Fresh MoT, and a photo opportunity.

Gave the car its first fitment test today - 330 miles from Cardiff to Swansea to Bicester for Radwood and then home again. The wheels suit it perfectly and, despite concerns about scrubbing, they don’t rub. Happy!

Sometimes the obvious choice is the right one. Treated myself to some 15in BBS RAs from a late Mk2 16V - 2in larger versions of the G40’s factory wheels. Huge thanks to MK2 Spares UK for the wheels, now with Falken tyres and centre caps from OEM Car Stickers. All the details in a future PVW mag.

An underappreciated silhouette. #polog40

Feeling very lucky to have had a great music week. I saw Phil Hartnoll of Orbital DJing in Bedford (in a small venue, and met him afterwards) then Pixies as one of 5,000 in Cardiff a few days later. Very different experiences, both amazing.

Renault took the wraps off the updated Austral #hybrid SUV this week. I’ve driven the outgoing model and I reckon it’s worth a look. motoring.wales/news/review-...

Cinq. #gtaonline

Bought myself another EV on GTA Online. On trend here I think.

A very, very cool newcomer in GTA Online. 10/10 to Rockstar on this one.

What a surprise.

Hmm. I can see a familiar “gaze” on the new ID.One concept.

I caught up on the refreshed Kia EV6 last week. A car that’s just about to be immortalised in Hot Wheels form. With a hint of 4dr coupe in silhouette, it’s a more polarising design than the IONIQ 5 (with which it shares a platform) but I love how it looks. Dare I say Citroenesque from some angles?

On the most recent ChargeheadsUK YEV podcast, we did some gazing into the EV crystal ball and discussed what we reckon is on the horizon in 2025. Safe to say, it’s going to be a busy year. Electric Vehicles www.youtube.com/live/TF_H8xV...

Sometimes it’s obvious when a brand is onto a winner. And I think the EV3 is one of those cars. I was really impressed with the EV9 - a luxurious seven-seater with only one major drawback. It’s huge. The EV3 loses two seats, but packages its siblings best bits into something more UK-appropriate…

This time of year can be tough, there’s a lot of pressure and it can pile up quickly. If things are getting a bit too much, take a pit stop, and have a chat. Be it with a friend, someone in your family, or a professional, it’s okay to talk. #onthepitboard #mentalhealth #itsoktotlk

#gtaonline touring car hoarding going well.

Teamed up with Jenson last night and added this one to my #GTAonline garage. Is it me or is there a strong hint of Corrado in those headlights and the grille?

I don’t normally go for race liveries on #GTAOnline, but this one was worth the exception.

I’m a bit late to the party with GTA Online, but I’m hooked on the modifying stuff.

Electric Vehicles: why the hate? YEV is LIVE at 8pm, unpicking one of the most (needlessly) divisive conversations in the automotive world. Why not join the debate? www.youtube.com/live/KjiIw27...

Fulfilled a long-held ambition to see Orbital live yesterday. What a blinding set. Green album, then Brown, then an explosive encore exploring their later work. Bristol Beacon is a great venue, too.

@ajpbradley.bsky.social the Heston tweaked Little Chef on the A14 - I assume that’s the one near Kettering? We made a point of visiting all of the places we’d enjoyed in Kettering before moving back. That Little Chef was the last - we ate there at the start of the drive to Cardiff.

Temporarily naturally aspirated. Polo G0.

Sat reading my emails in the car earlier, I heard a thud which sounded like something hitting it. When I looked up, a girl’s face was at the back window. I figured she’d hit it with her suitcase, so I got out to look. Nope, she had one foot on the back bumper and was tying her laces. WT*A*F.

I’ve just seen the term “workation” (work-vacation) used on LinkedIn, and I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a concept to die more quickly. Your holidays are your own. Just because tech means you *can* work doesn’t mean you should.

A film quote popped into my head recently, thinking about these striking new AI videos and how I feel about them. But I couldn’t place it. 
I remembered today - it’s Kirk, in Star Trek Generations, realising that the perfection of the Nexus has a major drawback. It isn’t real.

As a motoring journalist, one of the first things people tend to ask me about my job is which are the best cars I’ve driven. The flashy performance stuff is great, of course, but context is everything and I’m always impressed when a new car nails its brief perfectly. The Jeep Avenger is one of them.

Here's my take on "AI": anything that makes genuine human connection look good is OK with me.

I also found this super clean Kadett, which I think I might have to wheel swap.

I love how accurate Hot Wheels cars have become. They’ve replicated Jesse’s brake calipers perfectly. 👌🏻

The best Lego Speed Champions car. And it’s an early one…

Mathilda, my 2001 Seat Leon Cupra 20VT is now officially up for sale. FSH, MOT to December 2024, cambelt done, newish tyres, some light mods but all original bits included. Loads of history. 101k miles. £2900 ono.

Honda was comfortably ahead of the crowd when it launched the first CR-V in 1995. In a world where SUVs are ubiquitous, the Civic-based crossover has thrived, evolving into a large and luxurious family mover sold all over the world. However, that’s left a gap a little lower down the range. [1/?]

rare to see an entire complex modern problem in one image

Just arrived: Kia EV9. I think this might be the most significant product, in terms of brand image, since the 2010 Sportage. It is *huge* though.

I love the irony of having a social media account named after your project car, filling your timeline with posts detailing what you’ve done to it, then putting up a post making fun of EV drivers for talking about their cars too much. Think about that one, chap.

Recent Drive: BYD Dolphin. Numerous EVs have been hailed as Tesla-beaters, but Chinese electronics giant BYD feels like a serious threat. Chances are you already own something they've had a hand in, and I suspect they're about to make waves in the automotive industry too. I was very impressed. [1/5]

Smol.

Remember when cars (and their open doors) fitted into a parking space?

Gives you Wings.

Has anyone else found Siri is useless on CarPlay since the latest iOS? It won’t read dictated messages back to me, and it keeps having conversations with itself. The most recent update last week hasn’t fixed it.

I’m stuck in an unending loop with my Apple passwords. I forgot one a while back, changed it, then soon after I couldn’t remember the new one. So I changed it again. But you can’t reuse a password within 12 months, and I’m now into a spiral of increasingly obscure and hard to remember codes.

I spent a couple of months living with a Hyundai Tucson Hybrid (full, not mild) during the autumn and I’ve been writing about it today. It’s one of the UK’s most popular cars, and I can see why. Striking to look at, really spacious inside (especially in the back) and a good steer too. (1/2)

Absolutely delighted to be named RAC EV Journalist of the Year at the Guild of Motoring Writers dinner and awards. A great way to end the year!

Our local dealer has e-mailed me confirming a service booking on our Peugeot e-Rifter. They’ve recommended that it might benefit from an engine flush during the service, to reduce emissions and help with fuel consumption. No thanks. I think that might affect the warranty on an EV.

A few from the NEC today…

he's 52

So… hi.