#BrownCarGuy – News, Views & Reviews!
Honestly, the 1990s don’t seem that long ago – however, it was the decade that popularised email and the World Wide Web; we got mobile phones that weren’t bricks, as well as digital SLR cameras, Sony Discmans and MP3 players; 170Mb was a lot and Y2K was terrifying but never actually happened.
Sometimes, car manufacturers end up with a ‘safe bet’ seller. Occasionally by design, but usually by chance. You may think that’s a golden egg for any car maker, but it can also be a poisoned chalice. It becomes so invaluable that the company simply can’t afford to get it wrong.
For Kia, that car is the Sportage – its best-selling SUV, the top performer across Europe, and, rather astonishingly, its global bestseller too. So when the Koreans tweak the formula, it’s a big deal.
Think you need a fat wallet to drive something desirable? Think again. Forget the tired hatchbacks, clapped-out old runabouts or overpriced German badgers – because lurking in the classifieds under the magic £3,000 mark are some proper gems.
Yes, I’m talking about silky V6 engines, stealth luxury, forgotten flagships, and even a high-revving sports car. And for good measure, a cheeky city hatch that’ll surprise you too. These are the bargain buys you didn’t think of – but should.
September came at us fast and furious – a month of breaking news, motoring drama, cultural flashpoints, and a few laughs along the way. Lotus is clinging to life, Porsche is making (and unmaking) decisions, politicians are meddling, and I even roasted some of your cars just for fun. If you missed any of it, don’t worry – here’s the complete BrownCarGuy digest from September 2025.
Continue reading “BrownCarGuy September 2025 Round-Up: Shocks, Scandals & Supercars”
308.4mph. That’s the new production car speed record. A number so big it should make you gasp, applaud, or at least mutter “blimey” into your beer. And yet, here I am, shrugging. Because while the Yangwang U9 Extreme – an all-electric hypercar from China – has just dethroned Bugatti and become the world’s fastest car, I can’t help asking: does anyone really care anymore?
I don’t read car reviews. I don’t watch car reviews. Not because I think everyone else’s stuff is rubbish (well… maybe sometimes). But because I don’t want to be influenced, even subconsciously, by anyone else’s opinion on a car.
It sounds like the plot of a cyber-thriller – but it’s happening in real life. Britain’s biggest carmaker, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has been brought to its knees by hackers, with production halted for weeks, suppliers on the brink, and billions in lost revenue. Now the UK government has stepped in with a £1.5 billion loan guarantee to keep JLR afloat and protect jobs.
But as the rescue unfolds, a more uncomfortable question is emerging: was this simply bad luck, or could there be a weak link inside JLR’s own technology backbone?
Some people just talk about car culture – we live it. In this week’s BrownCarGuy Therapy Session, I was joined by two proper legends of the community: Syed Ali of Drivers Union, and Fiona Easterby, world traveller, petrolhead and the proud pilot of the now-famous Baja Bug, Pedro.
Together, we took a wild ride across stories, streets and scenes – from the dusty roads of Pakistan to the adrenaline-pumping climb up Kop Hill in a Ferrari 360 Modena, and finally… to the most dangerous motoring frontier of all – the British High Street.
Somewhere in East London sits an Aladdin’s cave for car enthusiasts. On the outside, LandBeasts looks like a workshop where you might pop in to get your supercar serviced. Step inside, though, and you’re transported straight into the golden era of 80s and 90s dream cars.
Today, United States President, Donald Trump, stood before the United Nations and gave a speech that can only be described as equal parts dangerous, delusional and daft. He ranted about an “invasion” of illegal migrants in Europe, accused London of wanting to implement Sharia law, and dismissed climate change as a hoax. It was a greatest-hits collection of fear politics, fake news and frikkin lunacy!
Last time he presented to world representatives at this esteemed venue in 2018, listeners sniggered. This time, no one was laughing – apart from when he jokingly complained about the teleprompter not working and being stuck on the escalator (some brave soul in that building was clearly trying to thwart the nonsensification of this noble – if ineffectual – institute).
Continue reading “Trump at the UN | Leader of ‘Free World’ Shackles it in Fearmongering and Misinformation”