#BrownCarGuy – News, Views & Reviews!
The UK woke up to a rather depressing figure this week. Economic growth from July to September came in at 0.1 per cent. The analysts thought we would hit 0.2 per cent, so already things looked a little feeble. The headlines called it a blow for the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves. The markets shrugged. Most of the public sighed into their morning tea.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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”
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!”
Exactly a decade ago, I did the numbers and worked out that the price of peace was far cheaper than the cost of war – does that still hold?
Back in 2015, it frustrated me. War and the meaningless death and destruction. The clash of egos of tiny men with big insecurities, leading to catastrophic consequences – the wiping out of tens of thousands of lives, the demolition of cities and infrastructure, and the absolutely shockingly immense cost of it all.
So, exactly ten years since I first laid out the obscene arithmetic of war versus peace, I’ve decided to take another look.
Continue reading “The Cost of War Far Exceeds the Cost of Peace”
Once upon a time, all you had to ask was: “How many cylinders has it got?” Now? You need to ask if your new car aligns with your values, supports environmental justice, and – heaven forbid – won’t get you cancelled on your Facebook feed. Welcome to motoring in 2025. Forget horsepower. This is about identity politics. And the car world is tearing itself apart trying to figure out where it stands.
