Jaguar XKR Pace with Grace You know that wee dug in the Jim Carey film ‘’The Mask’’? The wee Jack Russell that looked so cute, cuddly and wouldn’’t touch an Andrex bog roll even if it had a sticky back end. The one that changed into a snarling, Rottweiler of […] Read more »

Jaguar XKR-S The Fastest Jaggy – in the world! Well, there I was. Scudding down the runway at Edinburgh. My right foot was buried in the carpet and the speedo was reading 150, and still rising. At 155, I could see the ‘’Brake Now’’ boards looming large through the windscreen. […] Read more »

Fiat 500 TwinAir Memories Are Made of This … I’ve never before admitted this in public, but my first vehicle purchased with my own money was a rear engined, rear wheel drive 1965 Autobianchi 500. It wasn’t even a car, it was the van version. And it was well second-hand […] Read more »

SEAT Ibiza ST Sport 1.6 TDI CR Small, and Perfectly Fun Loved it. This wee car is a belter. There are some cars that I can jump into and instantly feel at home, this is one of them. For a start it looks good and secondly it feels good. The […] Read more »

Kia Sportage Seriously Cool Kia After it won last year’’s Scottish Car of the Year crown, some of my friends asked if I was bonkers. It’’s a Kia for gawd’s sake. And that’’s the first mistake they made. When judging a modern day Kia, all previous thoughts and opinions must […] Read more »

Mazda 5 Sport More Room, Less Vrooom I don’’t know what the ‘Sport’ badge on the Mazda 5 stands for, but I’’d hate to drive the non-sport. Not that it was especially slow, but it wasn’’t what you’’d call sporty either. There is no torque below 3000 rpm and it […] Read more »

Hyundai ix20 Speed Freaks – Leave Well Alone Right, let’’s start with the conclusion. On the whole, I liked the wee Hyundai ix20 despite the fact that I reckon this is a car primarily for people who don’’t like driving, but like to get there reliably, safely and in reasonable […] Read more »

Skoda Fabia VRS Fabialous Fun in a Skoda Loved it. But it had one serious flaw. Ride quality. It ain’’t got none. It’’s about as comfortable as skiting down the Cresta run on yer bare bum. In other words, it offers about as much bump absorption as riding a hospital […] Read more »

SEAT Leon Cupra R Time for a Tickle? If you want to see perpetual motion, tickle a Haggis that is standing on a parquet floor. It goes demented. With legs ablur it will scrape the polish off the wood as it scrabbles for grip, before suddenly exploding into motion like […] Read more »

Citroen DS3 1.6 THP DSport A Distinctly French Approach Once upon a time, France was all about pavement cafes, croissants and coffee, Gitanes and garlic, Brigitte Bardot and Citroen. Then came package holidays, British bakers trying to do light and flaky pastry, the criminalisation of smoking and Tic Tacs, Brigitte […] Read more »