Nissan GT-R

This is a picture of the glorious new super/sports car from Nissan. It is of course the Nissan GT-R. Over at Top Gear they've got a nice little special on it. It is stated that this is one of the fastest production cars ever made (I doubt this will be in terms of flat-out top speed, but it will certainly be with regard to how it corners and accelerates).

It features a twin-clutch semi-auto gearbox which apparently functions better than almost any other on the market. To my mind, it's unsurprising that the Japanese would come up with something a little special for that.

I don't want to say too much about the car given that I hope to be seeing one on the 12th at the Birmingham Motor Show, but I will say that it looks like two cars I already enjoy looking at (and driving). The first is a Nissan 350Z and the second is the Impreza (not the new hatchback though). Combine the two and in my mind you have something that almost resembles a battle tank. Powerful, mighty and definitely macho.

Industrial Estates

A friend of a friend drove to an industrial estate the other night. It was huge and completely empty. It was the ideal thrashing space for his new car, a 2.0 litre sports version. This estate had no people around (so no-one was in danger) and a good few windy routes to hit. He said it was a lot of fun and he'd have to take me there sometime.

Before you get the wrong idea, I'd never endorse dangerous driving. However, people drive on motorways well above the speed limit all the time. So, doing 40 in an industrial estate is very much less likely to injure anyone, and preferable to the enthusiasts who meet at an 'unknown location' to roar their engines.

Either way, this style of driving (urban exploration if you will) makes me think that I need to get a Subaru Impreza or something. I'd imagine that the new WRX would be a lot of fun to take on some country roads. Now, I just need to drive a bit further out of the suburbs...

Carbage!

This is one of the most famous sections of the Top Gear website - and it's bloody awful. Yet brilliant. People who have crazily modded motors (or those simply with the right to send them to the site) take a snap and then it is uploaded for all to see. Now, I can see why some mod their cars. Better performance for instance.

However, most of these cars here look to have been changed for one reason only - catching the eye. This is in itself not a bad thing, but you've got to wonder why someone would buy a car (looking perfectly ok in the first place) only to change the look completely. Why not just buy something else?

Generally speaking I haven't seen too many dodgy modded motors when out and about, though an park not too far away from here is a regular hunting ground. I'll give you a clue - it's got a cinema and is based at North Shields/Wallsend.

If cars are your passion - then great. Chances are you wouldn't be here reading otherwise. But do you really need spoilers on the back that make your motor look like the VW Polo of Satan? Perhaps not. Look with the mind as well as the heart young padowan and the truth will be revealed! Or, just save up more and get the Impreza you really want...

Scary Undertaking Drivers

I was a little worried the other evening when I was driving back from a relatives' house. On the inside, on a sliproad in fact, a guy was going maybe double the 30mph, he then crossed in front of me in his modded Subaru Impreza and shot off into the third lane, seemingly oblivious to the speed cameras (or the 50mph sign).

This was one of the most dangerous things I've seen in a while, and it kind of holds up to my theory that the later it gets, the weirder the things are that people do on the road. I guess it comes with the territory, or maybe it's just a case of the nutters getting up at 2pm, having their breakfast or whatever then driving off to score some drugs. Either way, there are places to drive in such a manner and they tend to sealed track days, rather than the average British road.