2018 – My Year on Insta

Compilation of my monthly snapshots of 2018 on Instagram (@ShahzadSheikh ‘BrownCarGuy’)

Click through to see them all!

January 2018

• Helicopter ride with Infiniti to review the new QX80
• Press trip with Jaguar – and one scary flight – to drive new E-Pace
• Meeting up with old buddy and legend in automotive journalism, James Ruppert
• Filming two hilarious videos for Honda with the Jazz
• Brief stop at the Eiffel
• Hanging out with the family and dear friends in London
• Updating my UK driving licence to a modern photo ID at last

February 2018

• Attending a car show
• Reviewing a bunch of new SUVs
• Reenacting ‘Gold’ with a terrible dance for my VW Arteon review
• Honda Accord launch
• Radio show with James Piecowye on Dubai Eye – in our sixth year of weekly CarTalk
• Reviewing a Focus RS in the rain
• Pretending to be a young car ‘Influencer’
• Finding a Beat
• Green Audi RS5 turning me into the Hulk

March 2018

• Hosting a live show at Volkswagen Club event at Dubai Autodrome
• Running a ‘worst customer ever’ scenario workshop with Honda sales staff
• Live broadcasts from Al Tayer Pre-Owned Sale
• More family time in the UK
• Finding old cars in the UAE – see vid on YouTube.com/MotoringMiddleEast
• Driving the Range Rover PHEV through water and Sport SVR on track at speed
• Living out my ‘Brown Bond’ fantasies whilst testing the awesome Aston Martin DB11

April 2018

• Start filming for new Autocrats car show on FOX MENA region TV to be broadcast in 28 countries on 6 channels with over 200 showings per episode! Fame beckons? LOL!
• Remembering Dad
• Mum’s Birthday
• Spending time with my son Junaid in Dubai
• More radio shows
• Promotional/Instructional video I filmed for Abu Dhabi fuel stations Adnoc goes live, my 80s-style suit gets another outing on video – LOL.
• First drive of an electric car over a long distance – impressed with the Chevrolet Bolt
• Drag racing BMWs at Yas Marina Circuit
• Emirates Custom Car Show in Abu Dhabi
• More car reviews including all-new Ferrari Portofino

May 2018

• More radio
• More episodes for Autocrats in the can
• EmCee for a paints event
• Driving the mighty Corvette ZR1 on track

June 2018

• After six years, the last ever CarTalk on Dubai Eye radio
• Hanging out with my dear childhood friend Kalpesh visiting Dubai
• Got the manual 5.0 Mustang back for Motoring Middle East review – loved this car, would have one.
• First episode of Autocrats goes on air – thanks for all the great feedback!

July 2018

• Filming for Autocrats in over 50 degrees C!
• Jeep Wrangler international launch in Austria
• Cloned myself for Camry hybrid review
• Do a bunch of terrible accents for Hyundai Accent review of course
• Kick off summer in the UK with family

August 2018

• Holiday? What Holiday? Doing a bunch of car reviews in the UK
• Autocrats have cloned me for Land Rover Review – can you handle five of me? LOL!
• Fun in sun with fam during a fantastically warm summer in London

September 2018

• Back to work
• Guests on morning show on new Sharjah Talk Radio Channel Pulse 95
• Volkswagen Teramont launch event in Oman
• Lotus showroom opening – I’m in heaven!
• House of Avalon event
• Visiting a haunted house in Ras Al Khaimah in a Bentley
• Fell in love with the all-new Bentley Continental GT – what a wonderful machine!
• Running a long-term E-Pace

October 2018

• Fantastic UK tour with Jaguar-Land Rover, visiting factories, driving off-road and checking out Classic Works – my favourite part of the trip.
• I visited Shakespeare’s place but he wasn’t in!
• I believe in Innovation
• Awesome Aston Martin drive at Jebel Hafeet, super impressed with Aston Martin DBS, finally fell in love with the new Vantage
• Covered Jaguar-Land Rover live event at the Dubai Autodrome
• Blown away by a drive of the amazing Project 8 Jaguar XE SV
• Filmed a couple of Mercs for a promotional film – that Maybach is sublime!
• Virtually worthy enough to wield Excalibur sword – you’ll have to see Avalon review to figure out why!

November 2018

• Filming the new G-Wagon for Autocrats – interior is a massive leap forward!
• Kicking off podcast version of CarTalk to replace the radio show with James Piecowye
• First ever visit to Yas Marina circuit during F1 weekend, thanks to Aston Martin
• Got a selfie with Sir Jackie Stewart – Legend!
• Attended launch of Milan Red concept car at Deals on Wheels – the name of the car is related to a bird of prey, hence I’m holding a falcon with DoW owner!
• Some of my most popular posts this year have been ThrowBackThursdays and FlashBackFridays, with occasional stories on this blog to go with them. Search #SSMemoirs to see them

• Reviewing the new Ram, Haval H6 and VW Touareg
• Podcasting with James Piecowye
• Meeting Normando the Magician
• Reviewing three Audis – including my last review for Motoring Middle East, the Q8
• Yep, you read that right – leaving Motoring Middle East
• Farewell everyone, at Cafe Rider
• See off at the airport – a new adventure awaits in the New Year!