A game of Charades
Like a first kiss, everyone remembers their first car. Along life’s journey, learning to drive and getting behind the wheel of your own car is a significant event. It represents a coming of age, a rite of passage.
Personally I couldn’t wait to drive and I booked my first driving lesson the very day I turned 17. Four months later I passed my test and the road was finally mine. I’ll never forget the moment, just a few minutes into my very first solo drive, when I glanced across to the passenger seat and it was empty. A feeling of complete panic and horror washed over me as I realised it was just me now. The panic didn’t last long though and I went on to complete 500 miles of pointless driving over the next two days. It seems a world away now, a period of my life almost completely free of responsibilities and concerns. If nothing else, the fact that a litre of fuel cost just 40p in those days was somewhat of a bonus. 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
Real World Reviews: Daihatsu Charade GTti
In the third episode of PetrolBlog’s Real World Reviews, Simon Ford (@sf4d74) remembers his old Daihatsu Charade GTti. The little GTti is respected as an 80s cult car, verging on classic status. It had a power-to-weight ratio of 122 bhp, helped by being incredibly lightweight at just 808kg. It also had a tiny 1.0 3-cylinder engine producing a rather unique soundtrack. I’ll let Simon tell his story, but would suggest following Simon on twitter for great automotive chat and plenty of car photos!
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
Avanzato – Modern life in fun size
It is fair to say that when I picked up my Avanzato a month ago, I was pretty much like a child on Christmas morning. You remember the days when you hurriedly unwrapped the biggest present under the tree and whooped in delight at what you found? I’m not ashamed to admit that I did unleash a couple of unprompted hoots of glee as I made way back along the A303 that evening. The problem with even the best Christmas presents though is the novelty factor. Novelty has a habit of wearing off, with presents so gratefully received, pushed to the back of the cupboard when something new arrives on the scene. So four weeks in, is the Avanzato still top of the tree? Read more
Avanzato: The biggest name in small cars
The Avanzato. Or to give it the full name treatment, the Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato TR-XX R4. A huge name for a car of miniscule proportions. Read more
