Skip advert
Advertisement

Opinion

'The Ferrari 488 Pistas of the world may be ‘better’ on paper, but they’re not a patch on the ‘flawed’ F40'
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

'The Ferrari 488 Pistas of the world may be ‘better’ on paper, but they’re 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
23 Apr 2019
'Why a Range Rover could help you avoid a run-in with Espace man – and your ex'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'Why a Range Rover could help you avoid a run-in with Espace man – and your ex'

I just liked the Rover 75. It was calming and comfortable. It also earned absolutely zero respect from other road users
17 Apr 2019
'Reborn classics are a hark back to simpler times – if only they were more affordable'
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

'Reborn classics are a hark back to simpler times – if only they were more affordable'

There's a powerful craving for cars that are compact, characterful and beautiful
11 Apr 2019
'An electric E-type beats the shocking Goldfinger DB5 Continuation any day'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'An electric E-type beats the shocking Goldfinger DB5 Continuation any day'

In a nutshell, the Aston Martin Goldfinger DB5 Continuation Edition is an expensive, largely unusable and deeply naff car for dullards
3 Apr 2019
'The erosion of our ability to enjoy the open road isn’t new – it’s been going on since the ’70s'
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

'The erosion of our ability to enjoy the open road isn’t new – it’s been going on since the ’70s'

It’s the prescience of his observations and the relevance almost half a century later that really resonates
26 Mar 2019
'An unlikely head-turner holds great promise for a British sports car institution'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'An unlikely head-turner holds great promise for a British sports car institution'

I’ve parked Ferraris outside my house and no one’s paid much attention, but everyone on my street went absolutely nuts for this
19 Mar 2019
'Alpine’s leading a lightweight revival and that’s something we should all be overjoyed about'
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

'Alpine’s leading a lightweight revival and that’s something we should all be overjoyed about'

What excites me most is that it could be the beginning of a new and thrilling family of sports cars
12 Mar 2019
'With the relentless march of the SUV, the normal car's days are surely numbered'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'With the relentless march of the SUV, the normal car's days are surely numbered'

Getting modern SUVs to handle in a half-decent manner is like getting a bear to dance: everyone's very impressed, but it's just not natural
6 Mar 2019
‘The geeky joys of an in-depth group test are an increasingly rare treat in the motoring media’
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

‘The geeky joys of an in-depth group test are an increasingly rare treat in the motoring media’

The magazine road test is under threat at a time when it’s needed more than ever
28 Feb 2019
'An old photo of some 288 GTOs evokes emotions a modern car couldn’t hope to compete with'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'An old photo of some 288 GTOs evokes emotions a modern car couldn’t hope to compete with'

This memory made me smile, but also made me sad, because I released I don't get quite as excited about cars as I used to...
19 Feb 2019
‘I’ve decided to wean myself off a succession of V8 long-termers and it’s wholly refreshing’
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

‘I’ve decided to wean myself off a succession of V8 long-termers and it’s wholly refreshing’

Power and speed are intoxicating, but you don’t need 500 horses to put a smile on your face
12 Feb 2019
'My son loves McLaren, but what happens when he notices they're actually a bit cack?'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'My son loves McLaren, but what happens when he notices they're actually a bit cack?'

If McLaren wants to continue its success with road cars, it’s time to pull down the pitlane shutters
31 Jan 2019
Skip advert
Advertisement
Dream Drive: Formula 1 at Circuit de Monaco
Opinion

Dream Drive: Formula 1 at Circuit de Monaco

Following in the tyre tracks of Senna, Hill and Hamilton is just a dream away…
9 Jan 2019
"If I’d applied myself as diligently at school as I did at Driving School, my grades would have been rather better"
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

"If I’d applied myself as diligently at school as I did at Driving School, my grades would have been rather better"

It's over 30 years since Meaden passed his driving test, and it remains as the single most momentous thing he's ever passed
8 Jan 2019
'Digital driving modes are fine, as long as they add to the thrill of driving'
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

'Digital driving modes are fine, as long as they add to the thrill of driving'

Gimmick or genuine drivers' tool? Meaden weights up digital driver modes, and their positive, or negative effect
11 Dec 2018
‘Overall, we need the car makers of Italy. Or do we? Would we really miss Maserati if it wasn’t there?’
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

‘Overall, we need the car makers of Italy. Or do we? Would we really miss Maserati if it wasn’t there?’

If the Irish can cope without moles, are there some car companies that we can all live without?
20 Nov 2018
It used to be the bodies of old cars that usually gave up first, but nowadays it's a little more complicated
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

It used to be the bodies of old cars that usually gave up first, but nowadays it's a little more complicated

Rusting bodywork is largely a thing of the past, but it’s unlikely car makers will address certain other issues, reckons Porter
23 Oct 2018
‘In-demand cars have become commodities, but if you’ve missed the boat, it sucks...’
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

‘In-demand cars have become commodities, but if you’ve missed the boat, it sucks...’

These days if you’re searching for performance bargains you need to think big, reckons Meaden
3 Oct 2018
'Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the perplexing One Car For Life challenge, or OCFL, for short.'
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

'Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the perplexing One Car For Life challenge, or OCFL, for short.'

Your perfect three-car garage? Child’s play, says Meaden. What you really want is to identify your automotive soulmate
11 Sep 2018
"It was an inexplicable BMC parts box made me nostalgic for a time when people were less wasteful”
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

"It was an inexplicable BMC parts box made me nostalgic for a time when people were less wasteful”

Finding a carefully stored old car part in his father’s garage has got Porter feeling nostalgic for simpler, more resourceful times
4 Sep 2018
‘High summer might seem like an odd time to ponder the merits of driving in the rain, unless of course you’re British’
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

‘High summer might seem like an odd time to ponder the merits of driving in the rain, unless of course you’re British’

There’s a natural antidote to the crushing ability of modern performance cars, says Meaden, just keep an eye on the Met Office
31 Jul 2018
‘The value of Long-term tests for magazine readers cannot be disputed’
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

‘The value of Long-term tests for magazine readers cannot be disputed’

Long-term magazine tests are a fundamental link between you, the reader, and us, the journalists. We shouldn’t dismiss them, says Meaden
24 Jul 2018
‘Cleaning your car is the simplest and most readily accessible car-based pleasure’
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

‘Cleaning your car is the simplest and most readily accessible car-based pleasure’

It’s easy to get sentimental about cars, but to romanticise washing them? No problem for Meaden (who hasn’t held a sponge in years)
17 Jul 2018
Driving a supercar is no longer a painful compromised experience, and that's a problem
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Driving a supercar is no longer a painful compromised experience, and that's a problem

Supercars no longer put the fear of god into their owners. Porter advises remedial action
10 Jul 2018
Skip advert
Advertisement
'The Land Rover Defender is a rewarding drivers' car'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'The Land Rover Defender is a rewarding drivers' car'

Is there an ‘evo’ defence for the Land Rover Defender? As an owner of one one, Porter believes there is
3 Jul 2018
‘I think I’m done with fast road cars’
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

‘I think I’m done with fast road cars’

‘Too fast for the road’ has long been a badge of honour among supercars, but it’s now a condition that afflicts most performance cars
26 Jun 2018
'If you want a nice investment, just buy a bloody painting, not a supercar.'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'If you want a nice investment, just buy a bloody painting, not a supercar.'

The treatment of fine supercars as static investments is a crime, says Porter, this is why...
21 Jun 2018
'It's time the established fast-car makers gave us all something to look forward to.'
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

'It's time the established fast-car makers gave us all something to look forward to.'

Dickie questions whether the established manufacturers are doing enough to adapt to the future of sports cars...
12 Jun 2018
'Is it OK to repeatedly correct a 3-year-old’s pronunciation of Porsche?'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'Is it OK to repeatedly correct a 3-year-old’s pronunciation of Porsche?'

After considerable efforts to control his pedantic rage, Porter is taking the high ground and not correcting his son's Porsche faux pas
5 Jun 2018
'We should begrudgingly endorse the SUV not lament it'
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

'We should begrudgingly endorse the SUV not lament it'

Meaden dons a flak jacket and presents a robust defence of the cars we all love to hate
30 May 2018
'Now everything has a Sport mode. Even my dishwasher has one'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'Now everything has a Sport mode. Even my dishwasher has one'

Sport modes are everywhere… It’s a shame most have the subtlety of a sledgehammer, says Porter
22 May 2018
'Toyota can make white goods models and still be the world’s most exciting car brand'
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

'Toyota can make white goods models and still be the world’s most exciting car brand'

Calling Toyota 'the most exciting car brand' might sound dubious, but Meaden might be on to something...
15 May 2018
'The hardest thing to engineer into a car is niceness'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'The hardest thing to engineer into a car is niceness'

When you’ve got to live with a car, there’s a lot to be said for niceness, reckons Porter.
15 May 2018
‘Listening to music should be endorsed not scorned when you’re behind the wheel’
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

‘Listening to music should be endorsed not scorned when you’re behind the wheel’

Switch off the stereo and listen to the music of the engine? Alternatively, suggests Dickie, leave it on and crank up the volume.
1 May 2018
‘The A1 is interesting and unusual and I hope it never changes’
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

‘The A1 is interesting and unusual and I hope it never changes’

It may not be the quickest north-south route, but its ability to surprise, entertain and even disgust makes the A1 the natural choice
24 Apr 2018
‘Are modern performance cars better value than their predecessors?'
Richard Meaden opinion
Opinion

‘Are modern performance cars better value than their predecessors?'

It’s easy to moan about the seemingly extortionate prices of new performance cars, but is that actually the case? Meaden investigates.
17 Apr 2018
Skip advert
Advertisement