#BrownCarGuy – News, Views & Reviews!
Imagine you’re cruising down an empty street late at night, only to find your car suddenly cutting power to slow to the posted 20mph limit. Sounds like something out of a dystopian sci-fi, right? Well, brace yourselves because from 7 July 2024, all new cars sold in Europe are now equipped with Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) technology – that’s a speed limiter to you and me!
Electric Vehicles (EVs), hybrids, the trusty petrols, diesels, and perhaps even hydrogen cars—which one deserves a spot in your life? Let’s dive deep into the what, why, and how of each powertrain as I help you navigate to your perfect automotive match for 2024.
Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look as we gear up for the 2024 West London Classics (WLC) Show & Shine event. In this video, I meet up with fellow judges Preeta from Classic Custom and Bob from Autotechnic at the Nashtaa Cafe in Langley, where we enjoy a delightful breakfast, featuring both full English and full Indian options.
A video caught my eye the other day: “Why Everyone is Quitting BIG Automotive YouTube Channels (Donut, Hoonigan, CarThrottle)” from AutoTea Channel. Turns out that fledgling channel (fast-growing though – with just five videos it already has over a million views and nearly 10k subs), belongs to Tiernan, who himself was part of the team that grew Donut Media, and indeed has now left.
The new 2024 Mini Countryman is electric, bigger and less, well… Minier? Not just in size but in looks. The headlights are square, not round, and the proportions are distinctly SUV. However, from the wing mirrors to the rounded black roof and the JCW badging, not to mention go-faster stripes (not normally found on a family car) it is at least sprinkled with Mini flavouring.
Are there still any truly bad cars? That’s the question we tackled in a recent podcast with my former motoring Middle East buddy, who was in town. Catching up with him was an absolute joy, and naturally, we ended up doing a little podcast together. One of the topics we discussed was whether there are any car reviews anymore or if it’s all just fluff and advertorials.
This past week saw the reveal of three sensational new cars: the Aston Martin Valiant, the Bentley Continental GT, and the BMW M5. These are not just any cars – we’re talking about the pinnacle of automotive engineering, boasting incredible power, luxury, and performance. Yet, despite their jaw-dropping specs and prestigious badges, the reaction has been surprisingly subdued. What’s going on?
What role does storytelling play in preserving motoring culture? After attending the Self-Publishing Live Conference, I’m reflecting on my journey as an author, my first novel ‘The ULEZ Files’, and my next venture as a book publisher. I ask the question: is it my duty to write more car fiction?
In 35 years of covering the car industry, I’ve never seen such confusion and uncertainty as we’re experiencing now. Traditionally, when sitting down with car company executives, they’d be confident, thinking years ahead with clear plans. That’s no longer the case. Ask them about the future these days and you can see them struggling to resist an urge to shrug and fling their hands in the air in confusion. So what gives?
This is the new 2024 MG3 Hybrid, priced from just £18,500. The third generation of the compact city car from Chinese-owned MG, that takes inspiration from the big brother MG4 EV in terms of design but aims to add style to practical and affordable motoring.
