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
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 
Rob writes: No animals were harmed
Resident guest blogger extraordinaire, Rob Griggs-Taylor has bought a new car. And where better than PetrolBlog to tell the world all about it. Over to you, Rob.
Since the time of Adam man has been a hunter. To provide food for himself and his family the man would roam armed with spears, clubs and axes, searching for animals to kill and drag home. The more exotic the animal, the more admiration from the others in the tribe. A bear would be great, or a lion perhaps. Something exotic and cool. Read more
Old Gold Top Gear: ’90s coupés
This week’s Old Gold Top Gear has it all. It’s starts with a glorious MK1 Ford Capri, continues with a reference to Anna Friel and even features Guns N’ Roses’ quite brilliant Sweet Child O’ Mine.
Truth be told, that would probably be enough to keep me happy for an hour of two. But Top Gear goes further than that and spoils us with some of the best coupés of the 1990s. It even features Jeremy Clarkson in his big hair days. It’s hard to believe this was televised in 1998. Coupés and Top Gear have come a long way in 14 years. Read more
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
Nissan Micra: Have you driven one?
It was Craig that came up with the idea for the Real World Reviews, so it’s good to see some more words from him arriving in the PetrolBlog inbox. Here he presents a rather solid defence of the Nissan Micra. Good stuff, Craig.
Have you driven one?
This should, in my opinion, be the first question levelled at a critic of a car’s performance in order to work out if what follows has any substance. Anyone is entitled to comment on the aesthetics and those who’ve sat inside and twiddled all the knobs are justified in critiquing the ergonomics; however, those who would calmly place their pint on the table and state ‘of course, the 458 is a far better drive than the LP670-4′ had better have some miles under their belt in each. Read more
Here’s one they made earlier: Nissan Micra
Glam metal band Cinderella once sang that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Many a true word spoken by the long haired rockers from Philadelphia, although I’m pretty certain that they weren’t referring to the Nissan Micra. But if they were, hats off to them, as I think they may have a point. Read more
Shatchbacks IV: Salvation
Something has been troubling me recently – I’ve had the feeling that something is missing from PetrolBlog. Not the usual problem of a lack of Hobnobs, but a serious problem all the same.
Then it dawned on me – there hasn’t been a Shatchback update for six months. Read more
Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
PetrolBlog isn’t at the LA Motor Show. And on the basis of what I’ve just seen from Nissan, I’m delighted to be here in Blighty. For Nissan has just revealed what they say is “the world’s first all-wheel drive crossover convertible, the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet“. Two things strike me here. Firstly, has anyone actually asked for a CrossCabriolet? And secondly, who on earth is going to buy it? Surely this is a niche too far? Read more
Major Oddity: Nissan Rasheen
The Nissan X-Trail has been around for the best part of a decade and as such is quite a common sight on Britain’s roads. But there’s a little known predecessor to the X-Trail and I stumbled across one in the New Forest at the weekend. The car in question is the Nissan Rasheen and I have to say that it came as a bit of a shock. Primarily because I have no recollection of ever having seen one before; but also because, well let’s face it, the Rasheen is no looker. Read more
