THERE are times when I regret saying goodbye to our Audi A4 cabriolet – the other day was one of them.
Not that I would be in the market for the car that started twanging the old nostalgia strings. At £68,985, the RS5 cabriolet is definitely a car for the well heeled (and not just the well coiffeured four inch heeled) as well as the well walleted.
POSSIBLY picked a bad couple of days to go to north Wales to sample the delights of the latest Peugeot 208 GTi.
For so long the bastion of the speeding motorist hating constabulary, it was also, for our brief stay, home to rather a lot of senior police officers in what was Speed Awareness Week. So, you might agree, not a good time to go hooning around the neighbourhood in the latest incarnation of what was one of the very first and very best hot hatches.
THERE was an air of inevitability about this happening, given Audi’s mastery of diesel propulsion and the company’s growing trophy cabinet with its Le Mans successes.
And now it’s here – the Audi SQ5 TDI, the very first S model with a diesel engine.
THERE used to be a slogan years ago that went along the lines of ‘you’ll be amazed at a Mazda’ – and you would today once you’ve cast your eyes over the all new Mazda6.
It is without doubt the best looking car they’ve brought to the market since someone took a pencil out of the tin and penned the little MX5.
THEY claim racing improves the breed, and that technology developed at the top level of motor sport filters down to those of us with slightly less ability behind the wheel.
And you’ve got to admit they’ve got a point. Just take a look at the average steering wheel these days and you’re likely to find more buttons than a big girl’s blouse on it.
SEAT’S Leon of 1998 vintage was their first C segment car under VW ownership, and sparked the emergence of the FR and Cupra spec cars for the more sporty orientated driver.
And its success here since then has proved it’s not just Spanish holiday resorts and islands that Brits have a strong liking for.
But nowadays the Spanish economy needs a shot in the arm, and the latest model could be just the car to drive to the rescue. Because it’s really quite good.
HERE’S a Mirage that’s very real – and one you’re likely to see more and more of on the roads.
And you’ve got to say confidence in Mitsubishi’s latest small car is high. One dealer took 23 orders on his launch weekend and Mitsubishi UK MD Lance Bradley says although they’re targeting 4,000 sales a year, the initial response has been so good they feel they can quite easily sell twice that number.
SKODA’S latest Octavia could have been made for Dickens’ endearing little chap Oliver Twist – the lad who wanted more.
Because that’s what he’d get if he wandered into his local showroom.
The third generation Octavia, billed as the most advanced Skoda ever, would fill the little bloke’s bowl with a healthy portion of what they’ve offered in the past – and another helping on top for good measure.
BACK in the days when I first started road testing cars, there was one that stood out like a beacon when it came to reliability – and let’s face it, 30 odd years ago cars were NOT that reliable.
Toyota’s Corolla was the car the world bought because while it was hardly likely to raise your blood pressure or bring out beads of sweat on your forehead, you knew it would always get you home. Without fail.
THERE’S definitely something surreal about driving along a French autoroute and being able to see an aerial view of everything to the right and left of you.
In an Audi, you can – a fact highlighted by the all-new A3 Sportback, which goes on sale on March 16.