#BrownCarGuy – News, Views & Reviews!
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”
This is what I was afraid of. And there’s probably worse to come…
Successive UK governments have been utterly incompetent when it comes to dealing with illegal migration. Instead of addressing the real problem with practical, humane, enforceable policies, they’ve allowed the issue to fester until it’s blown up and grabbed headlines at grotesquely disproportionate levels. Worse, it’s been conflated with immigration as a whole. And now the mask has slipped. Nigel Farage and Reform UK are finally showing us their true face – and it’s as ugly as we feared.
Continue reading “Reform targets LEGAL MIGRANTS!”
Just when you thought the future was set in stone – battery packs for everyone, petrol engines packed away in the museum – the car industry has thrown us a plot twist worthy of a Netflix series.
Porsche has just shocked enthusiasts by confirming the next-gen 718 Boxster and Cayman will not be EV-only after all. Yep, petrol power lives on, at least in the top trims. That’s right – just days after the brand was busy singing the EV gospel, the engineers are apparently sneaking a flat-six back into the engine bay like a cheeky kid hiding sweets before dinner.
And here’s me – I even made a video mourning the death of the 718 as we knew it. Wonder if Porsche were listening? (You’re welcome.)
Some Sundays are simply better than others – especially when you find yourself wandering through Bedford Square, London, surrounded by the finest collection of classic cars this side of Bicester Heritage. Yes, this is the inaugural Bloomsbury Classic Car Show 2025, and it didn’t disappoint.
Because when you get me, Naveed Hussain (aka Naveed4Speed) and my long-time mate Imthishan Giado (ex-CAR Middle East deputy editor, and my co-founder on Motoring Middle East) together, things get spicy. This episode kicks off with imposter syndrome in car journalism. Do creators feel like frauds? Are influencers wrecking credibility? Or is the whole “journalist vs influencer” debate just another form of automotive gatekeeping? Naveed gets brutally honest about being the outsider, and Imthishan doesn’t hold back on the invisible barriers brown car guys still face in the industry.
In just a couple of months, I’ll be 57 years old. And honestly? Some days, I feel it. The knees creak more than they used to, the waistline’s trying to sneak past the speed limit, and let’s not even mention how often I forget what I came into the room for.
Now… where was I? Oh yes… Professionally, too, the landscape has shifted. There’s less work floating around, fewer calls coming in, and a niggling voice that asks: maybe I’ve had my time. Maybe I really am edging towards my sell-by date.
Continue reading “Ageing Out or Levelling Up? Why Older Workers Still Matter”