The Mazda MX-5 - A surprising disappointment.

This week I finally took a Mazda MX-5 for a test drive. This is a car that has been celebrated throughout the pages of the motoring publications I read. A car that reintroduced the idea of the small, lightweight and nimble roadster, after years of hot-hatch domination of the cheap sports car market. I even studied the car's design and production methods in an operations management module at university this year. In the text book and classes for the module, the car's design and production were celebrated as exemplary methods for all major production operations, not just car manufacturers. The only bad word I had seen written about the car was in a blog by Chris Harris, on the Evo Magazine website, entitled "The Mazda MX-5 is Pants." Nonetheless, I was extremely intrigued to see what the little roadster was actually like to drive.

The MK2 MX-5's interior is not an exhilarating place to be. 

The car I drove was a MK2, with a good service history, decent spec and only 77000 miles on the clock, despite being 11 years old. The paintwork was in great condition throughout. There was no air conditioning in this particular model, but that seems to be a pointless feature in a car from which you can remove the entire roof. The interior wasn't spectacular - grey felt seats and hard plastics throughout, but I would forgive the car if it was the sporty thrill-machine that every motoring journalist had lead me to believe. The car was on sale for £2400, but with the trade in of my Honda, I could have the car for £1700, a relative bargain for such a sought after convertible in the middle of the summer. So why did I not buy it? Why haven't I got the World's most popular soft-top sitting outside my house? Because when I finally drove the MX-5 I actually found it very dull to drive.

The first problem I had with the MX-5 was its engine. The car had a decent amount of push, as a result of its 1.8 DOHC engine and it was enjoyable trying to listen out for the inevitable change from one cam belt to the other, when I revved the engine all the way to 7000rpm. But that was the only good thing I could find about the Mazda's power plant. Whilst I knew, as a result of countless readings on the car's statistics, that the Mazda was propelling me to 60mph much more quickly than my Honda ever could, it never really felt like it. There was no snort or upwards lift at the front when I floored the accelerator. The engine note? There wasn't really an engine note. The 2 Litre VTec in my Honda might not be the quickest engine around, but it certainly makes a thrilling sound when pushed hard. The Mazda's engine sound resembled that of a vacuum cleaner, occasionally sounding like my hoover when a bottle-top is wedged in the wind pipe, but nothing more. This made for a very plain driving experience. There was no excitement, no theatrics at all from the engine - something I would expect of a sports car, particularly when my "old man's car" Honda Accord can provide them, every time I push past 3500rpm.

The steering also failed to provide me with any excitement. There was no denying that it was direct - I pointed the steering wheel where I wanted to go and the car went there. When I throttled the car in the corners, however, it just began to wobble away from the centre with some very humdrum understeer. Again, this was not what I expected, given that the Mazda is a rear-wheel-drive car. At this point I almost hoped it would oversteer, like an RWD car should, all the way into a tree. Again, I was left feeling disappointed as the car provided the exact same cornering characteristics as my Honda, making it pointless for me to trade it in at all.

The alloys might not have helped the steering situation.
Could this really have ruined my 1st MX-5 experience?

Perhaps this was a bad example of an MX-5. It was fitted with after-market alloys which might not have helped the cornering situation, and often suggests that a car has been unloved and I shall test drive another MX-5 in the future just to make sure. But the boring engine, the tiny gearbox and the very numb steering characteristics left me feeling bemused. The Mazda MX-5, which has been hailed as one of the truly great sports cars of our time merely felt like a lacklustre, toy-car experience, aimed at people who just want to potter around town with the wind in their hair, much like my friend's mum's Beetle Convertible. Maybe it's just that the Honda Accord is, in fact, the best sports car that no one knows about, or that I'm expecting too much of a road car.

There is no doubt that the MX-5 is a practical option for someone seeking a soft-top sports car, in the same way that Ready Salted crisps are a practical option for someone looking for a potato-based snack, but I'm after something a little more thrilling, something that will leave me wanting more. I want my Flame-Grilled-Steak powerhouse. The question is, where should I look?


Here's Chris Harris' damning blog on the MX-5, in case you think I'm going mad: http://community.evo.co.uk/users/Monkey-Harris/blogs/index.cfm/2011/2/7/CHRIS-HARRIS-The-Mazda-MX-5-is-pants-ducks

This week’s driving – opposites attract.

This week I had brief experiences driving two very different cars. The first was a sensible, practical and modern family hatchback. The other was a 1980s, mid-engined, left-handed two-seater from America. As one would expect, both offered very different driving experiences during the brief time I had with the cars.

The first, more sedate car was a new Vauxhall Astra 1.6 Excite, which my friend allowed me to patrol the local cricket club’s car park and playing grounds in. Obviously, I couldn’t push the car to its absolute limit on an out-of-season football pitch or a car park, but I could deduce several conclusions regarding the car.

Firstly, its exterior appearance is spot on. Even though this is a 5 door hatchback, not a coupe-like 3 door, it still has a handsome design with rounded, yet sharp and aggressive lines on the exterior. The 17 inch twinspoke alloys and black colour give the car a very strong and slightly imposing presence, even when parked next to a BMW 6 Series in the same colour, as this Astra was.

The Astra's interior has a modern and crisp feel.

The interior is also aesthetically pleasing. Apart from the slightly dated seats, the sharp lines and swooping curves that arere located all over the dashboard and doors give the car a crisp and modern look. Although the centre console is a little busy, with too many buttons that would be difficult to use during a testing drive, it is certainly a more modern and well built interior than Renault offer with the Megane. The driving position was comfortable, but because the car is quite tall and the seat sits at a high altitude within the car, it never feels like you’re in control of a car that might “Excite” you. However, it was the driving controls themselves that let the car down the most, culminating in a driving experience which certainly contradicts the “Excite” badges on either side of the car.

The electric power steering is weightless and gives the driver little feel and feedback, removing any confidence when entering a high speed turn. The gearbox and clutch too, were extremely smooth with no clunk or scrape to be felt in the hand when changing gear. Personally, I find this a little troublesome too as it is impossible to actually confirm that the next gear is engaged without bringing the clutch up, which results in incidences of missed gear changes. The engine is not the most exciting affair either, but it does have very impressive tug. It felt more like a diesel than a petrol engine and was very peaceful with little engine noise intruding into the cabin. Whilst it might not be the sportiest feeling engine, it is actually very capable at pulling the car up to speed.

On my drive home in the trusty Accord I realised that this particular Astra was conceived with the same aim as my Honda – to cover considerable distances in true comfort. The lightweight steering, strong engine and silk smooth gearbox are perfect for a driver who needs to cruise up and down a motorway, to and from work – the purpose for which my friend uses it most. The sizeable dimensions also allow for serious amounts of luggage to be carried. In reality, this is all that most people demand from a car – safe, economical and comfortable transport that will reliably get them to work and back during the week and to the shops at the weekend. They are not all motoring freaks like myself, demanding a car that corners and accelerates like a Grand Prix car and sounds like a Spitfire.



The second car I drove this week was built with keen drivers in mind. Specifically a driver who demands Ferrari looks and mid-engined thrills at a considerable discount. The car was a red Pontiac Fiero 26M, a mid engined sports car from America, complete with left hand drive, on sale for only £1295. Given that it is almost impossible to find a car in Canterbury for this low a price, I felt it necessary to test drive the car before considering a purchase. The car is powered by a 2.8 litre V6 engine which produces 120 horsepower – pitiful power for an engine of this size. This power is put onto the road by a three-speed automatic. There is no denying that this Fiero was born out of a stereotypically American approach to car production: big engine + light body = fast car. The interior was a typically 80s affair – coarse plastics and grey fabric seats. Oddly the seats come with speakers inside the headrests which help to make an awesome sound system for such an small car. The only aftermarket update to the interior was the mould that had begun to dot itself across the cars ceiling.

However, the Fiero began to impress once I actually began to drive it.  The car had a superb amount of push when I flattened the accelerator pedal. The car snarled upwards at the front and the acceleration was intoxicating – a less extreme version of my Gallardo experience two weeks previously. The engine might not be the most powerful, but because most of the car is constructed from fibre glass, it weighs very little, allowing for dizzying acceleration. The dealer admitted that the brakes needed replacing, however a new set which he had bought would be given with the car, meaning I would only have to pay for the fitting. They were horrendously lazy and approaching the first roundabout in the Fiero was quite a frightening experience. The car’s suspension was also very soft and caused serious body roll, especially considering how little this car weighs (just over one tonne).

The Pontiac Fiero's styling has an old-school Ferrari-like
edge to it, but examples can be found for just £1000

I returned to the dealer still considering whether to buy this car. It has issues. It’s left-hand drive, making insurance an issue. It has an automatic gearbox, which doesn’t suit an excitable driver like myself and it’s an American import meaning that parts would be more difficult to obtain when they inevitably need replacing. However, there were also some serious plus points. It’s a red two-seater, mid-engined sports car, which is exactly what any young lad wants on the road and at £1295 it’s well within my budget. It has pop-up headlights which are probably the coolest invention the car industry has ever created and the engine makes a meaty, powerful sound when you accelerate. My heart said yes, but my head said no. What really put me off, though, was the dealer himself, who didn’t seem to want me to drive the car myself and used the F word in every sentence during the test drive. My personal favourite was “f*** me! It’s got some f****ng poke hasn’t it,” while he tore out of the garage in front of other cars. He really didn’t seem bothered whether I bought the car or not and call me old fashioned, but I do like my car salesmen to have some level of manners, personal hygiene and idea of the road laws of Britain.

Unfortunately, the combination of impracticalities and bizarre sales techniques put me off the Pontiac for now. It was a perfect start to my quest for a new car, but I just wasn’t convinced that it ticked all the boxes. Yes, it was an eccentric, exciting and good looking car, but the negatives outweighed the positives. It would be too expensive on petrol, too difficult to insure, too difficult to get parts for and not actually all that fast. I can’t say I’m too disappointed though that my near future mainly consists of test driving sports cars and hot hatches, though.

"Monster" smashes the Pikes Peak Hill Climb record.

The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is an oft-forgotten motor sport event and yet, is a true test of engineering greatness and driving grit. For the first time since 2007, the course record was broken by the driving genius, Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima.

The in-game Escudo and the real-life version.

I only became aware of the race’s existence playing Gran Turismo 2 on  the Playstation, around ten years ago. The quickest car in the game was the Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version, a near-1000 horsepower, four-wheel drive rally car, aesthetically based on a Suzuki Vitara. The car was an absolute monster in the game and once purchased, left the player incapable of losing again. Tajima has seemed similarly unbeatable driving the Suzuki and its descendants, over the past fifteen years.

The hill climb is set on the Pikes Peak mountain in Colorado. The course is a 13 mile mix of gravel and tarmac, twisting upwards to the summit of the mountain. The race itself dates back to 1916. There is now a multitude of different classes of rally car, including recognisable rally favourites such as Subaru Imprezas and Mitsubishi Evos, as well as open-wheel race specials and the fastest of all, the “Unlimited” class.

Rhys Millen's insane Hyundai Pikes Peak racer.

The Unlimited class does what is says on the tin, offering teams and drivers the chance to experiment with the limits of what is possible for rally racing. My personal favourite is the bizarre looking Red Bull Hyundai that has been raced by Rhys Millen (The son of race legend Rod Millen) in recent years. This is a car that resembles a Le Mans car from a distance, but is actually much smaller, offering 700hp in a body that weighs around 800Kg, giving a much higher power-to-weight ratio than a modern Le Mans racer can offer. The four-wheel-drive system means that this immense power is spread evenly across the car. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK6EN1LpHio&feature) Pikes Peak is on of few races in which engineers can go wild and experiment with the absolute limits of a car’s performance.

The record breaking Suzuki SX4, a modern version of the Escudo, puts out 910hp, but weighs more than the Rhys Millen Hyundai and looks a little more civilised. Yet, Millen could only manage a time over ten minutes. The Suzuki SX4, driven perfectly by Tajima completed the course in 9 minutes, 51 seconds, the first ever sub-ten minute time in the history of the race.

The 2011 Suzuki SX4 - Pikes Peak Version

Tajima himself setup Suzuki’s in-house motor sport division, Suzuki-Sports and has been racing at Pikes Peak since 1992. Tajima’s only worthy adversary was Rod Millen, who himself was the record holder at the course from 1994, in an insane 800hp Toyota Celica, until Tajima broke the record in 2007. However, Tajima finally broke the ten minute barrier this weekend and has now surely asserted himself as the outright master of the course.

Unfortunately, modern motor sport has become increasingly restricted, which offers safer circumstances for drivers and spectators, but doesn’t excite the mad scientist inside me. The Pikes Peak Unlimited class offers an intriguing blend of bonkers, yet skilful engineering and undaunted drivers pushing every component of the car to their limit. If there is a similar type of circuit racing that exists, then please let me know. If there isn’t, I’d be more than willing to help with the insurance papers to set it up.

The Lamborghini Gallardo - my first taste of supercar awesomeness.

A workhorse Vauxhall VXR8 demo-car
 and a more exotic Lamborghini Gallardo. 

Yesterday I finally had my first true supercar experience. My girlfriend bought me a “Supercar Blast” with Everyman Racing for my birthday last year and, having booked it several months ago, it was finally time to drive a Lamborghini round a track for a few laps. On the phone I had been told I’d be driving a Murcielago and I was disappointed when I arrived to discover that I would instead be driving the smaller, slower Lambo, the Gallardo. However, having driven the car in its original spec, I now realise that 500 horsepower and four-wheel-drive in a car that weighs less than 1500Kg provides more than enough oomph for a supercar virgin like myself. The abundance of workhorse Vauxhalls and Subarus as well as the exotic Aston Martins, Ferraris and Lamborghinis there was enough to keep me entertained while I waited nearly an hour to start my drive. However, this was because I got there far too early, because I was too excited to stay in bed that morning, not because of an administrative issue with the event. 

Until yesterday, the fastest driving I had witnessed was from the passenger seat of a BMW M3 (with the Competition Pack fitted), on my way to lunch with Nick Trott and Steven Dobie of Evo Magazine, during my work experience there last year. With Nick Trott at the wheel, I felt safe as I knew he would have driven an abundance of supercars at high speed. With me at the steering wheel, in control of a 500 horsepower throttle, it was a very strange experience, involving a conflict between my head, my heart and my driving instructor, Phil. In my mind I was constantly thinking “slow down you idiot, you can’t go through a chicane at over 100mph,” while my heart demanded more of me: “you’ve got four laps in this car so make the most of it, and if you do die at least it’ll be in a flaming ball of Lamborghini!” My instructor was impressed with my willingness to full-throttle out of the corners, but did think I broke too early and too hard, but that was the result of my head, I’m afraid. I could not believe the speeds at which the Gallardo could take corners, particularly as this is considered to be one of the less-hardcore, playboys’ supercars and not a race-car for the road. Overall, I scored 35/40, but I’m assuming the instructor would award marks generously as most people are there as a result of a birthday or Christmas present. It’s unlikely they would simply say “you were terrible so I’m giving you five out of forty. Happy Birthday.”

The Gallardo I drove - not the nicest colour choice, but
an absolute beast behind the wheel.

As for the car, it was incredible. The Gallardo hasn’t always received favourable reviews from experienced motoring journalists who can obviously outline the minute differences between the various supercars that are available, mainly due to its sensible four-wheel-drive system and single-clutch paddle shift gearbox. However, because the fastest car I had driven until yesterday was a diesel Ford Focus, during my Pass Plus, I thought the Gallardo was mesmerising. Firstly, when I climbed inside I was introduced to an incredible amount of black leather and very luxurious switchgear. Whilst I’m aware that most of this is borrowed from Audi, it still felt very special. I also had to acquaint myself with a paddle gear-shift system which I have never used before and when attempting to select first gear to set off, I inevitably hit the windscreen-wiper stalk, resulting in an embarrassing flourish of the wipers for all the queuing customers to see.

We set off, slowly at first but had a clearing of traffic for some distance, so I began to pick up speed quite quickly. My first challenge was to get over the sheer force that the car generates in a straight line. Imagine a go-kart, that can accelerate to well over 100mph, very quickly, and sounds like a howling Barry White receiving a prostate examination – that’s what the Gallardo felt and sounded like. The next challenge was to force myself, under instruction from Phil, to go through the chicane of cones at over 100mph, which just felt wrong to me. The car took it all in its stride and we began to go faster and faster with every lap until, on my last official lap, we got stuck behind an OAP in an Aston Martin Vantage. Despite my flashes of the high-beams he failed to move out of the way. Luckily, Phil decided I could have an extra couple of laps as the Aston driver had been so annoying and because it took nearly a lap to creep past him cautiously. As a result of this luck, I decided to hammer it as hard as my stomach would allow in the corners. By the end of my stint, I felt like a maraca at a Tito Puente concert – shaken up with a cool film of sweat over me. The Gallardo had certainly done its job, offering bags of excitement within the safe confines of a four-wheel-drive system.

Given that I never really pushed the car as hard as it could go, I cannot report as to whether that four-wheel-drive system is a limitation on the thrills the car can provide, or not. I never put on enough throttle in the corners to experience understeer, or oversteer, but I am sure there are many more experienced drivers who could. The only frustration was getting used to the paddle gear-shift. Phil said that I should keep the throttle on when shifting up, to gain smoother changes, but this was something I couldn’t get used to in the time I had with the car, as I’ve only ever driven manual cars before. I inevitably lifted on my gear changes and this did cause a very jerky shift, something which I’m sure typifies a single-clutch, semi-automatic gearbox when the driver is unsure how to use it. I’m sure that, in time, I would get used to it and the idea of never using a clutch when stuck in traffic, but still having control over gear-shifts is an extremely enticing one.

As you can imagine, I’ve been searching the internet all night for equivalent cars which I can afford – Toyota MR2s, MG TFs and even Honda Beats. However, I’ve come to realise now that these would only provide 10% of the thrills the Lamborghini did, especially when pinned down by road laws and speed-cameras. Such attempts to emulate a Gallardo with about £4000 to spend are futile. Either way, the smouldering desire for a new, sportier car that was within me has now inflamed into a raging inferno of determination. I am about to leave the house and look for a new car and it is all thanks to my supercar experience yesterday. Thanks to Phil and Everyman Racing for providing me with the most exciting twenty minutes of driving I’ve ever had. 

Parklife Festival – A money-making dog poo in the middle of Platt Fields Park

I purchased my Parklife weekend ticket in April this year, as a pre-emptive present to myself for finishing my exams and for completing my degree at university. Unfortunately, the planned enjoyment merely turned to frustration and annoyance at the entire event and its organisers. I had intended for this to be a more positive review of the event but from the start of Mistajam’s DJ set in the Metropolis tent on Saturday afternoon, things began to spiral downhill and I would advise anybody against going next year, no matter how enticing the line-up will be.

Firstly, let me make it clear that there were some positive aspects to the Parklife event. There was the price, which amounted to around £65, including the booking fee for the event, which considering the enormous line-up of A and B-List dance music DJs and artists was an incredible price. (Here's the line-up in detail: http://www.skiddle.com/festivals/Parklife/lineup.html) Virtually every important dance music DJ from Britain was there, including Andy C, Erol Alkan and Skream & Benga who are all amongst the biggest names in their particular dance genre. Furthermore, there were an abundance of upcoming artists as well, including Katy B and Sbtrkt, all of whom delivered, in my opinion, very individualistic and interesting performances. Thirdly, there was the impressive abundance of noise resonating from the main stage’s speakers which was an encouraging sign when first entering the festival at midday on Saturday, especially after the bombardment of a freak hail storm. Finally, all of the artists I saw performed superbly – the DJs were constantly throwing in mixes left-right-and-centre and the majority of the artists I saw elaborated brilliantly on their release tracks to create a unique song for that performance, excluding Two Door Cinema Club, who merely played their album tracks in perfect succession and left the stage swiftly.

However, in the case of Parklife, I’m afraid the cons outweighed the pros and after several hours I found myself extremely frustrated with almost every other aspect of the festival. I shall outline the two most frustrating of these issues. Firstly, the sound systems in all of the tents were simply pathetic. At most festivals, the front of the stage should be bathed in an array of speakers and the pillars which uphold the tent should also be lined with smaller speakers in order to create a truly ear-blowing sound, coupled with a monstrously powerful bass. However, at Parklife, all of the tents had around ten speakers which doubled up, supposedly, as a treble and a bass output, and there were no speakers placed on the tent pillars. In the larger tents, there were two pairs of these same speakers at the back of the tent as well, but to my laughable surprise, during Skrillex’s set, I noticed that these were out of sync with the front speakers. All of these issues lead to a tinny, quiet and echoed sound, which is unforgivable given that dance music (which was the most represented genre at Parklife) requires a large sound-system to add to the ambience and power of the songs. 

At first, I did not notice this problem and during Jakwob’s set in the Metropolis tent, where initially there was a small audience, there seemed to be no problem, especially as my friend and I were beside the front set of speakers. However, as the tent filled out, during Riot Jazz’s differentiated, if a little dull, performance the sound quality began to deteriorate. By the time Mistajam arrived on stage for the start of his set, the tent was bulging with loyal followers of the Radio 1 DJ. As a fan of his more edgy dance music selection, I was excited to see what he could do with two decks, a Macbook and a mixer. However, the sound system was horrendously quiet by now and given the more aggressive style of music Mistajam had intended to play, this was ridiculous. I found myself able to talk at room-volume to my friend next to me without any misinterpretation. Mistajam himself demanded, on the microphone, for the sound system to be turned up and eventually rallied the crowd into a frenzy, chanting “we want it louder.” (http://www.twitvid.com/XUKHB) In response the sound engineer at the back simply shrugged his shoulders and gave a cheeky grin – pathetic. (This gives you an idea of just how quiet it was: http://www.youtube.com/user/ParklifeFest#p/search/0/LGhKLq8qvjs)  

This issue continued throughout the weekend. SBTRKT put on a great set on Sunday, but it was no louder than a whisper and Andy C and Nero’s sets in the Hospitality tent were fainter than a whimpering shrew. Speaking to one of the artists, I discovered that they had been promised that the sound systems would be turned-up after 8pm, in order to keep the Mancunian  neighbours happy, but this failed to ever happen. The only place where the music was loud enough was the small Desperado’s tent, in which marketing messages of the tequila-beer drink were aplenty, but unfortunately, good music was not.

The second issue I found with the festival, which to me, was even more inexcusable, was that many of the times on the programme were incorrect. When my friends and I first entered the arena we purchased two of the lanyard programmes which were £5 each. This didn’t seem an unreasonable price as it would help us get to the acts we wanted to see, when we wanted see them, offering times and places for the sets of different artists, but when you consider that it did not come with artist descriptions, as is usually the case at festivals, it wasn’t such a great deal. Furthermore, we came to realise, after about three hours, that most of these times were wrong, particularly for the Metropolis, Hospitality and Now Wave! tents, which I had intended to live in, during the first day of the festival.. As a result, we returned to the sales-booth to get a refund. The manageress began to state that at “all festivals” artists get the times mixed up and there are often mishaps such as this. In my experience of five previous festivals, this has never happened, excluding Chemical Brother’s cancellation during Gatecrasher 2008 – the worst festival I had been to, prior to Parklife 2011. She stated that, as a result of this “mix-up” they had placed the newly organised times on each of the tents entrances and speaker set-ups. This was true, but my argument to her was that if they knew that the times on the programmes were wrong, why were they still selling them at full price, not a reduced one and why were they not telling customers that there were these issues. She conceived no response to this argument other than to say that they are “expensive to print.” Brilliant. It seems that the customer-comes-first approach had been thrown out of the window by the organisers of Parklife. She did give us a refund, eventually, but at the same time was sending out three new orange-shirted sellers with hundreds of lanyards around their necks, ready to sell these pointless programmes to unsuspecting festival-goers. In my opinion, this was a deliberate and inexcusable attempt to mislead the customer in order to make as much money as possible.

So, if you like a huge line-up of artists who will give their all on stage, despite a pathetic sound system which almost eradicates any point of seeing that artist live, as well as being ripped-off for a dodgy programme of set-times, then maybe Parklife 2012 will be right up your street. All the artists I saw performed well over-par, but the sound system issue meant that half the point of seeing them was gone. In the future I will simply have to assume, in the case of music festivals, that if the price looks to good to be true it probably is. I would have been better off staying at home and listening to those artists' mixes and live performances on an iPod - surely that's the worst thing one can say about a festival?

Audi on Pole at Le Mans. A done deal?

Le Mans is considered as one of the most important races in motor sport and it is my personal favourite. Not only is it a great test of technological supremacy, as is the case with Formula One, but also, a test of the endurance of the drivers and also the reliability of the vehicles involved. As a Honda owner, I appreciate the merits of considering reliability when building a car and Audi have done it better than most for the past ten years at Le Mans.

Only two other manufacturers have scraped a victory over Audi this century. Bentley managed it in 2003 and Peugeot overcame its usual reliability issues in 2009. There is no other major racing series where a single team has proved to be so dominant, for such a long time. In recent years, Audi’s winning formula hasn’t been all-out speed. Peugeot, for example, have always qualified ahead of Audi since their first Le Mans outing in 2007. This tradition was broken tonight when Audi qualified in first place. Audi have adopted a technique of consistency. Audi’s Le Mans cars have habitually proved more reliable than those of their challengers and the team strives to improve every finite detail of the racing effort, prior to the race. But, enough of sycophancy. One must focus on this years race as well.

Peugeot (left) and Audi will do battle once again at Le Mans.

Whilst Peugeot had the fastest car in the first qualifying session, in the second opportunity, this evening, Audi gained first and second place for the start of the race. It seems as though it won't be business-as-usual at this stage of the race. It is clear that, yet again, the battle for top spot will be between the two diesel powerhouses: Audi and Peugeot as they dominated the qualifying session. These two great adversaries have battled for the title every year since 2007. Typically, Peugeot have the faster car, gaining faster lap times until they suffer from reliability issues and Audi swoop past calmly and coolly; a tortoise-and-hare situation. This circumstance acts as a rather precise depiction of the reputation of these two car manufacturers’ road cars as well: Audis are solidly built and Peugeots are not. For the first time since 2006, however, it appears that Audi have the fastest car this year. Whoever does win will undoubtedly use that victory for a range of PR and advertising messages for the following year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKMB2i1I1h4 Peugeot put this advert out shortly after winning at Le Mans in 2009

Who would I put my faith in for the overall victory? All the evidence leading towards this year’s race is exactly the same as it has been for years. Peugeot won the 1000km race at Spa this year, as they have every year since 2007. Once again, the Peugeots have proven to be Audi's closest competitors at Le Sarthe. However, this happens every year and every year (except for 2009) Peugeot fail to cut the mustard during the actual race. I maintain that Audi will win the Le Mans 24 Hours this weekend. Watching this incredible documentary, Truth in 24, really shows what it takes to win this race and how Audi have achieved this goal in the past few years, even though it does act as some serious propaganda: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1320302 Just ignore Jason Statham's awful attempts to pronounce the place names. 

Other points of interest at this year’s race, for me, include the new Toyota-engined Judd racer, which qualified in fifth place. This entrance suggests that Toyota may re-enter the endurance-racing scene themselves. Given how explosive their previous Le Mans entry, the Toyota GT One was at Le Mans, this is an exciting prospect.

Aston Martin's team with the two ugly ducklings.

Aston Martin have also entered a brand new model, the AMR-One. However, it seems to be the comical entry of the entire class. Firstly, it is, without a doubt, the ugliest Aston Martin ever made, even when compared to the door-wedge Lagonda saloon of the 1970s. Secondly, at a time when all other competitors are putting roofs on their cockpit to make their cars more aerodynamic, Aston Martin has taken the roof off their new model.

To sum up, I'm declaring that I believe Audi will win the race, in some form or another. They have qualified in first and second place. Given that speed is normally Audi's downfall, it seems they have closed the gap on Peugeot, leaving only reliability as an issue, which is typically the cause of Peugeot's failures, not Audi. This may be academic if Audi and Peugeot battle so determinedly they both crash all three of their cars, leaving the bat-faced Aston to take the victory.

The Two Ugly Sisters from Maranello.

Is it just me, or has the whole world gone mad? Every article I’ve read, every video I’ve watched reviewing the two latest Ferrari models, the 458 and the FF, are produced by people convinced that Ferrari’s latest design route is a successful one.

The 458's Interior is
perfect for a supercar.

Firstly, I am not questioning Ferrari’s engineering abilities. It is clear from these reviews that Ferrari ensures the perfect balance between power and grip. There can be no doubt, either, that the naturally aspirated engines Ferrari builds are some of the finest examples ever produced. Secondly, I am not questioning the interior styling of either car. Both look built-for purpose. The 458’s cutting interior lines are suited to the aggressive manner in which the car should be driven and the FF’s interior is a more aesthetically relaxing affair. I do, however, feel that Ferrari’s exterior designs have several issues and that they have not found the correct balance between finesse and science.

The bizarre 458 headlight.

From the side, the Ferrari 458 has a perfect supercar silhouette and every line flows into the other consummately. At the front of the 458, things begin to go downhill. Firstly, there are those awkward cut-outs in the bonnet that meet the 458’s headlights. It seems to me that this has been completely ignored by all commentators on the 458’s styling thus far – it’s hideous! Not only does it offset from the light’s shape but it actually sits in the middle of the headlight’s frontward design. If this shape had been incorporated as a single design of the headlight, it would have looked fine, but it’s not – this cutaway has been placed there for aerodynamic reasons and simply looks wrong. Furthermore, whose decision was it to place a silvery prancing horse in the middle of the front grille? I would understand if this had been dictated by tradition, but the Ferrari 430 had no such ostentatious emblem on its front end. And if those cheap-looking carbon fibre spoilers are so important to aerodynamics, then why didn’t Ferrari include them on the Ferrari FF?

The amused frog-like Ferrari FF.

In stead, the designer of the FF has used different techniques to create a similar effect: a Ferrari that has been adjusted too many times until it is almost confusing to look at. At the front, the FF has similarly-shaped lights to the 458. Luckily, the designer has chosen not to include the ghastly aerodynamic cut-away on the bonnet. However look below and one can see an enormous silvery grille – my first point of contention with this car’s design. Apparently, Ferrari was determined to make a supercar that could perform in the snow and this is the reason for the car’s design. To me, the car looks far too happy and coupled with those larger headlights it resembles an amused frog-like creature. If you buy this car in green, your children will think you’ve purchased the result of some horrendous science experiment.  

The back of the FF is
too complicated. 

At the back of the 458 and FF though, Ferrari’s choice of awkward design reaches its crescendo. I will agree that the top of the 458’s design is well proportioned. The large single lights with black vents is straight from the design book of Ferrari handsomeness. The rear diffuser, though, is far too complex and is another example of substance over style with this car’s design. Similarly, there is the exhaust system – three exhausts, packed tightly together? It seems as though Ferrari have been taking design tips from the Saxo Owners of Essex Club. At the back of the FF the same issue arises: complexity. The FF’s backside has an enormous rear diffuser, which again is too complex to be aesthetically pleasing. Similarly, it’s rear lights are too small and have been coupled to a tiny vent that just doesn’t seem necessary and below the lights are another set of minute, pointless-looking vents. None of these design features, individually, on the FF’s rear-end are terrible, but put together they give it a blundering, over-dabbled appearance, similar to the problems that journalists found with the Mazda RX-8 around ten years ago. But that was a £20,000 car. These Ferrari models cost around ten-times as much to buy.

I’m sorry to the Ferrari faithful, because I myself have loved every Ferrari since I was a boy, but I simply cannot abide by the 458 or the FF’s styling. They have been ungracefully styled for the sake of performance, to the point that they seem overly complex and for that reason, unattractive. Surely, if you are purchasing a £200,000 car you would want to be certain that everyone who sees you in it is smiling with you, not laughing at you for buying it. 

The Honda Accord Type V - An Old Man's Car, A Young Driver's Perspective

In the next few months I’ll hopefully be trading in my Honda Accord for a newer, more exciting car.  Having saved a decent amount of money from work, during my university course, I think I deserve a treat after graduating from Leeds. Despite the endless quips from my friends for driving a car that is typically driven by taxi drivers or OAPs I feel the Honda has given me two and a half years of near-perfect (if a little dull) motoring.

Once I finally decided to trade in my Renault Clio Mk1 diesel, which broke down every five seconds I was determined to get a more comfortable, spacious and reliable car to transport my numerous university necessities from Kent to Yorkshire. The Honda fitted that need perfectly and I have found several benefits to owning this small saloon.

The Honda isn't  a stunner, but it's not a freak either.

Firstly, there are the typical Honda benefits which are not the most exciting: reliability, reasonably cheap parts and the smug feeling that my car’s manufacturers are desperately trying to save our planet. Nonetheless, there are other benefits which one might not typically consider when purchasing this type of car. Firstly, its colour: black, and which young male driver wouldn’t want to own a black saloon? Admittedly, my Honda doesn’t have the same mafia associations as a black Mercedes or BMW might, but these are cars that would cost twice as much, were they in the same condition. My Honda had only covered only 58000 miles when I bought it for £2500. Secondly, there is the way the car looks. I will admit that the Accord is not as sleek as a 3-Series Coupe, nor does it have a “young driver” image, for which my old Clio was perfect. Whilst it could be argued that this car is a little dull to look at, it is certainly not ugly. In actual fact, I feel it simply looks neat, tidy and discreet.





Once you step into the car you are immediately bathed in a sea of beige leather, coupled with faux-wood additions to the dashboard. You could be forgiven for thinking you had entered a miniature Jaguar. The interior feels extremely snug when sat at the driver’s seat. All the controls are within arm’s reach of the driver and the seats, despite being leather, are the most comfortable I have ever sat in. The arm rest to my left adds to this strong sense of snugness. The only departure from this comfortable interior is the car’s tremendous Bose sound system, complete with a subwoofer in the boot. Personally, I would expect this power to be wasted by the typical Accord driver, listening to  the Archers. Yet, for a young man, wishing to show off his favourite songs to the entire neighbourhood (as I sometimes do), this car is perfect.

When driving the car, it's obvious that the Accord was deigned to traipse up and down motorways during the week and transport the family to and from the shops at the weekend, making it a perfect car for my needs – driving up the A1 from Kent to Leeds and going to my local Morrison’s for my weekly shop. The steering feels limp at times, the suspension is very wobbly, forcing the car to bumble around corners. The engine’s responsiveness greatly varies, depending which gear you’re in and at what time. This is the result of a VTEC engine which feels extremely lazy until it is pushed past 3500 rpm, at which point the car suddenly wakes up: the engine tone completely transforms, and suddenly sounds like a much faster, more prestigious sports car whilst the car weaves from side to side, if the car is revving hard in first or second gear. Testing the Accord on a nearby, twisting country road, I found that the steering provides a decent level of feedback its handling limits. Once you’ve had enough of driving briskly and wish to relax, the comfortable seats, cruise control and light-steering are very welcome factors, once again.

I cannot state that this car provides a perfect mix for both types of driving. It is not as agile or as crisp as a 3-Series when pushed to the limit, nor is it as comfortable as a Mercedes C-Class might be. However, this Honda Accord, certainly acts as a happy medium between the two; allowing for some enjoyment on a country road dash, whilst also providing superb comfort on a long, uninspiring motorway journey. Furthermore, it is safer than its contemporary rivals, cheaper than most of them and should be more dependable. Oddly, having driven it for a couple of years, I would recommend it to any university student,  ignoring the high insurance bracket, as it's such a comfortable way of transporting goods over long distances. This is a snug, safe and practical car which can provide driving enjoyment to any driver, without being dangerous. It might not be the trendiest alternative to a small French hatchback, but I had my fill of breaking down on the A2 dual-carriageway and getting no respect from other drivers on the roads. Whilst this Honda Accord may not have been the most inspiring car to drive, it certainly lived up to the Honda reputation, providing dependable and comfortable motoring. Now I'm after something that feels tighter in the bends and has a little more punch in a straight line.