Beyond Drifting: Notes From The East
Why is Japanese car culture so appealing? Is it because the Japanese take things, copy them, create them for themselves with a higher quality and more creative twist? Is it that they make art out of the tiny details that non-Japanese might not even notice? Is it that they value simplicity over everything? Whatever it […]
Beyond Drifting: Original Nissan Silvia – A Heartbreaking Work of Understated Genius
The first generation Nissan Silvia CSP311 is one of the pioneering Japanese sports coupés. That’s the journalistically balanced way of making a statement about this gorgeous little car. What I really think is as follows: The first generation Nissan Silvia CSP311 is the most beautiful car ever to be produced in Japan. There. I’ve said […]
Beyond Drifting: Baggsy Go Sideways
Steve ‘Baggsy’ Biagioni is one of the few Brit hooligans to make a mark in the international world of drifting. The quintessential Essex A-Road denizen tells us in his own words how he made it a world inspired by the twisty canyons outside Japanese cities. Essex Boy Done Good: Baggsy is one of the few […]
Alternative Fuel: Hydrogen Fuel Cells Pros v Cons
It sounds simple, right? Hydrogen emits only water. The most pressing issue on the planet today is dirty emissions, which en masse are responsible for a huge proportion of the heating of the planet. Doesn’t it make sense, then, to throw our hearts fully into hydrogen power for our vehicles? Well, as with so many […]
Alternative Fuel: Fuelling The Future Through Hydrogen
Toyota are leading the global charge on exploring Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology as it applies to daily drives. We spend time with the latest iteration of the Mirai – the sexiest looking post fossil fuel vehicle on the roads at the moment. But is sexy styling enough to make these cars make sense? Elon Musk […]
Too cool for school? Graduate into a charismatic student car
Freedom. Expression. A go-anywhere spirit. If you’ve just passed your driving test, a car to ferry you to uni digs is also likely to be your first car. And while money may be tight, that doesn’t mean you should drive a personality-free, four-wheeled machine. When I passed my test in the early 1990s, […]
Honda EV Plus: the 1990s precursor to the Honda e
In recent years we have all been blown away by the reveal of the Honda e city car. From its retro-cute first-gen Civic style looks to its array of onboard futuristic tech. It is a car that is eagerly awaited by EV enthusiasts and petrolheads alike. But this is not the first time Honda has […]
Toyota Hiace: five decades of masses transportation
Think of the minibus and a converted van with many seats will spring to mind for most of you, as in nothing much to get excited about. But not all minibuses were built equally. As for the last five decades, the Toyota Hiace has been the benchmark for moving many people around in a single-vehicle. […]
Your first time
Your first time is always a memorable experience. You feel like you’re finally becoming an adult. It’s pretty damn scary but the overall sense of freedom is incredible. My first time was with a black 2002 Renault Clio. We’re on the right wavelength, yes? Just checking. When I recall what it was like passing my […]
You spin me right round, baby: the rotary engine revolutionaries
That’s it, go on, snigger. The Wankel rotary engine may have a crass-sounding name, but the cars it powered were anything but. With fewer moving parts than a traditional piston engine, the rotary was smoother, quieter, and – hurrah! – more revvy. Initially the idea of Felix Wankel in the 1920s, at the dawn of […]