The website of Adam Sloman, freelance motoring journalist and author.
I’d quite like to drive…
I’d quite like to drive…
Sep 20th
A good old fashion 80′s Mini City.
The Mini was still marvellous in the 1980s
While the performance Minis like the Cooper and mighty Cooper ‘S’ will always be the Minis most remembered, the Mini City of the ’80s and early ’90s will always be special to me.
I’d quite like to drive-the new MG 6
Nov 21st
Our next car
The first new MG since 2001 will officially launch this week at the Guangzhou Auto Show and I can’t wait to see more of it. Designed and developed by SAIC’s UK design team, the 6 shares it’s underpinnings with the Roewe 550. Initially shown as a concept car at the Shanghai show earlier this year, the new 6 launches this coming week and deliveries will start in China in December with UK and the European sales to commence in mid 2010, which will hopefully see cars flowing out of Longbridge once again.
Regular readers (both of you) will know I love my MGs, and for me any new MG is a good MG.
What a baby friendly car...
It’ll have a tough act to follow the ZS, but if it drives as well and the price is right, it could well go a long way to putting the MG name right back where it belongs.
And with our first baby due in the New Year just think of all the boot space for a pushchair!
I’d quite like to drive…
Sep 12th
A Triumph Dolomite.
It wouldn’t even have to be a Sprint.
To me there’s just something achingly cool about Triumph’s 70′s saloon. The styling is just right, and leagues ahead of what British Leyland’s other branches offered, such as the Allegro and Marina. In production for just eight short years, the Dolomite soon got the attention of any motorsport fan, it’s front engine, rear wheel drive layout making it a successful Touring and Rally car, winning the British Touring Car Championship in 1975.
Another one for my garage someday
The one to own though was the Sprint, with it’s 16v engine, alloy wheels and vinyl roof, boasted almost 130 BHP, it was a formidable little sports saloon, and a credit to Triumph, further cementing Leyland’s vision for the marque as the British BMW (ironic, then that today, in 2009, the Triumph name is owned by BMW).
The Dolly was the last car independently produced by Triumph, it was succeeded by the Honda developed Acclaim, and the Triumph name was put out to pasture in 1984.
Today, there aren’t too many Dolly’s left on the UK’s roads, making them that little bit more special, I very nearly bought one once too, but just couldn’t scrape the money together. Somethings never change!
I’d quite like to drive….
Aug 25th
A Citroen C3 Picasso.
Didn’t see that coming, did you?
And neither did I, to be honest. As someone who’s owned a lot of cars (18 Minis, 5 Rovers, a SEAT, a Renault, a Peugeot and my ZS) I’ve never been remotely tempted by the MPV segment, I spent a weekend with a Renault Megane Scenic and it was fine, but it didn’t make me want to run out and buy one, quite the opposite. Yet, for some reason, Citroen’s mini-MPV really intrigues me. Ghostbusters spoof advert aside, there’s something about the car that I really like. It could be the fact that we’ve got a little one due in the new year and I’m a bit worried we won’t have room for the baby, all it’s stuff and our Jack Russell, but I also really like the styling, there’s something funky about what is essentially, just a van. The spec looks great, 16″ or 17″ alloys, ISOFIX rear seats (something I’ve been thinking about more and more with Little ‘Un enroute) glass roof (which might get a tad warm in the summer, mind) and little things like plug-ins for your iPod (well, MP3 player in my case-screw you Apple. My Zen’s got four times the storage for the same money as the equivalent iPod and it does video better) all add up to a pretty appealing package.
The chunky leather steering wheel, combined with the part leather trim is a nice touch too, it’s nice to have an appealing family wagon for a change. It feels like it’s had some time and money put into it. Of course the carefully selected publicity photos may be hiding other issues, but it generally seems to have been pretty well received by the wider motoring press, from Top Gear to Fifth Gear all looking favourably upon the little bus.
There’s a pretty good engine range too, with the diesels making an awful lot of sense, as a family car you’re going to be racking up the miles in it, so cracking fuel economy combined with low carbon emissions means the Picasso is cheap to run and cheap to tax. It’s practical without being dull or tedious, and that’s something none of it’s competitors can boast.
For my money, it’s another successful part of Citroen’s renaissance. For far too long in my opinion, the once legendary innovator in the industry has had to put up with playing second fiddle to Peugeot, and if you’ve ready previous posts on my blog you’ll be familiar with my thoughts on Pugs. 205 GTi and a good diesel engine aside, I don’t like them. Further proof of Citroen’s improved range is the new DS3, I mean look at it!
It looks superb, and is sure to push the MINI for sales in one of the hardest fought market segments. The interior looks great too, certainly miles ahead of my previous experience with a small Citroen, namely my Brother’s base model Saxo. Compared to the Clio I bought at the same time, the Saxo was undeniably cheaper, but boy did it feel it. I guess we’ll all know a little bit more when the wraps come off it at Frankfurt in a few weeks time. Even the C3 looks like it’s going to be massively improved by it’s upcoming face-lift.
Back to the C3 Picasso though, I think I might have to slip my test pilots uniform on and wander down to the dealer for a nose, and maybe a test drive unless of course, Citroen fancy giving me one for a bit?
