But for me, the biggest horror on our roads is the booted hatchback. A group of cars so hideous that they’re becoming known as Shatchbacks. Read more
Car ad land – Petrolblog’s top 10 car ads
The majority of car advertisements portray a world of perfect motoring. In car ad land, there are no speed cameras, no potholes, no queues, no middle lane hoggers with their fog light permanently on. You won’t find a white F-reg Ford Orion leaving behind a trail of blue smoke. There is no Vauxhall Agila sticking religiously to a speed of 28mph as it navigates along one of your favourite B-roads. Indeed, all the roads in car ad land are gloriously empty, snaking invitingly onto the horizon, with perfect tarmac and maximum visibility. The people are beautiful and the skies are always blue. Read more
