A pain in the back

I don’t know much about the world of car seats other than there are companies – Lear is one that springs to mind – which spend a lot of money designing and developing them. They are obviously meant to be comfortable, supportive and look smart. The ones in the latest version of the SLK, Mercedes’ smallest two-seater, definitely tick the last box. They are also technically advanced; the integrated air-scarf system, which blows warm air on to your neck to keep you warm when you’ve got the roof down, makes a genuine difference. But are they comfortable and supportive? After three hours on the road, driving from my house in Suffolk to Goodwood in West Sussex, the messages from the pain receptors in my back were telling me they were not. I don’t know why the Merc’s seats didn't agree with me, and I realise this is completely subjective, but they didn’t. I used to have a problem with the Honda S2000 too, but it’s not something I’ve experienced for a good while. It’s odd, because in last week’s Porsche Cayman R – another two-seater – I had no problem at all and happily toured the country all week. What's interesting is that a slow-burning pain in the back isn't something a potential customer is going to pick up on during a half-hour test drive off the dealer forecourt. They'll only realise a week later when it's too late.

A busy week ahead

A couple of trips out coming up this week, one as an old-school journalist and the other as a road-tester. First up is tomorrow’s jaunt down to central London to cover what’s been grandly called the 2011 SMMT International Automotive Summit. It’s a day of talks, seminars and Q&A sessions with some big-hitters from across the automotive sector, including a Government minister or two. Titles include ‘Technology: Moving Towards an Ultra-Low Carbon Future’ and ‘What Can UK PLC Offer the Global Automotive Industry’. From a journalist’s perspective there should be plenty to write about, and that’s straightforward enough, but it’s a while since I’ve attended an event like this and from a consumer’s perspective it will be fascinating. Also this week I’m heading down to the Moving Motor Show (pictured), the second staging of the pre-cursor to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I didn’t manage to make it to the inaugural MMS last year because of other commitments, but this time Ford is basing the launch of the new Focus Estate from there so I’m going for that. The idea of the MMS is a good one, namely that visitors can actually take cars for a test drive. It’s what the British Motor Show tried to do but failed, so I will be eager to see how it works down at Goodwood.

Driven: Honda CR-Z Mugen

So a little feedback on Tuesday’s trip to Rockingham and my session behind the wheel of the Honda CR-Z Mugen. It was short but, as the saying goes, sweet. No road time but about a dozen high-speed laps of the BTCC circuit was enough to demonstrate the car’s strengths. Costing in excess of £150k, this one-off prototype has been designed and built to push hybrid technology in front of a new type of customer, to show that you can have your cake and eat it. The idea is that it offers Civic Type R levels of performance and on a drying track, and with all the electronic aids switched off, it did that and more. The super-sticky Yokohamas helped, but car’s solid chassis and motorsport-derived mechanicals are clearly a strength. Now a strict two-seater rather than a 2+2, and with a host of upgrades including a supercharger, it just kept going, lap after lap, getting quicker and quicker as my confidence grew. What’s more, it made a fantastic noise. With 50 per cent more power and torque, any production version – and nothing has been decided – won’t be cheap. But it will certainly appeal to a limited number of enthusiasts and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s good news for them in the next few months. It would be a welcome addition to the continuing Honda/Mugen family.

Mugen's take on the Honda CR-Z

Off to Rockingham circuit tomorrow meet up with guys from Honda and its in-house tuning arm Mugen. You might remember the limited edition Civic Type R from early last year, which saw the relaunch of the famous motorsport badge in the UK after a significant gap. This time the two have joined forces to develop a hot version of the CR-Z, the 2+2 coupé which Honda calls the world’s first sporty hybrid. When I drove the standard CR-Z last year I genuinely enjoyed it, but you had to ignore its hybrid credentials, grab it by the scruff of the neck and drive it hard to appreciate its dynamic qualities. That didn’t do wonders for the fuel economy but it was fun. So it will be interested to see what Mugen has done to the car. It’s described as a one-off prototype but I would imagine that it’s ready to go into limited production as soon as someone gives the project the green light. Media reaction to the car – to be generated this week – will be key to that decision.

Tow cars go toe to toe

I’ve always been slightly bemused by the Tow Car of the Year awards, a staple of the annual motoring calendar. The 2011 honours are revealed today and the overall winner is the VW Passat Estate TDI 170 PS (above). I’m not a caravanner, never have been and, in all honesty, am never likely to be. Despite that, from an outsider’s perspective I can appreciate caravanners need to replace their car from time to time like everyone else, and want to make sure they get something that’s up to the task. But surely whatever they choose will be hauling for a tiny proportion of its road-going life. You wouldn’t honestly judge what to buy by giving too much weight to that single criteria, would you? To my mind, almost everything else would be ahead of it – styling, comfort, standard equipment, eco-credentials, price, dynamic performance, etc, etc. Surely any car of a decent size and with the right towbar fitted can drag a caravan to a campsite and back?

The ultimate vehicle for 40-year-old men

For the car enthusiast, my front drive has been a spotter’s paradise this weekend. My birthday party on Saturday meant an influx of friends from all corners of the UK, bringing with them a wide range of vehicles. Besides the previously mentioned Porsche 911 Targa, the Mercedes CLS 55 AMG was getting plenty of attention, as was the Mazda MX-5 bought just this week from www.sportingcars.co.uk, a Sussex used car company which specialises in just selling this one model. Who knew such a place existed? Not me. The Jaguar XF earned a few admiring glances, and there was even some interest in the VW Touran, which my friend who works in private surveillance has had modified so he can sit in the back and watch and photograph the world going by without anyone noticing. But all these were put to shame by the Ford Transit-based camper van recently bought by some friends as an alternative to a tent. It’s a worrying sign that men of a certain age (erm, 40) still get excited by performance hardware, but also have more than a passing curiousity in something with a sink, fridge, hob and fold-out beds.

Happy birthday to me

Everyone has perks to their job. Okay, maybe that’s too sweeping a statement. I’m not sure what they would be for the chaps from Anglian Water who have been doing something to the sewers down my road all week. Perhaps it’s the joy of seeing someone else enjoying the perks of their job? Yesterday morning a Porsche 911 Targa 4S arrived on my drive and therefore life is good. I always said I’d have a Porsche before I was 40 – which is today – so technically it’s true. Sadly it will have to go back next week. Reading the spec sheet on the car has made me realise that unless I win the lottery I’m never likely to be a 911 owner. This is £86,000 worth of loveliness, but that’s without the extras. The cream paint job costs £1,805, the cocoa leather interior is another £2,343 and even the floor mats cost £122. All in all, it’s £97,787. That’s more than I’ve ever spent on a car by £92,000 and change. Perhaps by the time I’m 50…

The perfect car for a camping trip

Progress towards my 40^th birthday seems to be dogged by ill-health at the moment. Firstly, my back spasmed pretty badly and then I’ve had some sort of stomach bug that’s laid me low for a couple of days. It’s possible I picked it up while camping with the family last weekend, a trip to Derbyshire’s Peak District. I borrowed a Skoda Superb Estate for the journey and it performed admirably. I really don’t understand the badge snobbery that still goes on around Skoda. The Superb Estate is a fantastic load-lugging family vehicle that’s spacious, well specced and well-designed, and great to drive. It has the solid build quality of all VW Group products and at £26k it’s considerably cheaper than many of its ‘big badge’ rivals. I still get the ‘but I couldn’t possibly own it, it’s a Skoda’ mantra from some people, but that’s just short-sighted. It’s the same with Hyundai and Kia; these three companies are doing some of the most interesting products at the moment, really challenging the established volume brands. I would urge you to check them out if you’re in the market for a new car.