Lewis Hamilton features on an R&B track. Seriously.

I'm not sure what the percentage of F1 drivers to land a career as a singer is, but apart from Jacques Villeneuve's interesting acoustic attempts I think the number would be hovering below the 1% mark. Lewis Hamilton however, may be first of that undeniably small number to actually sell some records, with his appearance as a featuring vocalist on American R&B singer Ana Lou's latest upcoming release.

As much as I wanted to laugh, then cry, then laugh again, there's no doubting that LH fits in on the track. I mean if we ignored the name, he wouldn't sound out of place on this kind of US R&B stuff, much of it sounds the same anyway and the fact Hammy fits in is perhaps a compliment.

There's definitely a bit of autotune in there, but full credit to the guy for giving this a go. Maybe Lew could pick up the microphone when he eventually decides to put down the racing helmet.. Just please don't start rapping Lew, the baggy jeans wouldn't suit you.

You can check out Lewis' vocal talents here on Soundcloud:

Ana Lou ft Lewis Hamilton - Say Goodbye

Update: In an insane turn of events, LH has announced that the song in fact has nothing to do with him. In many ways, this is great news.

Take 2 - The 2013 Ford Fiesta ST

I drove the new hot Fiesta late this autumn, to find out if it'll bring the Blue Oval back onto driving enthusiasts' wish lists

Today is a good day. It’s 20-something degrees, there’s not a cloud in the sky and I’m about to drive through some empty Northamptonshire roads. Obviously my weapon of choice to tackle these sticky tarmac curves would have to be something quick and fun. That’s why the car I’ve chosen for the job is a little supermini with a 1.6-litre engine. No, I haven’t lost it, this supermini is perfect. The keys I’m clutching in my hand open the doors to a Ford Fiesta, but this one features a little badge on the boot that means business. This Fiesta my friends, is an ST.

A modern dash layout is complemented by sporty touches

Still not impressed? No I wouldn’t be either if I’d just driven the old ST. But this car, a Moulton Orange ST 2, is part of a new line up that will supposedly reignite the flame that once burned brightly in Ford’s old performance days. Featuring a 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine, the new ST’s heart is smaller than its predecessor’s 2-litre, but with the addition of a turbo it produces a very respectable 179bhp. This enables the hot hatch to race up to 62mph in 6.9 seconds and power all the way up to a top speed of 139mph.

I’m pleased to say the performance is matched by great looks, with a ‘squint and it looks like an Aston’ nose and sharp lines carving across the body. Unlike the almost soft looking old car, this ST looks aggressive and ready to lock horns with its hot hatch rivals. Climbing into the Fiesta there’s a typically Ford style layout to the dash, with purpose and function clearly having taken priority. That’s not to say the interior isn’t good though, the standard Ford Fiesta dash is ergonomic and modern, whilst some sporty additions to this ST set it apart from the rest of the range. An ST branded steering wheel and white sports dials are attractive additions, but it’s the red detailing and Recaro bucket seats that really show this Fiesta isn’t interested in the commute to work.

It is interested, as I am about to find out, in being thrashed to within an inch of its life. From the moment I press the start button and the sports exhaust burbles behind me, it’s clear that the Boost in EcoBoost takes priority here. I waste no time in leaving the warmed engine to idle, and proceed to do what any man confronted with miles of sun baked country lanes and a vacant passenger seat would do: I floor it. A woosh of induction noise and deep exhaust note follow me up through the gears, the slick changes meaning I can rush the box and sprint up to and over, ehem...59mph at fantastic speed. I’m already grinning, but as I approach turn one of my almost private Northamptonshire race track, a light flick right sees me confronted with some grin stretching, tail-wagging action. No dogs here, the Fiesta was more than happy to follow my steering line with the lift of an inside wheel and a small amount of rear slip. I’m drifting in a supermini; bloody fantastic.

This being Britain, no matter what angle of slip you like to travel at, you will meet several pot holes on your journey. Pleasingly though the ST shows no signs of strain over the bumps at high speed, soaking up cracks and broken surfaces as well as remaining entirely composed when thrown left or right. It’s here the electric steering feels impressive, with a nice amount of weight and great amount of accuracy. As I approach a corner I know I can turn the nose comfortably towards the apex; that in itself is a very satisfying feeling.

The new Fiesta ST thrives on the limit

The most satisfying feeling, however, has to be backing the little ST into a corner. With the car’s stability control initially set in Sport mode, I decide to switch off electronic assistance entirely. Instead of becoming a completely different animal though, the Fiesta’s playful character manages to show itself even more. As I approach a corner I step on the brakes, pedal feel still being fantastic and bite instant, whilst the weight of the car flies towards the front axle and the rear begins to squirm left and right. As a result, the smallest input of steering sees the rear begin to slowly hang out, meaning instead of waiting for the nose to turn in, I’m straight back onto the power and using the front-wheel drive to drag me through the corner. Jason Plato eat your heart out, I’m backing a Fiesta through the roads of Northamptonshire.

Six or seven miles along the road when my face hurts from smiling, I’m suddenly confronted with 30mph zone signs and have to stamp on the anchors, the Aston’ish nose diving down once again. As I allow the revs to drop I can’t help but hear the little Fiesta sigh, and not being one to disappoint this orange rocket I of course decide to throw in a U-turn and head back to my race track. I mean come on, it’s not often the sun is shining so brightly on Old Blighty.

After my afternoon sprint in the ST, I’ve had time to gather my thoughts on the new hot hatch. I can now explain exactly why I love this car, and why it is so much bloody fun; it’s simple really. Unlike its grippier Renaultsport 200 Turbo rival, the ST allows you to touch its limit at road speeds. When you reach this limit, instead of sitting you on a knife-edge and spitting you into a hedge, slides are progressive and grip is consistent meaning you can play without constant fear of firing off the road. And the smooth torque curve and revvy nature of the EcoBoost engine, mean even in slippery conditions it’s easy to extract every last bhp with maximum effect. Engine and chassis combined, it really is a great all round performance car. Plus with its starting price of £17,995 (in ST 2 spec as tested) and combined mpg figure of 35.8 (not that I ever achieved that on my run), it’s great value for money too.

I was never a fan of the Blue Oval’s recent performance attempts, but after today I’m a changed man. Today has been a great day, all thanks to a little orange supermini.

The 2013 Fiesta ST: One for the wish list

Clio Renaultsport 182 Video Review

So here it is, the video that could set me on a course to stardom. Well, probably not, but still. Here's my incredibly cringe, slightly funny video review. My first video review in fact, so please excuse the occasional fumbling and poor editing skills.

Things can only get better. I'm on the phone to McLaren about doing a P1 next. You never know..

CarThrottle

So my little 182, as annoying as she is with her leaks and squeaks, is becoming some what of a celebrity.

First she appeared in Evo Magazine of summer 2013, and now she's a world hit online too.

CarThrottle, the exciting online website that provides the internet with car related humour and online trends, featured my car as part of its 'Readers' Rides' section.

Check it out here: Sam's Leg-Cocking Renaultsport Clio 182

Hopefully the leak is fixed now (still waiting for rain to test it), so I think I'm back to loving my car again..

The Unfair Tarnishing Of Young Drivers

Young drivers are often labelled as the heavy footed bane of British roads, but are the country’s newest peddlers really the most dangerous behind the wheel?

A 1.2 hatchback that costs grandma a hundred quid or so to insure, can cost a teenager a number of Pounds that many might not know existed. But this is outrageous, how can gran, a nearly blind, repetitive bag of wrinkles with the reaction times of an iceberg, be cheaper to insure than a fit and sprightly youngster? Who says OAPs are less dangerous?

As a 20 something year old who's enjoyed five glorious years of mobility thanks to a shiny pink plastic card, I've had to face nonstop nagging, abuse as a 'boy racer' and being labelled a general nuisance behind the wheel. But I don't deserve any of this. I've never crashed, yet I've had more near misses than Tim Henman's Wimbledon campaigns. Like most new drivers, I was very enthusiastic behind the wheel; but I've never collected another car and always check my mirrors.

The same cannot be said for old nan, however. How can she check her mirrors when her nose is pressed against the windscreen, as she squints to see further than her own car's headlights? She can't. And that's why she clips kerbs, crosses lanes unintentionally and runs over women and children on a weekly basis. Nan causes crashes all the time.

If a teenager causes a crash, most likely he or she will have collected one other car during the uncontrolled high speed slide into a field, breaking the front bumper on their Corsa but most damagingly, shattering their pride. Everyone will know about it, their insurers will know about it and as a result increase their premiums by one million Pounds.

If an OAP causes a crash however, they drive home and switch on Countdown, with absolutely no knowledge of the trail of destruction resembling Godzilla's footsteps they've left behind them. Old people cause crashes all the time, but nobody knows it. So Mr insurance company keeps on providing them with reduced premiums.

But as we know this is massively wrong. Yes young drivers are generally fitted with a heavy right foot, and yes young drivers will most likely experience a 'tail slide' at least twice per journey to Asda, but most times young drivers won't crash. Young people's near miss to crash ratio is therefore fairly good. Old people's are not; there is no such thing as a near miss with an OAP, only a crash.

So how do we fix the problem? How do we balance out the unfair insurance premiums experienced by youngsters and OAPs of Britain? By going back to our primary school roots, and telling. Even if it's your own nan or granddad, even if the car is their only source of transport, each time they have a bump or end up coming home with three school kids under the wheel arch, tell on them. Call their insurer and say my nan has crashed again. Within days the UK's insurers will no doubt be inundated with claims of OAP related crashes they hadn't expected. Those graphs they like to draw with young driver crash rates, will begin to be dwarfed by the wake of OAP destruction.

So I say young drivers of Britain, this is our only option, our only hope that the eyes of insurers and general public will open to the carnage old people cause on the roads. Only if you tell can we then expect this unfair tarnishing of young drivers as the UK's most dangerous, to be shifted to its rightful owners. Old age pensioners.

MotoGP: 2013 Australian GP

Jorge Lorenzo managed to claw his way back into MotoGP Championship contention thanks to a dominant win at Sunday’s hectic Australian GP. His main rival and Championship leader Marc Marquez left the race with no points, meaning the leading two riders will arrive at next weekend’s Japanese GP with just 18 points separating them.

The fast flowing layout and new ‘sand paper’ surface of Philip Island meant pit-stops were introduced to reduce the risk of tyre failure. But despite the challenge of mandatory mid-race bike changes, two-time world champion Lorenzo was able to fight off an early charge from the Repsol Hondas of Marquez and Danny Pedrosa. Pushing his Yamaha M1 to the limits, Lorenzo pitted on lap 10, with the young Spaniard of Marquez coming in one lap later.

Rejoining the track as Lorenzo and Pedrosa approached turn one at 215mph, Marquez clipped Lorenzo as the Yamaha rider slid back into the lead of the race. But pressure was soon to ease for Lorenzo as Marquez received a black-flag with just five laps remaining; the stewards announcing that his 11^th lap stop was outside of the agreed pit window and therefore worthy of exclusion.

As a result Lorenzo was able to comfortably take the win ahead of Pedrosa, whilst MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi fought off Britain’s Cal Crutchlow for the final step of the podium.

With 50 points up for grabs, the MotoGP title showdown is still very much intact as the circus heads to the penultimate round at Japan’s Montegi.

Top 5 Championship Standings after 16 rounds:

1. Marquez – 298 points
2. Lorenzo – 280
3. Pedrosa – 264
4. Rossi – 214
5. Crutchlow – 179

evo Magazine

If you've got a copy of Issue 189 of evo Magazine, I'm pleased to say you should find a little mention of yours truly in the front pages.

Many thanks to evo for giving me the opportunity to join them in office whilst this issue was being put together; it was fantastic to be a part of what is one of the world's best motoring publications.

Evermore Monstrous: Mitsubishi’s Evo X Replacement

It’s hard to imagine the next Evo being much faster since the current X is so brutally quick. But with rumours circulating of a 500bhp hybrid replacement, a much faster successor is exactly what Mitsubishi is promising.

Even three laps in I can’t quite believe how quickly the needle climbs the speedo. Yes this car can hit 60 in under four-seconds, but he’s got an armful of lock on and we’re travelling through a corner. Before I can even brace myself we’re back over a ton and then onto the brakes, briefly, before he flicks the car left-right through the chicane, and it’s back onto the power again. We race down the straight, the engine singing its way up to 6500rpm, then swoop down into the banked left of Rockingham’s oval, still gaining momentum. I’m shoved sideways and back into my seat, and wince as we run within inches of the concrete wall at 120-something.

The car I’m sitting in, or clinging onto more like, is the big daddy of the latest Mitsubishi Evo X line up. This is the 2010 FQ400 model, which I was able to find out is fantastically fast thanks to a wealth of upgrades from the standard car. These include an uprated ECU, intercooler, turbo and racing spec injectors, enabling the FQ400 to stretch a phenomenal 400bhp from its lightweight two-litre engine, with a substantial 387lb-ft of torque available from impressively low down the rev range. Combined with a complex all-wheel-drive system, the Evo X can place brutal amounts of power down at almost all times, with intelligent electronics adjusting power accordingly to ensure the wheel with most traction is gifted the ability to really shove you out of the corners.

Revolution, not evolution

Performance like this from such a small engine was ground-breaking in 2010, and unsurprisingly is still very much ground-breaking today. Shocking news then that Mitsubishi has announced that this very car’s replacement, the Evo XI, will be significantly quicker and far more technologically advanced.

You could have been forgiven for expecting the Evo XI to take its name literally and be an evolution of the current super-saloon. Instead however, rumours circulating about the 11^th generation of Mitsubishi’s famous car suggest a power hike of around 100bhp, with further reductions to weight and improvements to handling promising that this car is targeting battle with the current super-saloon heavyweight, the Nissan GT-R. The surprises don’t end there though, as Mitsubishi has hinted at the use of hybrid systems, utilising electronic technology from its Pike Peak rallying programme that has produced electric motors with over 500bhp. Instead of using full electric power however, the road-going Evo XI is likely to combine electric power with a turbo-charged four-pot engine.

Power will be placed onto the road using the carmaker’s Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC), with electric motors aiding traction as well as boosting performance. In order to improve efficiency the Evo XI is likely to utilise several driving modes, with an all-electric mode expected to lower emissions further.

Styling will also take a radical new route, with Mitsubishi’s 2008 Concept-RA (shown in title-pic) being a main source of influence for the future car. Ditching the saloon like appearance, the Evo XI could be the first generation to take a far more aggressive styling stance and resemble a proper sports car.

A different class 

With the current FQ400 car providing such phenomenal performance from its compact two-litre engine, it is staggering to think that Mitsubishi is setting its sights on increasing power by another 100bhp. Such complex technology and ambitious performance targets can only mean a price increase from the latest model’s top of the range £40,000. But with the Nissan GT-R being a potential rival, perhaps Mitsubishi has plans to shift the Evo XI into the class above, competing with the likes of Ferrari’s 458 Italia and McLaren’s MP4-12C for raw track pace.

The next standard Evolution model is expected to arrive in showrooms in 2014, although the performance version is unlikely to arrive before 2016. This is likely to become the benchmark for its future rival, the Nissan GT-R’s successor, which is scheduled to arrive two years later in 2018.

Test Driven: The 2013 Renaultsport 200 Turbo

The latest RS Clio brings comfort to hot motoring with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox and two extra doors. But does this mean the new Renaultsport 200 Turbo lacks its predecessor’s ‘Va Va Voom’?

Climbing into the surprisingly well-finished cabin of the 200 Turbo, as you become surrounded by RS logos, red stitching and orange details, that sports-car style start button urges you to press it. You’re in the latest generation of hot Clio you see, a car that is part of a family widely regarded as reaching hot hatch perfection with its outgoing 200 Cup model. But this is the latest member and it approaches the market at a completely different angle, so the only way to find out if it can live up to its family’s name is to take it for a spin.

Sliding into the leather seats, you notice that Renaultsport finally have a car that offers a low and purposeful driving position. Thanks to a reach and rake adjustment, it’s easy to place the steering wheel exactly where you want it. But without a conventional gearstick to the left, you’re faced with two silver paddles behind the wheel, connecting fingertips to Renaultsport’s latest EDC semi-automatic transmission. It’s time to see if this semi-auto can really live up to the job.

Orange details and RS badges hint at sporting pedigree

Unfortunately, it can’t. Not at low speed anyway, as gear-changes are delayed and the gearbox unresponsive. Renault's suggestions are to toggle the gearbox back into full auto mode at this point, and this feels like your only choice because at low speed the manual shifts feel cumbersome. But when left to its own devices and allowed to make the decisions, the auto box does a perfectly good job at being an auto box. It feels slightly joltier than old autos, but perfectly fine to comfortably pull you to your destination. Added to the soft touch dash, piano black centre console and roomy interior, there’s little doubt that the 200 Turbo would be a pleasant and practical place to be on the daily commute.

But this being the Renaultsport model, it is more than likely that owners would want to occasionally leave the traffic jams and find an exciting road to sprint along. So when you do manage to venture onto a country road, you can happily click the gear lever into manual and press the RS button located just behind it, switching the car into ‘Sport’ mode. The dash’s Renaultsport changes into yellow, and then, then nothing. Until you touch the accelerator.

RS button engages 'Sport' mode

There’s no doubting it, this thing is fast. With a 0-62 time of just 6.7 seconds, this is the fastest production Clio to leave Dieppe since the 255bhp V6. And boy do you feel it, all 177lb-ft of torque seeming almost instantly available thanks to the 1.6-litre engine’s turbocharger, pushing you back into your seat with its 197bhp, forcing you to speed through the gears faster than you would expect. It’s here that the dual-clutch gearbox feels quick and purposeful, giving you the ability to maintain full focus on the road ahead and maximise steering inputs with both hands planted on the wheel. As you click through the six gears the engine’s momentum is maintained, meaning acceleration feels endless and harsh. Would you miss a gearstick at this point? Probably not.

It’s not until you approach something that requires you to stamp on the left pedal, the EDC gearbox’s ability to frantically rush down the gears still leaves you feeling like your left foot is a little wasted. The exhaust does let out a racing car like snort as it passes each cog, but it’s definitely not as satisfying as knowing your inputs have directly created this dirty orchestra. Nevertheless, when you open up the steering and press hard on the throttle it does become clear that without having to worry about shoving a stick back and forth, you can really commit to driving fast, utilising the cars e-diff to effectively drag you out of the corners.

Longer wheelbase enables greater stability

The Clio’s forced induction woosh is addictive too, whilst this model’s Cup suspension keeps everything planted and its electric steering, although lacking in natural feel, provides just about enough weight to enable precise inputs. Overall grip is phenomenal, with this car’s optional 18-inch alloys being wrapped in performance spec Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres, which bite well on the sun-heated tarmac in all the situations you can ‘legally’ throw at them. Sprint along British B-roads like this and the Clio will barely break sweat, and its lengthy 2,589mm wheelbase helps the chassis absorb the broken surfaces of Britain’s roads without too much upset either.

Of course with this being Britain the B-road will come to an end and you will arrive back in a queue of traffic. But before the car gets a chance to stumble on changes, you can easily flick the gearbox back into full auto and click the RS button back to select ‘Normal’ mode. Suddenly the car feels less urgent, quiet and fairly smooth again. To be honest it’s like an entirely different car. Renault claim that in this mode the car can achieve an impressive combined 44.8mpg, emitting as low as 144g of CO2/km. This means the 1.6-litre unit is far cheaper to tax than the old, dirtier, naturally aspirated Renaultsport’s, as well as requiring fewer trips to the petrol station; as long as you stay out of the boost zone that is.

Cheaper tax, lower emissions, but a less involving drive

The 200 Turbo is therefore a completely different animal to older generations. At speed it’s a real weapon; something that would be a force to be reckoned with on track. But on the road it is almost too effective, requiring its driver to push beyond what would be sane before offering any of that light movement and pointy front end its predecessors were famous for. In town it becomes comfortable, offering a less hot and more conventional hatchback experience that its siblings were never able to do. It therefore manages to shift away from being purely an enthusiast’s pocket-rocket, to a much wider market position of attracting those seeking affordable thrills without compromising practicality.

That’s not to say that people won’t like the cheaper tax, better fuel efficiency and increased cabin space, there’s no doubt that more people are interested in these things than out and out raw driving characteristics. The 2013 Renaultsport Clio would certainly be a mature choice for a buyer looking for practical thrills under £20,000, but unfortunately it probably can’t quite meet the expectations of more enthusiastic drivers. Even with its aggressive styling and race-style gearbox, the car lacks the overall involvement many drivers would have expected after driving the marque’s older cars. So despite the fact it is the quickest of the bunch, this car could be the first to see Renaultsport lose the hardcore hot hatch crown.

Specs

Engine turbocharged 1618cc, 4cyl, FWD

Gearbox EDC 6-speed, dual-clutch, semi-automatic

Power 197bhp

Torque 177lb-ft

CO2 144g/km

Top speed 143mph

0-62 mph 6.7secs

Combined mpg 44.8

Manufacturer’s OTR price £19,995 (for LUX model as tested here)

I've Just Seen Rush The Movie; And I Liked It

I know I'm not the only one who's been waiting all year for this film to come out. Rush is a movie that has promised to be everything; featuring a script good enough for the Hollywood masses, and adrenaline filled racing footage to satisfy the most hardcore F1 fans.

I'll be honest, despite being incredibly excited to see Ron Howard's take on one of F1's most exciting seasons, the closer it got to the film's release date, the more apprehensive I became about it turning into a typical Hollywood picture, destined to join the very long list of good, but not great films. Thankfully I was wrong...in part.

Don't worry, there won't be any spoilers in here as I'm not talking about the storyline, although you already know that right, since it actually happened? Well, most of it did, but this film does of course include some scenes to spice up the script. One scene in particular springs to mind: about halfway through the film, Hunt is shown to basically assualt a journalist, which I am not certain actually ever happened (although rumour seems to suggest it could have done). In the film however it seems the scene was added in order to emphasise the growing respect Hunt had for Lauda, as this journalist had been a little disrespectful to the Austrian earlier on, but it's a scene that doesn't really fit in to me.

But anyway, aside from that small questionnable part, the film is largely accurate. Hunt is the partying playboy, Lauda is the quiet, calculated racer. The script does a good job at portraying the drivers, and the footage of racing is effective at portraying the fast paced, adrenaline filled job these drivers had. 

One thing I will say is the motorsport fans amongst us will not be fooled by the dressing up of Brands Hatch to look like Monza, as well as the shaking of cameras to blurr out the fact the cars being filmed are moving quite slowly. But given that many of these cars are the real, original chassis' so driving them at danegerous speeds would be out of the question, as well as that filming each race on location would be quite some task, these small things can be overlooked. The film does a good job at highlighting many of the difficulties an F1 driver faced during a race, and so I am hopeful it can also serve as an eye opener for the less informed viewers amongst us.

However, there is one thing I think this film, and pretty much every other motor racing film I have ever seen (apart from TT 3D, actually) is missing. That is footage and a potrayel of one of the biggest challenges a racing driver faces pretty much every second they are behind the wheel...driving on the limit. Rush does a good job at highlighting speed, a good job at showing the lack of visibility in rain and a good job of showing the horrors of an accident. But it doesn't show how at many points during a lap, a driver will be hanging onto the car, fighting it and constantly correcting it. Instead it has footage of some power slides that are clearly the result of a very heavy right foot rather than actually being on the limit. There are a few scenes with some real lock ups that help to add realism to the footage, but it's hard for an F1 anorac to not notice the way a lot of these incidents are very scripted.

Nevertheless, without using more CGI and without risking smashing up priceless machinery, I suppose pushing Hunt's actual championship winning car to the limit would be impossible. So working with what he had, Ron Howard has done a very good job.

One area in particular where the film really excells, is in its use of sound. We all know that F1 is quite often defined by the sounds, and so capturing the raw engine notes and gearbox details, has no doubt been very effective in causing many F1 fans to produce wry smiles and shivers down their spines during the film. I even really loved the including of noises when cars clipped kerbs and spluttered on over run; very realistic. Maybe Formula 1 should take note and add some proper audio to today's live races...

All in all, I really did enjoy the film. The racing footage was as good as it could be, and with many of the cars being used actually being the genuine articles, it was even more impressive. The sounds were fantastic, the script was effective, and even the acting was top notch. So overall, as a hardcore racing fan myself, I have to say, Rush is very much worth going to see. Go and see it in the cinema too, as I have a feeling that without the big bass surround sound, the film will be significantly less effective.

What Top Gear's Reasonably Priced Car Taught Me About Kia

We've got it all wrong. We've been so far off the truth all this time. You see for years I have been in numerous pub discussions where the conversation has involved something along the lines of "if you drive a Kia, you drive a washing machine," or "Korea can't make cars." Well I've got news for you pub go'ers, Kia don't make washing machines, and Korea can make cars. I know because I've driven one, a special one. So special that it's been seen by tens of millions of people and met Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise. The Kia I'm talking about is the ex Top Gear Reasonably Priced Car, one of the 3 manual ones that know nothing outside of being thrashed ruthlessly on track by A list celebrities.

Well one sunny Thursday, it was my turn. I was given the keys to the world famous C'eed, which the Kia event girls told me was standard, barring a roll cage and bucket seats. So essentially, I was climbing into a 5 door hatchback that competes with the likes of the Ford's Focus and Vauxhall's Astra. Unsurprisingly then I didn't expect it to be much of a thrill, plus this was a Kia, the boring washing machine makers that don't make washing machines.

Now I had ridden in a 400bhp Evo X FQ400 earlier, plus I'd thrown my far quicker Clio hot hatch around the track all morning, but for some reason after just a few corners the car I loved driving the most, was the Kia. And this was strange, because if you were beside me in the C'eed, you'd see 3 fairly generous sized rear spaces for passengers, a full working selection of electronic luxuries including a radio, climate control and steering wheel buttons, and that impossibly unsporty Kia badge staring me in the face. 

Yet as I flicked the car into the flat out banked left of the Rockingham straight, the car felt nimble and eager. The engine didn't provide tonnes of neck snatching power, far from it actually, but it was more than happy to rev freely all the way to just shy of a cheeky 7000rpm. And the nose, what a nose. The C'eed was one of the most compliant and nose happy cars I had ever driven, with every turn of the wheel seeing the front point sharply at the apex like an excited puppy jumping at a thrown stick. The rear was more than happy to just about hang on, seeing me 4 wheel drift a 5 door family hatchback through Rockingham's high speed turns, with unbelievable commitment and the biggest grin on my face.

What was I experiencing, why was this happening? How could this car be so happy away from what I thought would be its comfort zone, parked outside an OAPs house? I still don't fully have the answers for that, but I do know that I have now completely changed my opinion of Kia. The chuckable car, the chatty event girls and the lack of washing machines in the line up all tell me one thing, Kia is a modern, fun car maker with high ambitions set towards taking on more established European brands. They're so set on doing this, they're prepared to offer their brand new cars to Top Gear with inevitable deathly fates awaiting them. Who can forget the Kia bloodbath at Twickenham only a couple of seasons ago? It made the Kia girls very sad, as they stood on the sidelines and watched their "babies" being smashed to bits. But full credit to Kia, they do it all in the name of good fun. 

And it's doing wonders for the brand, because people like me step out of their Reasonably Price C'eed and say "Can I have another go?" What a great thing for a manufacturer to hear about their car. Plus with the sportier ProCeed now on sale, Kia have firmly entered the hot hatch market competing against far more established European and Asian names. 

So yeah this brand Kia, they don't make washing machines apparently, but they're up for a bit of a laugh and make some pretty fun cars. Not what you expected right?

If you fancy grimacing at some awful commentary, as well as giggling at some interesting shots of my knees, here's my onboard footage from Rockingham where I sampled the ex Top Gear Kia at racing speeds.

Onboard at Rockingham Raceway

Yesterday I attended the Guild of Motoring Writers Big Day Out at Rockingham Raceway. It was a fantastic day out where I was able to meet several very inspirational journalists and car geeks, plus I was able to thrash my little 182 around what is one of the UK's fastest racing circuits.

A great thing about this day though, was that I was also able to sample some other cars, including the 2013 Fiesta ST and even the Reasonably Priced Kia from Top Gear. All videos and write ups for those are soon to follow. 

But for now here's a couple of laps onboard my Clio. Such a shame the Go Pro ran out of battery when I remembered how to drive after these laps...

Toll Roads Could Save Your Ass

I don't think there any other times I've felt my body wants to dismember itself more, than when I'm in the car. I know for certain my dad never wanted to rip his ears off his head when driving at my age, yet time and time again Pitbull decides to release another belter or rhyme Kodak with Kodak, and my ears want to head skyward when it's played on the car radio. It's not just my ears either, my legs want to fall off and run away at least twice a day as I sit in suburban London's permanent traffic jam. And my eyes want to melt themselves as they observe driving that wouldn't look out of place in Arena Essex Raceway.

Unfortunately for me though, without sounding like I spend my Friday night's sniffing poppers in G.A.Y, it's my buttocks that take the biggest pounding behind the wheel. Thanks to those city bankers playing monopoly with our money, it seems there now isn't enough cash to fix the jigsaw that is our roads. So as a result us motorists are driving on tarmac more broken than Pete Burn's face. And it hurts.

But over the past couple of weeks I've had time for the butt bruises to heal and the shattered spine to repair itself, all thanks to the European continent's toll roads. These smooth, pothole free roads are more well kept that Alan Titchmarsh's rose bushes, and happily ferry traffic as dense as the M1's between mountains and cities alike. It's all because they're funded through the evil method of tolling.

I hate tolls, why should I have to pay to drive along a motorway, when in this day and age it's as much of a right to freedom to jump behind the wheel of a car, as it is to stick on your trainers and walk down the street? You don't pay a charge to walk into busy areas of pedestrians, so why should you to access the black stuff? Well if I'm honest, as much as this mentality is still essentially mine even after seeing the greener grass of French and Spanish motorways, I am beginning to think otherwise ever so slightly. 

During my long distance drive on the continent between France's Calais and the Costa Blanca of Spain, I think we encountered about three potholes on our entire motorway journey. Bloody three, across about 1000miles. I'd encounter that many across about 3 foot in Britain for crying out loud, so I'm sure you'll agree that what I'm about to say is at least worth thinking about.

We should bring tolls to Britain.

Take it in, breath, and take it in again. Now hold all those 'not in my back yard' thoughts and just hear me out. We could at least begin to fix the crumbling roads of Britain, with small charges that are capped and entirely distance dependant. So driving from London to Leeds up the M1 could see you paying a maximum of say, £18. Would that drastically alter your day? The fact most people won't be making that sort of journey more than a few times a year, and in many cases they'd be driving a shiny German saloon for the trip, that 18 quid wouldn't change a thing. And for shorter journeys, say a couple of junctions of the M62 for example, you wouldn't be paying more than a few pence.

It might seem drastic, and another way for us to part with cash in order to clean up the government's mess, but if we were able to ensure this money was used solely to improve and maintain roads, I think more people would be interested than you might think. For starters, better roads would save millions on car repairs relating to road damage each year. And if the current system of road funding remained in place, we could ensure the toll cash didn't act as a source of saving for the government.

So essentially this system would see road improvements, probably less dreaded Sunday drivers and reduced suspension damage costs, all for a few quid a week. And it certainly looks as though at the current rate, buckled wheels will become a common place in car ownership with the volume of potholes we have to drive over. So in order to avoid a future of square wheels and black and blue bums, surely road tolling could serve as a quick and effective fix?

Please feel free to tweet me, email or comment with your thoughts. Alternatively, when sending letter bombs please make sure they are correctly weighted and stamped.

Go Forth and Buy British..Or Don't

Recently I left London for a driving holiday with my family. This doesn't however, mean we went on holiday with the sole purpose of driving, rather that the car was our source of transportation. Strange I suppose, since you wouldn't call a normal holiday a flying holiday. But just roll with me on this..

So anyway we were driving towards our destination, the big plot of land home to afternoon naps and bright red Brits called Spain, and I noticed quite a few things on our way. First of all, I noticed how France's motorways are a giant rip off, with toll station clerks seemingly making up the biggest number they could think of when charging us for using their tarmac. And secondly, I noticed that Europeans love to drive cars from their own countries.

Passing through France, the roads were awash with Peugeots, Renaults and Citroens. As we entered Spain, suddenly the roads were covered in a sprinkling of Seats. And of course the tourist infested Costa Blanca was full of neighbouring European countrymen, from BMW driving Germans to Alfa Romeo driving Italians. It seemed despite us being united as a continent, Europeans really like to drive their own.

Except us Brits however. British drivers instead were driving a mixture of all of the aforementioned cars, plus a mixture of Japanese motors that meant it was impossible to spot a British driven car. The only signs of a British pilot were a GB sticker on the bootlid, or the screams of crashing Europeans being blinded by headlights angled at oncoming traffic.

So with this in mind, I began to consider how maybe we should be proud of our ability to choose a car based on its ability to perform as one, rather than the origins of its badge. Of how us Brits are beyond nationalism and embracing a more united world.

But then I saw an orange McLaren MP4-12C with GB plates roll down the Spanish motorway, and all that changed instantly. A car built just outside of London in leafy Woking, designed and engineered by the best in the business and built by the sort of men who don't drink coffee or sip on wine, but rather who go to the pub and down a couple of pints and eat pies, this car at that moment was more than just a performance vehicle to me. It was the ultimate representation of Britain in and amongst those Alfas and Beemers. 

So there and then I made a decision. I love my little French hot hatch, but for my next car I would happily buy British. I wouldn't go so far as choosing a car that is rubbish just because it's been welded together on Old Blighty, but I would certainly feel an added sense of pleasure knowing I'm driving something someone called Gavin could have made. Thankfully that forces me to reopen the tabs of my TVR searches on Autotrader, and means I should start drinking more beer and stop thinking about getting a chest wax.

Now this isn't to say that our European neighbour's cars aren't great, in many cases they're fantastic. But as a nation once heading the automotive world, our car industry is now comparatively tiny. Lots of cars are made here, but cars of entirely British origin are few and far between the slightly German Bentleys and foreign funded Lotus'. Very few cars are made in Britain that don't at least see one Asian, American or European executive make an influential decision. And this makes me sad.

So I say Britons, don't go so far as to being a nationalistic ass who rejects people from abroad, but do be proud of what we can achieve on this tiny little island. We may not produce them in such volume anymore, but what cars we do contribute to the automotive industry are all generally bloody good. Go forth and buy as many McLarens, Nobles and when they start making them again, TVRs as you can. It's the only way we can help to rebuild what could so easily have been a thriving British car industry. 

But then again, that 458 Ferrari does sound lovely. And those AMG Blacks are sexy as hell. They do say TVRs break down a lot as well; plus my little Renaultsport is as characterful a hot hatch I've ever driven. And my goodness Spanish girls are gorgeous too. Maybe I should hold onto that pro British thought for a bit longer then, maybe Europe ain't so bad..

Moto GP And Its Wheely Brave Men

Once you've gotten over this post's terrible attempt at replicating a typical British tabloid's headline pun, you might be surprised to see that it is also about 2 wheeled machinery rather than my usual waffle around cars. But after watching the weekend's US Moto GP at Laguna Seca, I couldn't help but form a gigantic cloud of opinions around the men that hammer around international racing tracks on high speed motorcycles. I couldn't help but find myself on Autotrader late that night, scrolling through listings of Kawasaki Ninjas and Honda Fireblades in an attempt to one day experience something similar to what these riders, no, heroes, experience when they risk life and limb in order to win.

The US GP, a race barely half the length of what I'm used to watching Formula 1 drivers deal with, was fantastic. The weather was calm, bike reliability was good and there were few incidents, so from a distance the race might seem a little uneventful. But look a little closer and you'll see that not only was the race full of drama, but also heroic determination and some good old, hairy chested bravery. Funnily enough though, much of that bravery came from probably the least hairy chested, baby faced rider called Marc Marquez. You may have heard of him, he won a couple of junior level world championships before landing a ride in the 2013 Moto GP season, and he's something of a star.

Marquez is a rookie, yet in his maiden Moto GP season he has not only rewritten the record books by being the youngest pole sitter and race winner in history, but also by fearlessly racing wheel to wheel with the Championship's most successful rider, Valentino Rossi. You may have also heard of him, he's the guy who had to leave his native Italy in order to just go to the shops without being mobbed by hundreds of fanatical fans. Marquez seems unphased by Rossi's legend like status within the Motorcycling community, as he not only passed Rossi into Laguna Seca's daunting corkscrew, but he did it around the outside. In the football world this could be attributed to nutmegging a world class striker, or a sort of near KO against a boxing heavyweight. Marquez then raced on towards the race's pole sitter, Stefan Bradl, who is also a rookie to the premier motorcycling championship, and defiantly took the lead. His move into the final corner was slightly less dramatic, but equally as impressive as his rear wheel slid left to right under heavy braking. Having never ridden a proper motorcycle, let alone on slick tyres at racing speeds, I was overly impressed and in absolute awe at this youngster's talent.

But my amazement didn't end there. As the riders crossed the line and entered the pits, the coverage panned to Dani Pedrosa and double world champ, Jorge Lorenzo as they clambered off their bikes, expressing emotions of pain and relief. These men had both recently had huge offs resulting in injury, with Lorenzo for example having only just undergone surgery on his shoulder days before the race. Most people are bed ridden, or at least allowed a week or 2 off after undergoing what is a fairly severe surgery, but Lorenzo hopped onto his motorcycle and raced for over half an hour around what is a very dangerous and physical track. And he managed to do this with the world's very best, even finishing 6th, behind the other badly injured racer of Pedrosa. I'm so used to seeing top level footballers exacerbating injuries on the pitch, and even Formula 1 drivers mention fear of injury whilst they clamber into comparably safe cockpits. Yet Pedrosa and Lorenzo chose to ride despite risks of further injury, in order to keep their championship hopes alive. No matter what sport you love or how much you might hate motor racing, you have to have respect for men like these.

And finally, and probably most importantly, all of these riders, even the ones who rarely make TV coverage or the news headlines, are all heroes of sorts. Because they are racing the world's fastest motorcycles, around some of the world's most challenging circuits, in a sport where riders still die. The memory of Marco Simoncelli's death is still very fresh within the Moto GP community, with less than 2 years having passed since his fatal Malaysian GP accident. Just one year before that Shoya Tomizawa had died aged 19 in the Moto2 class, showing just how dangerous Motorcycle racing still is. Formula 1 racers are risking life and limb each time they step into the car, but there is no doubt risk is even higher when you're clinging onto a high powered, two wheeled bike with little more than a few millimetres of leather separating your skin from a high speed tarmac sanding. I have no shame in saying it, even as a long-term F1 fan who once hoped to race in cars. Moto GP riders, are wheely wheely brave.

Sorry..