'The world doesn't need this many supercars'

'The world doesn't need this many supercars'
Covid-19 is a wake-up call for certain car makers and their business models
'It's conceivable that the spiritual home of the supercar could have become not Modena, but Macclesfield'

'It's conceivable that the spiritual home of the supercar could have become not Modena, but Macclesfield'
The early days of the supercar in an alternate reality that's also strangely familiar...
'Driving a new Ferrari on those glorious roads was to feel like we had been given the keys to a kingdom'

'Driving a new Ferrari on those glorious roads was to feel like we had been given the keys to a kingdom'
Our passion for the thrill of driving owes so much to the thrill of Italy
'I'd forgotten how much you discover about a car when you have to rub your hand over every panel' 

'I'd forgotten how much you discover about a car when you have to rub your hand over every panel'
Wash and learn - there's still life in the old car-design ways
'Some famous names are deadly serious about e-sports and have spent a bomb on a new home racing simulator'

'Some famous names are deadly serious about e-sports and have spent a bomb on a new home racing simulator'
Lockdown reminds us how good it feels to get in a car - real or otherwise
'The most memorable drives are rarely just about the car'

'The most memorable drives are rarely just about the car'
Turning that tenner for the pub into petrol for my very own car was well, well worth it just to keep that first drive going
Meaden’s love for the Subaru Impreza always leads back to those early Turbos

Meaden’s love for the Subaru Impreza always leads back to those early Turbos
'With all-wheel drive and a price tag of just under £18,000, it was an Integrale Evo II for the common man'
'Australia fell out of love with Holden, and it’s paid the ultimate price'

'Australia fell out of love with Holden, and it’s paid the ultimate price'
The Commodore was a symbol of an old Australia, of mulleted blokes in vests skulling VB and rocking over-engined cars
Hooning around was a rite of passage, for Porter’s generation at least…

Hooning around was a rite of passage, for Porter’s generation at least…
In just a few weeks our mate had got a car, learnt to drive it and then broken it beyond repair. It was textbook
'Horse power, rum coves and the faint whiff of manure…'

'Horse power, rum coves and the faint whiff of manure…'
The motor car comes with several drawbacks, chief among which is meeting the appetite of the blasted things
'Who wouldn't want Ferrari to build something akin to a slightly scaled-up Alpine A110?'

'Who wouldn't want Ferrari to build something akin to a slightly scaled-up Alpine A110?'
Meaden feels the big boys should look to bike manufacturers for some 'less is more' inspiration
'Top speed may ultimately be pointless, but it’s still fun chasing that childhood rush'

'Top speed may ultimately be pointless, but it’s still fun chasing that childhood rush'
Doing the best part of 230mph in a Skoda Octavia vRS was strangely undramatic
'The curse of a creak can really take the shine off a great car'

'The curse of a creak can really take the shine off a great car'
The mystery creak is the sole reason I've thought about selling it, or setting the damn thing on fire
'They may impress in some ways, but electric cars mostly leave Meaden cold'

'They may impress in some ways, but electric cars mostly leave Meaden cold'
Put simply, EVs don't live and breathe or require much in the way of effort or connection
'It’s time car makers gave us the wheely good alloys for free'

'It’s time car makers gave us the wheely good alloys for free'
The problem with the proliferation of alloy wheel choices is that it's exposing us to deliberately cack wheel design
'A classic British (and Italian) job will always be Meaden’s kind of Mini adventure'

'A classic British (and Italian) job will always be Meaden’s kind of Mini adventure'
The Mini's handling and the sheer tenacity of its road-holding were revelatory
'Who knew sticking a motor in the back was going to become hip again'

'Who knew sticking a motor in the back was going to become hip again'
A rear-engined Up GTI could have been the "mini 911" we thought we were getting with the soggy Smart-based Twingo
'Porsche 911s are now some kind of genetic throwback'

'Porsche 911s are now some kind of genetic throwback'
Sadly, the submissive new 911 now sits dutifully in the shadow of Porsche’s money-spinners
'Still hanker for that childhood supercar?'

'Still hanker for that childhood supercar?'
S1 Esprits catch my eye for the purity of that sensational shape and the seats trimmed like Jackie Stewart’s most lurid underpants
'Old cars reconnect us to what we love about driving'

'Old cars reconnect us to what we love about driving'
Stop the pace race! If you’re listening, manufacturers, less can actually be more
'Keeping your wheels scuff-free isn't that hard - is it?'

'Keeping your wheels scuff-free isn't that hard - is it?'
Eighty per cent of alloy wheels are scratched to buggery. And I hate that. It makes the car look terrible, and it speaks of carelessness
'The Aston Martin Valkyrie is a truly extraordinary project'

'The Aston Martin Valkyrie is a truly extraordinary project'
Concorde was the product of boundless ambition; Aston Martin's Valkyrie represents that same spirit too
'The new Land Rover Defender needs to change'

'The new Land Rover Defender needs to change'
The market for this car isn't a mythical throng of utility workers and cattle herders, it's suburban families who dream of G-wagens
'Think race circuits are scary? Try a test track...'

'Think race circuits are scary? Try a test track...'
Once the barrier lifts you enter a different realm. One entirely different, often vaguely military
‘Ford’s Expedition SUV is the epitome of American motoring'

‘Ford’s Expedition SUV is the epitome of American motoring'
You’d assume the Expedition is part of that US tradition of gumming modern gadgets to 50-year-old iron work. Except it isn’t
'Supercar launches used to be something special'

'Supercar launches used to be something special'
Supercar launches used to be something special, now they’re a monthly occurrence
'The Prius is the equal of any evo favourite'

'The Prius is the equal of any evo favourite'
It's actually an incredible piece of engineering. And as people who like cars we should also like incredible pieces of engineering
The biggest thrills often come from the simplest of things

The biggest thrills often come from the simplest of things
The most enjoyable and rewarding thing with four wheels and an internal combustion engine is a kart
'The Alpine A110 is anything but sterile to drive'

'The Alpine A110 is anything but sterile to drive'
The absolutely brilliant Alpine A110 is anything but sterile to drive
The 488 Pista's not a patch on the ‘flawed’ F40'

The 488 Pista's not a patch on the ‘flawed’ F40'
The demands the F40 places on you to keep it on the boil would never be sanctioned today
'Why a Range Rover could help you avoid Espace man'

'Why a Range Rover could help you avoid Espace man'
I just liked the Rover 75. It was calming and comfortable. It also earned absolutely zero respect from other road users
'Reborn classics are a hark back to simpler times'

'Reborn classics are a hark back to simpler times'
There's a powerful craving for cars that are compact, characterful and beautiful
'An electric E-type beats the Goldfinger DB5 Continuation'

'An electric E-type beats the Goldfinger DB5 Continuation'
In a nutshell, the Aston Martin Goldfinger DB5 Continuation Edition is an expensive, largely unusable and deeply naff car for dullards
The erosion of our ability to enjoy the open road isn’t new

The erosion of our ability to enjoy the open road isn’t new
It’s the prescience of his observations and the relevance almost half a century later that really resonates
An unlikely head-turner holds great promise

An unlikely head-turner holds great promise
I’ve parked Ferraris outside my house and no one’s paid much attention, but everyone on my street went absolutely nuts for this
Alpine’s leading a lightweight revival with the A110

Alpine’s leading a lightweight revival with the A110
What excites me most is that it could be the beginning of a new and thrilling family of sports cars