tommallett

Monday:

My week began with a significant car that I have been meaning to drive for the last few weeks. The 1 series is an important model for BMW as it represents a large number of sales and brings young buyers to the brand. It has also, traditionally, been the ‘drivers’ car in its segment, combining a sporty chassis, good engines and rear wheel drive.

Once a decision has been made on the aesthetics of the car, and I am still getting my head round them, the first thing that struck me was how mature it now is. The quality of plastics is much improved and the presence of a screen as standard is a first in a hatchback.

Thankfully, the 1 series now rides well, and feels like a car that it would be easy to do a long distance in. However, in achieving this some of the fun factor has been lost, including some of the traditional grainy steering feel.

It is certainly a very good car. It is more practical, better made, very economical and clearly a close competitor at the top of its class. Has it lost some BMW DNA though?

Tuesday:

Now the end of the racing season has finished, for me at least, it is time to put away the car and sort out the garage. I blasted across to my parent’s house in a 535d touring, with a list price of £73,000, but more about that later. Once I arrived I set about putting the Ginetta away, itself a laborious process as the detritus of life seems to have worked its way into every nook and cranny.

Once the tractors, motor home and assorted every day vehicles had been moved I started to notice other items lying around the garage and garden. I’ve attached some pictures, but among the foliage was a Mercedes 190SL engine, a Ferrari 550 Maranello wheel being used as a garden hose holder and my favorite, a Velo Solex, once used to navigate Parisian streets.

What have you all got lying around your homes? It is interesting once you start looking!

Wednesday

I had a further blast in the latest Nissan GT-R on Wednesday. Nissan has certainly not been idle for the last couple of years; it is not only quicker but also better than before. The gearbox in particular has taken a big step forward, it seems slicker than before.

However, the GT-R is still a marmite car for me. I love the technology and what it can do, but it scares the living daylights out of me. I am rarely disappointed to climb out of the driver’s seat with my license intact. I find that in order to get any enjoyment out of the GT-R I have to drive faster than should be possible. However, the laws of physics still dictate that a 2 ton Nissan can only stop in a certain, pre-determined space. If someone pulls out or an escaped sheep ventures on to the road it could be a big accident.

The GT-R is the car I would take to the Nurburgring with the sole intention of setting a competitive lap in a short space of time. However, it is not the car I would take on a Saturday blast or the car I would live with. It uses a sledgehammer to obliterate the nut when I prefer the scalpel sharp responses of a Porsche Cayman R. That shouldn’t detract from the GT-R’s achievement though.