#BrownCarGuy – News, Views & Reviews!
The latest SMMT Motorparc data has just landed – and it paints a fascinating picture of what’s going on out on the roads of Blighty. Spoiler alert: we’re not all silently gliding around in futuristic electric cars just yet. In fact, Britain remains firmly attached to its old bangers, diesel vans, and distinctly dreary colour palette. So let’s pop the bonnet on the real state of UK motoring in 2024 and see what the numbers tell us…
Apparently, I’ve sold my soul to the Shaitan of the socket, the Devil of DC current, the archdemon of amperes! That’s what some people in the comments section of my YouTube channel have taken to ranting about.
Why? Because I’ve committed blasphemy, done the unthinkable, driven the undrivable… yes… I’ve reviewed electric cars. Shock, horror… and more SHOCK! Like, put me in the electric chair level SHOCK!
LONDON, 01 04 2025 – It might just be the most anti-car policy to ever hit the streets of London — and yes, you read that right. Supercars. Banned. In Central London.
So, we left the EU. Regardless of where you stood on Brexit – whether you were marching in the streets waving a Union Jack or rolling your eyes at the telly – the idea was simple, right? Take back control. No more Brussels telling us what to do. But now, in an almost Monty Python-esque twist, it seems EU motoring laws are quietly creeping back in through the exhaust pipe.
As a motoring journalist and avid tech enthusiast, I’ve find myself fascinated and captivated by the evolution of AI and robotic technology and, of course, its impact on our lives. Chiefly in the context of being a car guy, it raises an additional concern for me – where does it leave the now relatively humble automobile if we have a super-intelligent all-singing, all-dancing robot to do all our bidding, and essentially eliminate our need to even leave the house?
This is exciting – getting behind the wheel of the 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Didn’t he already review the Golf GTI?” True (link below), but this isn’t the regular GTI; this is the Clubsport – a souped-up version with a bit more oomph, aimed squarely at those of us who want a little more spice from our hot hatches. The previous edition was the pick of the pack – let’s see if this Clubsport lives up to the hype.
Some of you are going to hate this post. I get it – you’re petrolheads, purists, the warriors of the rev counter, who scoff at the idea of “silent but speedy.” But here you are. You clicked, didn’t you? And I see you… thanks for hanging about.
In this podcast I’m catching up with my mate Kirpal Singh Randhawa, founder of West London Classics, the car club that’s gone from a small group of petrolheads getting together to chat about carburettors, to one of the most significant forces in London’s car community!
The ULEZ scrappage scheme in London was meant to help clean up the city’s air by encouraging the removal of older, more polluting vehicles from the road. But for classic car lovers like myself, it’s heart-wrenching to see future collectibles and cherished cars crushed before their time. To uncover exactly what has been lost, I submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Transport for London (TfL) to find out which cars were scrapped in the most recent ULEZ scheme. Today, I got my answer.
So, have you seen it yet? The final-ever episode of The Grand Tour? Well, when I say final, I mean, there’s talk it might not be the final. But should it be brought back? That’s the real question. If you haven’t watched it yet, don’t worry – no spoilers here – but let’s talk about where The Grand Tour leaves us, why it (and before it Top Gear) worked for so long, and why trying to revive it or replace Clarkson, Hammond, and May would be massive mistake.
