#BrownCarGuy – News, Views & Reviews!
While I was living in the UAE, the UK quietly rolled out something called Smart Motorways.
Now bear in mind – I’d been away for a bit, so when I came back and first heard about these, I honestly thought someone was taking the mick.
“Wait… they removed the hard shoulder? On purpose? And called that ‘smart’?!”
Is driving at 25mph the new criminal offence? Apparently, yes – if you’re in London, Wales or an increasing number of towns and cities across Britain. In what feels like an ever-tightening noose on British motorists, the humble 20mph speed limit is no longer just for school zones or hospitals – it’s everywhere. In Wales, a blanket 20mph limit was rolled out across most built-up areas in 2023. Meanwhile, London, never one to miss an opportunity for regulation, has been steadily replacing 30 zones with 20s – now covering over half the city’s roads. And guess what? Other councils are falling in line faster than you can say “Notice of Intended Prosecution.”
There’s only one reason you shouldn’t watch the new F1 movie starring Brad Pitt. And I’ll tell you that reason at the end of this article. But I have to be honest, I really wasn’t sure about this one. When we first heard whispers of this movie being made my scepticism levels were through the roof. Brad Pitt? In a Formula 1 car? Come on, the bloke’s 60! Surely he’s going to play a team principal, right? Nope – he’s a driver. My eyebrows rose so quickly they nearly overtook Verstappen.
Some genres race ahead. Others seem stuck in neutral. And when it comes to fictional books about cars and car culture, we’ve got a real case of literary breakdown on our hands. That’s right — despite the car being one of the most important inventions in human history, a global obsession, a symbol of freedom, rebellion, identity and adrenaline… it’s barely visible in the world of fiction.
Some cars lose their sparkle. These ones lose your entire life savings. Welcome to the motoring Wall of Shame – the cars that crash in value faster than a supercar hits 60. I break down the 30 worst depreciating cars in the UK right now, based on data from WhatCar, AutoExpress, and MotorTrader/Parkers. Whether it’s EVs, luxury barges, or surprisingly costly Corsas, these motors have one thing in common: they make your wallet cry.
Let’s get one thing straight: depreciation isn’t always bad. If you’re buying used, these are potential steals. But if you bought one brand new? Sorry, mate. Wanna hug?
Some car news weeks are quiet. Others are loud. And some? They fake the sound of a V8 through headlights. Welcome to this week’s utterly bonkers motoring headlines – where Mercedes goes sci-fi, Corvette goes ballistic, and Stellantis goes… well, slightly desperate.
We live in a world of stories. Always have, always will. True stories, serious stories, funny stories, unbelievable stories, make-believe stories and fake stories.
We’re bombarded with stories from every side: the friend on the phone, the gossip on the grapevine, the bestseller on your Kindle, the news at 10 and the politician on the podium.
Continue reading “It’s all about stories – but will there be a happy ending?”
We’ve all heard it. The endless noise from the anti-car crowd. “Ban the car!” “Cars are killing the planet!” “15-minute cities will save us all!” And if you dare to question this gospel, you’re apparently some kind of oil-chugging, soot-snorting Neanderthal standing in the way of human progress.
But let’s pause for a second, take a breath (clean air, of course), and actually examine the case against the car – and then, calmly and rationally, dismantle it like a Haynes manual breakdown. Because the reality is this: the car isn’t the problem. In fact, the car has been one of the greatest enablers of freedom, opportunity, and progress in human history. And it still is.
What a show. So iconic. So enduring. Forty-three years after the show started, it’s still well remembered and much loved today. Even as you read this, I guarantee that distinctive synth theme will have popped into your head, along with a visual of that black 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, with that signature red scanner light flashing across the front of the sleek, sexy black sports car. And you can hear the words… “Knight Rider, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist…”
By the faintest light of a dying streetlamp, BCG turned the padlock dials until the combinations clicked into place. The lock snapped open with a metallic crack, and he rolled up the shutter. A wave of stale air drifted from the dark, damp interior. He paused, letting his eyes adjust – until the sharp angle of a raked windscreen and flat bonnet emerged from the gloom.
Continue reading “If BCG Was An Action Thriller”