Category: Opinion

AI, Cars and What’s Real Anymore? Bond, Bots and the Lotus That Refuses to Die

Reality is now optional; cars feel increasingly fictional; James Bond belongs to Amazon; and the Lotus Esprit has returned to mess with our heads

Somewhere between the fifth AI-generated video you didn’t trust and the third car launch you instantly forgot, it dawned on us: we might be living in the uncanny valley… and it’s a charged congestion zone!

That unsettling sense of digital déjà vu is where this latest BCG Podcast begins. I’m joined by Sy from Drivers Union, and together we tumble headfirst into a bonkers tangled conversation about AI, cars, car culture, Bond, books, events, identity and the creeping suspicion that none of us quite know what’s real anymore – including ourselves.

Continue reading “AI, Cars and What’s Real Anymore? Bond, Bots and the Lotus That Refuses to Die” →
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When the Years Catch Up: A Birthday Reflection

A raw, witty confession about relevance, resilience and refusing to be scrapped, even when the suspension’s a bit knackered and the engine is spluttering!

Gotta be honest. I’m starting to feel it. It’s my birthday today. I’m 57 years old. Five, seven. Fifty-seven. How did that happen? When? Surely that’s an admin error. A typo someone forgot to correct.

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BCG Therapy Podcast: Remembering Quentin Willson: A Personal Tribute to a Motoring Giant

A personal tribute to Quentin Willson, filled with memories, gratitude and the stories that show why he mattered so much to car people everywhere

Some news knocks the wind out of you, even when you don’t expect it to. The passing of Quentin Willson did exactly that. A motoring journalist, consumer champion, former Top Gear presenter, and one of the sharpest, driest voices ever to grace British car culture. For many of us, he wasn’t just part of the furniture – he built the room.

For me and Imthishan, the shock ran deeper because we’d spent a week with Quentin in December 2024 when we hosted him as a guest of the Mille Miglia. It meant we got to spend some time with him: conversations, long drives, and the sort of unexpected moments you only appreciate later. Now, looking back, that week feels very precious.

Continue reading “BCG Therapy Podcast: Remembering Quentin Willson: A Personal Tribute to a Motoring Giant” →
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Petrolhead ≠ Politically Incorrect: I don’t Rev for the Right, but nor do I Line-Lock for the Left!

Some think that if you enjoy the sound of a V8 and a whiff of burnt rubber, you’re a climate-denying dinosaur. Time to set the steering straight

I know that I’m pigeon-holed sometimes. And I know why. I love cars, especially big hairy monstrous motors that smoke their tyres and obliterate decibel detectors. 

Yes, my name is Shahzad and I’m an Autoholic. I confess the thrum of a V8 turns me on, octane is my cologne, and a gear-snatching, wheel-twirling thrash up a twisty road is my therapy. Cyclists are annoying, traffic cameras are the enemy, and the Highway Code is a quaint little booklet that’s just the right thickness for the wobbly leg of my coffee table. 

And most damning of all, I refuse to apologise for any of this. 

Continue reading “Petrolhead ≠ Politically Incorrect: I don’t Rev for the Right, but nor do I Line-Lock for the Left!” →
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The Future We Promised Ourselves – And Why We’re Not at Warp Yet

Shahzad Sheikh staring at the Starship Enterprise from a shuttlecraft window
I’ve always loved Star Trek for its vision of a hopeful, united, intelligent humanity. But as the USS Enterprise prepares to warp into the future, I can’t help but wonder – have we stranded ourselves in the past?

Stardate: Right-Here-Right-Now

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved Star Trek. Not because of the phasers, photon torpedoes, or the occasional red-shirt casualty (though let’s be honest, those were fun too). No – it was the future it promised. A future built on intellect, compassion, curiosity, and progress. A future where humanity finally grew up, stopped arguing about nonsense, cured disease, ended hunger, explored the stars – and had the decency to put cup holders on shuttlecraft.

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Britain’s Most Lucrative Yellow Boxes!

Trapped! Britain’s Most Expensive Box Junction Is Fining Drivers £1,800 a Day!

Imagine being fined £160 – not for speeding, not for parking on double yellows, not even for driving in a bus lane – but for doing absolutely nothing more than being in the wrong bit of yellow paint for a few seconds. Welcome to Kingston Road, South-West London – home of Britain’s most expensive yellow box junction. Or as locals call it: the cash cow!

Continue reading “Britain’s Most Lucrative Yellow Boxes!” →
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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…

Continue reading “PODCAST: Ghosts, Gearboxes & Great Stories – Is Car Journalism Dead or Just Rebooted?” →
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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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