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 
Darren’s Audi 80 1.8S: an update
Darren has been back in touch with PetrolBlog with a quick update on his wonderful Audi 80. It has been totally plain sailing recently…
No sooner had I mentioned in the original review that the car had generally been reliable, when Mr Sod made an unwelcome appearance, complete with legislation. Read more
The Final Car
On the Beach is a post-apocalyptic novel by Nevil Shute. In it, Shute charts the final days of folk living in Melbourne, Australia – one of the last places on earth to remain free of radiation poisoning. Life in the northern hemisphere has been all but obliterated and it’s only a matter of time before the entire southern hemisphere suffers the same fate. It’s an immensely terrifying and heartbreaking book to read as Shute delves deep into the personal lives of the last few people on earth who witness the end of civilisation. Read more
Ton’s Real World Dream Barn
PetrolBlog’s Dutch correspondent flies over with details of his Real World Dream Barn. He’s clearly not afraid to bend the rules a little!
As you may or may not have not have read in my bio, for as long as I can remember, I’m not really much of petrol head, but all the more a Porsche head. So when thinking about a Real World Dream Barn, I could easily fill the whole list with ten Porsches and be perfectly happy. Or just buy a 959 and be done. Read more
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
PetrolBlog at the Michelin Pilot Performance Day, Estoril
Day one in Portugal was a rather gentile affair. A leisurely stroll around the streets of Lisbon, a quick stopover in a café for a taste of some Portuguese tarts and then a short coach trip along the coast to the hotel. All things considered, it was a rather pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
Day two in Portugal was an altogether different experience. Pleasant wouldn’t be an accurate way to describe it. Pick anything from exhilarating, momentous, awesome and mind blowing and you might be closer to the mark. Allow me to explain. Read more
Cutbacks for the PetrolBlog Fleet
Funny how things work out. This time last week I was looking forward to taking the Audi S6 to the inaugural Dawn Refuelling event. Fast forward seven days and I’ve just finished writing a for sale ad and placed her on eBay.
But that’s not all, as she’s been joined on eBay by the much loved Land Rover V8. So in the space of a few hours, the PetrolBlog Fleet has been reduced by 50%. With drastic cutbacks like this, I’m fully expecting a call from the government. Read more
An ill-informed history of…Group B
Tom Richards is back with the first in a new series of ‘ill informed histories’. First up, the brilliant Group B rallying. Don’t forget to follow Tom on twitter at @teorichards.
A distant hum, the sound of an angry swarm of bees fast approaching. The crowds lining the road turn their heads at first, then push forward as they realise what’s coming. The crackle of an exhaust on overrun, followed immediately by a pumped-up, testosterone-fuelled metal leviathan screaming around the corner, spitting flames, stone chips and violent, loud waves of sound into the baying audience.
Yes, it could only be rallying, and never was it more exciting than during the 1982-86 Group B era, a period in the World Rally Championship’s history which was marked by excessive speeds, ever more exotic silhouettes, and, crucially, four-wheel drive. Read more
All white Audi, enough is enough
Maybe they did it as a joke? After a few days of thinking time, that’s the only logical explanation I have for Audi’s ridiculous decision to display nothing but white cars at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011. Perhaps Audi UK wanted to prove that the ‘ze Germans have a krazy senz of humour’. Read more
PetrolBlog looks at: The German Car Industry
On the face of it, a book by James Ruppert on the subject of German cars from the 1980s is always going to be of interest to PetrolBlog. The Bangernomics Bible has already inspired me to purchase the PetrolBlog Shed and I’ve got a long standing love affair with cars from the 1980s, particularly those from Germany, France and Italy. So you would hopefully excuse the mild excitement when I got my hands on a copy and clapped eyes on the cover, resplendent in the colours of the German flag and featuring an E30 BMW convertible. Read more
Real World Reviews: Audi 80 1.8S
Darren has been a good friend of mine for as long as I can remember and I’ve been on at him for some time to pen a review of his wonderful old Audi 80. I’m pleased to say he has finally caved in and written the following article for PetrolBlog. It really is a peach of a car and a credit to Darren and his father. If he ever contemplates the ridiculous and puts it up for sale, I’ll be at the front of the queue.
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
Vorsprung Durch Crisis: Audi Q5 Cross Cabriolet
There’s only one thing I find more depressing than the current line-up of Audi models and that’s the thought of what’s to come in the future. I’ve already had my say about the forthcoming Q3, but this lunchtime I chanced upon the concept cars section of the Audi website. 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
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
PetrolBlog Car of the Year 2010
Let’s get one thing out of the way first. I’m under no illusion that car manufacturers and enthusiasts are laying awake at night waiting for the announcement of the PetrolBlog Car of the Year 2010. I’m equally certain that in 100 years time, motoring historians won’t be searching the interweb to find out who scooped the award. But I wanted to mark the end of PetrolBlog’s first year with a look back at the cars I’ve owned and driven in 2010 and attempt to pick an overall winner. The only criteria is that I’ve either had to own or borrow the car for at least a week. So this rules out hire cars, track day cars and the times I’ve been asked to move a friend’s car off their driveway. Read more
Joker in the pack: Škoda Superb estate
Car naming is a tricky business. Once a name has been agreed, there are a number of checks to be made. The most crucial of which would be potential trademark infringements and global translation issues. Check out Pajero and Nova for just two of the most embarrassing translation problems. Read more
Guest blog: My first quattro
Garry Phillips, a new guest blogger on PetrolBlog gives his account of the first time he encountered an Audi quattro in the wild. Read more
Audi: Distress signals
When I was growing up, I considered Audi to be superheroes. I wanted my Dad to buy a ur quattro, but to my untrained eye, the standard Coupe would have been fine. For me, 8.30pm on a Thursday night meant tuning in to BBC2 to watch Tony Mason introduce another lesson in world rallying. The teacher was Audi and the pupils were the rest of the field. Forget A3 and A4, in those days Audi simply dealt in A+. 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
