Is Zohran Mamdani Anti-Car? What New York’s Motorists Need to Know

The Mayor doesn’t drive, but he’s steering New York’s future – and motorists might not like where the road’s heading

When a man who doesn’t even drive becomes the Mayor of New York City, you just know things are about to get interesting. Zohran Mamdani’s victory has made waves across the world – not just because he’s the first Muslim, first brown and first African-born mayor in NYC’s history, but because he represents something much bigger: a changing philosophy about how cities are built, who they serve, and – crucially for us car lovers – whether there’s still space for motorists in the urban future.

Now, before you reach for your pitchforks or your petrol can, let’s take a calm, and rational look at what this actually means for drivers.

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BrownCarGuy October Round-Up: Scandals, Supercars & 10 Million Fines

From EV world records to yellow-box chaos, Mazda’s electric comeback to the potential end of classic car tax exemptions – October was a rollercoaster for motoring news, reviews, rants, and revelations

October was a month where the motoring world felt like it had one foot on the throttle and the other in a pothole. We had political mayhem, performance miracles, tech scandals, nostalgic deep dives and a few hearty laughs along the way. Whether you’re here for honest reviews, shocking truths, or a dose of car culture therapy – I’ve rounded up my best videos, blogs, and podcasts from the past month. Buckle up!

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The PHEV Scandal

How Plug-In Hybrids Became the Car Industry’s Dirty Little Secret

They were supposed to be the perfect bridge to a greener motoring future – the best of both worlds. Drive electric around town, and petrol on the motorway. No range anxiety, no compromise, no problem. But according to a new report by Transport & Environment, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) might be one of the biggest greenwashing scandals in the car industry. In the real world, these so-called eco-friendly cars are polluting almost as much as petrol vehicles.

So what went wrong? And more importantly – are PHEVs worth buying at all?

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PODCAST: Ghosts, Gearboxes & Great Stories – Is Car Journalism Dead or Just Rebooted?

BCG Therapy Session Podcast with Jeff Bailey & Imthishan Giado

Somewhere between haunted roads, electric cars, and the eternal fight between influencers and journalists, a very honest discussion broke out. In the latest BrownCarGuy Therapy Session Podcast, I was joined by Jeff Bailey – long-time motoring writer, serial car buyer, and author – and Imthishan Giado, my partner-in-crime from our Car Middle East and Motoring Middle East days. We didn’t plan to solve the mysteries of the universe, but somewhere between the nostalgia and the banter, we might just have done that – or something…

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Cardiff’s War on Drivers: The Truth Behind the SUV Parking Charge

Cardiff has become the first UK city to charge extra for heavier cars – praised by some as climate progress, but seen by many as yet another salvo in the war on drivers

Cardiff Council has approved a policy that introduces higher parking permit charges for larger and heavier vehicles, starting with those over 2,400kg – and soon expanding to 2,000kg for non-electric cars. The Council claims the aim isn’t to punish, but to “gently encourage behaviour change,” arguing that bigger cars take up more space, cause more road wear, and are a greater danger to pedestrians.

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Is the Chancellor About to Scrap the 40-Year Classic Car Exemption?

Are They Coming for Our Classics? – The Chancellor’s Bonkers Plan to Tax Heritage!

Rumour has it the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is preparing to scrap the 40-year tax exemption for classic cars – and if true, it could be one of the daftest economic moves in decades. Because make no mistake – if this goes ahead, you won’t just be taxing old motors. You’ll be taxing passion, history, and an £18-billion-a-year industry that already contributes around £3 billion in taxes annually to the Treasury.

That’s right. The same government that loves to preach about “protecting heritage” might soon be taxing it to death.

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BrownCarGuy September 2025 Round-Up: Shocks, Scandals & Supercars

From Lotus fighting for survival to Porsche U-turns, JLR’s £1.5bn lifeline, culture wars, car shows, and even a roast of your ride – September 2025 was wild. Plus we got political!

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.

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£1.5bn Government Support for JLR Hack – But Could It Be an Inside Job?

A £1.5bn government rescue may keep Jaguar Land Rover afloat after a crippling cyberattack – but questions linger over a suspected IT weak link connecting JLR, M&S and the Co-op

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?

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EV UPDATE: Porsche’s EV U-Turn

Car Makers Push Back on the All-Electric Future!

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.)

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JLR Hacked

Cyber Attack Shuts Down Jaguar Land Rover Production for three weeks!

Somewhere between a spy thriller and a Black Mirror episode, Britain’s biggest carmaker has been stopped in its tracks. Not by Covid, not by strikes, not by chip shortages – but by hackers. Yes, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has fallen victim to a cyberattack so severe it’s forced the company into a global shutdown.

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