Tag: browncarguy

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!” →
0

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.

Continue reading “The Future We Promised Ourselves – And Why We’re Not at Warp Yet” →
0

The NEC Classic Car Show 2025 – A Treasure Trove of Metal, Mayhem and Mind-Blowing Prices

From a HEMI-swapped Datsun to a nut & bolt Charger win and a pristine ’78 Corolla with 23k miles – the iconic halls of the NEC delivered one of the most eclectic classic-car weekends in years

Let me pull you into it: vast halls, thousands of gleaming machines, petrol and polish in the air – that was the vibe inside the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show 2025 at the The NEC Birmingham. I wandered the aisles with my good mate Sy (Founder of Drivers Union), trying to take it all in: club stands, traders, rare models, and some genuinely wild builds. It’s a show that doesn’t just showcase classics – it celebrates them with a roar.

Continue reading “The NEC Classic Car Show 2025 – A Treasure Trove of Metal, Mayhem and Mind-Blowing Prices” →
1

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.

Continue reading “Is Zohran Mamdani Anti-Car? What New York’s Motorists Need to Know” →
0

Cars & Coffee: The Dangerous Habit Ruining Your Driving Focus!

That extra coffee might wake you up, but it could also be wrecking your driving focus – here’s why caffeine behind the wheel isn’t always your friend

Coffee – it’s the legal performance enhancer that fuels early mornings, late nights and long motorway hauls. Most of us can’t even start an ignition, let alone a working day, without one. But here’s the shocker – too much caffeine might actually make you a worse driver. According to a new UK survey, 11 million drivers regularly exceed the safe daily caffeine limit of 400 milligrams – that’s about two barista coffees, four cups of tea, or five cans of energy drink. Go over that, and you might start to feel like you’ve traded your steering wheel for a fidget toy.

Continue reading “Cars & Coffee: The Dangerous Habit Ruining Your Driving Focus!” →
1

The St James’s Motoring Spectacle 2025 – Over A Century of Motion on Pall Mall

Videos and photos of the cars shows at spectacular London event, including the line up of veteran cars attempting the London-to-Brighton Run

London did what London does best today – mixed elegance with engine oil. Pall Mall transformed into a living timeline of motoring at the St James’s Motoring Spectacle 2025, a glorious preview to tomorrow’s London-to-Brighton Veteran Car Run. The whole street hummed, clattered, and occasionally coughed to life as machines older than most family trees sat alongside the latest electric wonders.

Continue reading “The St James’s Motoring Spectacle 2025 – Over A Century of Motion on Pall Mall” →
1

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?

Continue reading “The PHEV Scandal” →
1

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!” →
1

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?” →
1

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.

Continue reading “Cardiff’s War on Drivers: The Truth Behind the SUV Parking Charge” →
1

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Up ↑