“BY the time Jim brought the Lotus Type 23 across the line at the end of its first lap of the Nurburgring in 1962, he was so far ahead of the rest of the field that everybody watching feared a terrible accident had accounted for all his rivals. Then, almost half a minute later, and with Jim out of sight again, they gradually started to appear.”

BMW’s 3 Series has always been a car for all circumstances – fun to drive but practical and comfortable too, and over the years the range has expanded to widen the net still further. The estate Touring, the M3 coupe, and an ever-increasing range of diesel offerings meant there has always been a version to suit.

As ANYBODY who has ever owned an Isuzu commercial vehicle will testify, they do exactly what they say they’ll do. So it’s no surprise to learn that its new D-Max pick-up, which replaces the trusty Rodeo, is a light truck with few frills and little fancy. Yet Isuzu reckons that’s just what the market needs and predicts it’s going to become the UK’s best seller as a result.

AS PART of Vauxhall’s plan to position itself as a maker of cars with a greater premium feel, it’s upping the desirability levels by adding a four-seat convertible to its line-up. Enter the Cascada, Vauxhall’s take on the full-size convertible.

THERE’S a good reason why Kymco dealers are experiencing a shortage of the commuter-and wallet-friendly Pulsar S 125: it’s a very good little bike for not a lot of money.

NISSAN is recalling of one of its most popular models over a fault that could result in the the steering wheel coming off in the driver’s hands.

FORD is to end car-making in Australia due to the strong ­Australian dollar, ending an ­association dating from 1925.

More than eight out of ten motorists believe newly qualified drivers should be more closely supervised.

THE Chevrolet Trax is a compact SUV in the Nissan Juke/Skoda Yeti mould. As well as chunky looks and a tempting price tag, the lil’ Chevy also has heritage on its side – its maker claims to have got the sport-utility vehicle ball rolling in the 1930s, with the Carryall Suburban, an eight-seater car the size of a bread van and built for the North American market in the days before anyone thought of calling SUVs “SUVs”.

WELCOME to Monaco. Park your yacht over there and join me for a couple of laps of the world’s most celebrated F1 venue. With race weekend just a few days away, the barriers, grandstands and banners are in place and the circuit is ready for action.

“YOU lucky sod” was the first of many similar, albeit more colourful and less printable responses I received when I told people what I was up to last weekend.

THE Diversion feels like an old friend. The faithful sort that knows just what you need, when you need it. It doesn’t need expensive technology or to shout about how cool it is. There is no pretence; just honesty – and its integrity is what keeps the Diversion competitive in the middleweight market.

VOLKSWAGEN really should be good at MPVs. The German manufacturer’s output is almost always simple, sturdy and user-friendly, which is just what most of us want in a family car. If any model falling below those standards did slip out of a VW factory’s gates and into dealerships, you get the impression that heads would roll at Wolfsburg in short order.

Fans flocking to Duns for anniversary of F1 title win

THE Beetle reboot continues with Volkswagen taking the car to the next, and logical, step in its evolution – going roofless. Of course, Volkswagen has been here before; previous iterations of the “new” Beetle boasted a Cabriolet variant. However, as you would expect, evolution has brought a number of welcome improvements.

AS CONVERSATION killers go, mentioning “mid-size seven-seat people carriers” is right up there. But before your dinner party guests look at their watches and start moving to the door, they might like to know that there’s more to the new Kia Carens than its snooze-inducing nomenclature suggests.

I admit I’m a bit of a softie. I’ll happily walk away from any sign of trouble and I’ve never taken up golf for much the same reason. I can’t see the point in getting soaked just to sink a wee white ball into a hole out of my line of sight somewhere far in the distance. A yachting friend keeps inviting me to join him on a cruise round the west coast. I’m sure it would be lovely, but unless he can guarantee wall-to-wall sunshine and flat-calm waters, then I’ll just stick to dry land, thank you.

I’m guessing this is a book for bikers And I’m guessing I can call you Sherlock.

But you don’t like bikes That’s not true. I’m just a bit... scared of them.

I SUSPECT winning the lottery would do it. An original joke should bring it on. Maybe just a kind word from a good friend is all it would take. For some people it would require a visit to the dentist and then they might have to wait a few weeks before it appeared.

PURISTS might well wince at BMW’s
decision to focus as much of its
attention on luxury as it does performance, but this slight change in direction is also a realisation that an increasing number of buyers are seeking high
levels of refinement to match their car’s capability.