Goodbye MX-5

With the arrival of my Civic Type-R it's time to say goodbye to my trusty Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition. I've owned it from new and, in that three and a half years, it's been a brilliant little car. When I sold my BMW M4 I wanted something very different, and it was certainly that. Once you drive one it's difficult not to like them; small, light, excellent weight distribution, rear wheel drive and loads of driving feedback. What's not to love? 

The orange paint scheme might not be to everyone's liking but, with only 3,000 worldwide (of which 550 came to the UK), it was never going to be a common sight. The excellent upgraded Brembo brakes, Recaro seats, engraved forged alloys and alcantara interior meant that it was more than just a colour change for the limited edition car. So, as one driving chapter closes, I move onto a new one and raise a glass to the plucky little underdog from Japan that more than paid for itself with the smiles it provided.

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Caffeine & Machine - 18th March 2023

My first trip of the year to Caffeine & Machine to see what interesting vehicles might be in attendance (and as an excuse to put some miles on my new Type-R and get further through the running in period). Check out the gallery below.

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2023 Honda Civic Type-R (FL5) Collection and Initial Impressions

A short collection video of my new Honda Civic Type-R (FL5 model) and some initial thoughts (remembering that I'd only driven it 100 miles and the weather was terrible!). In short: I'm very impressed already (especially with the seats and the gear change!). Once I've run it in I'll be back to report on the car as a whole.

Music by https://youtube.com/ikson 

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The Driver (1978)

The '70s saw some great car chases captured for film, utilising some very cool vehicles. A non-exhaustive list of films for petrolheads to check out would include Vanishing Point (1971), Gone in 60 Seconds (1974), The Getaway (1972), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), The French Connection (1971) and, if you want to go back a couple of more years, 1968's Bullitt. One film which has evaded me though, up until now, is The Driver from 1978.

I rectified that last night and was treated to a taut crime thriller which simply made me kick myself for not hunting it down sooner. Directed by Walter Hill (who also made The Warriors, Southern Comfort, 48 Hrs. and produced the Alien films, amongst others) there is no fat in this film. It's dialogue light and action heavy and, coming in at 91 minutes, it's a far cry from some of the cumbersome three hour marathons which are churned out today. The car chases are excellent and easily stand up to anything produced today. They are, to coin a phrase, worth the price of the entry ticket alone.

If, like me, you're an avid film fan you'll be pleased to note that it's just been remastered in 4K. It was poorly received at the time but has gone on to gain something of a cult status, being praised by the likes of Tarantino and Edgar Wright (who was heavily influenced by it when making Baby Driver). 

No film of this type would be complete without some notable vehicles so I've grabbed a few stills from the Internet Movies Cars Database and stitched them together. On display is a 1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, a 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 S, a 1977 Pontiac Firebird, a 1965 Ford Mustang, a 1973 Chevrolet C-10 and a 1974 For Galaxie 500.

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Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble, October 2022

Another good Sunday Scramble, where the British weather in October was thankfully merciful! There were plenty of interesting vehicles in attendance, as you'll see from the 93 picture gallery below.

There are three events a year and tickets sell out quickly when they go on sale but it's well worth the effort to make the trip.

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Swiss and Italian Alps Mountain Pass Road Trip

Below is my highlights video and gallery from a hugely enjoyable driving tour which commenced in England, heading through France, Switzerland, Italy and Germany (taking in some of Europe's wonderful mountain passes). 

In attendance was a BMW M2 Competition, Lamborghini Huracan, Porsche 911 GT3, Toyota GR Yaris, VW Golf R, Nissan 370Z (supercharged), and a Ford Focus RS.

Music by https://youtube.com/ikson

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Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022

Below is my highlights video and gallery from day one at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, featuring a wide variety of cars in action on the famous hill climb. There were cars from Bugatti, Koenigsegg, AMG, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Aston Martin and more - not to mention a host of classic rally cars and bespoke off-roaders. It was also the first public outing for the new BMW M3 Touring.

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Supercar Fest: The Runway 2022

Highlights video from Supercar Fest The Runway 2022, featuring a huge number of rare and wonderful supercars blasting down the runway, including multimillion pound cars from the likes of Bugatti and Pagani (alongside more regular vehicles from the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari).

As well as cars in action on the track there were thousands of others in attendance and on display. Check out my highlights video and gallery below.

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Caffeine & Machine - 9th April 2022

A lunchtime visit to Caffeine and Machine and, as always, there was a fine selection of vehicles to check out! There were some great cars in attendance from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Porsche, TVR, BMW, Audi and more. Below there's a highlights video and a gallery showcasing the cars (and a few bikes) there.

Music by https://youtube.com/ikson 

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The Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Scotland

On a recent trip to Scotland I did some travelling around the Isle of Skye and had to go and check out The Quiraing, in the north of the island. The Quiraing is a landslip. The whole of the Trotternish Ridge escarpment was formed by a great series of landslips. The Quiraing is the only part of the slip still moving and the road at its base, near Flodigarry, requires repairs each year. 

Below is a video (and some pictures) from my drone and inside the car, driving up and down.

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