The LA Motor Show... where I'm not

Slightly jealous of all the overnight tweeters and bloggers from Los Angeles, where the annual motor show press day is taking place. I’ve never been to it – never spent time in LA at all – and actually had the chance to go this year. But I turned down two separate invitations. Here’s a little insight into the life of a freelance journalist; you can’t do it all. After 11 flights in 33 days, plus a trip to Portugal to drive the Auris earlier this week and Spain next week to drive the Dacia Sandero, I’ve had enough of travelling. Sometimes it’s just good to be at home or in the office, which are effectively one and the same for me. Maybe I’ll get to LA next year.

Driven: Toyota Auris

Writing this having just had a first drive in the all-new Toyota Auris. I’ve tried the hybrid and will be taking the wheel of the standard 1.6-litre petrol model tomorrow morning. It’s a decent enough car and while I’m not 100 per cent sure about the exterior design, at least someone has actually designed it – not an accusation I’d level at the outgoing model. The problem with the Auris is the competiton; in short, it’s bloody good. You’ve got Focus, Golf and Astra taking the bulk of sales and all are excellent. The Auris isn’t a bad car but it’s out-performed in every way by that trio. It doesn’t excel in any category, and while it will be reliable and is good for UK plc because it’s built in Derbyshire, the car simply isn’t good enough to take sales away from its rivals. I’ve yet to drive the Toyota GT86 but my media colleages are full of praise for the way it drives. I still think the tiny iQ is one of the unsung heros of modern motoring. Toyota can innovate so why doesn’t it with a volume car like the Auris? It chooses to play it safe and that’s frustrating. It feels like car designed by a committee.

How to restore a classic

Been interviewing members of the public for a feature about restoring cars. I’ve included four vehicles, a 1986 Ford Escort XR3i, an Eighties’ MkI Range Rover and a 911 S from 1972. There’s also a chap who has half a dozen Vauxhall Vivas in various states of repair. I’m full of admiration for people who do this as a hobby and I can imagine the huge amounts of satisfaction they get from completing elements of a project and then the whole thing. Like most car enthusiasts, I simply haven’t the confidence to do it. The one piece of advice all four interviewees have for people like me is to get stuck in; the only way you learn anything is by giving it a go. I’m not sure how technically minded I am – I can just about keep my family’s extensive collection of push-bikes on the road – and the other thing is having the time to commit. Maybe one day.

Driven: Ford Focus ST

Got a Ford Focus ST at the moment, and the rather vibrant Tangerine Scream paint job is dividing the children – is it yellow or orange? Whatever the answer, it’s an impressive bit of kit. Smart styling, with just the right amount of agression to leave space for an RS version, linked to performance that all but the most hardcore enthusiast will be happy with. It feels very solid on the road, loves to be pushed through corners and I can’t think of a model of its type with a more accomplished and sporty ride. Still not sure why Ford persists with the Sony audio system, other than it is contractually obliged to do so. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder but it’s just ugly – too many buttons of different shapes and sizes.

An American Icon

Reading a book about Ford at the moment and I would heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the finer workings of the car industry. It’s called ‘American Icon’ by Bryce Hoffman. He’s clearly had access to Ford people and communications, and while the finished product has been endorsed by the company – it was given to me on a Ford event – that doesn’t mean he’s avoided the issues. The book tells the story of the repeated US management failings to address over-capacity, the long-standing lacklustre model line-up and union issues, plus an amazingly reckless attitude to all of the above. It’s essentially the story of Alan Mullaly’s arrival in 2006 from Boeing and the turnround that followed. Mullaly made it work because he wasn’t a Ford family man – he took over as CEO from Bill Ford – and made the decisions that were needed. That included the closure of 17 North American factories with the loss of thousands of jobs. The book charts the company’s dogged fight to stay solvent during the 2008 financial collapse – a scenario that rivals GM and Chrysler couldn’t avoid – and the return to profitability. It’s an excellent read.

Driven: Renaultsport Twingo 133

Sitting in stationary traffic for more than three hours isn’t the ideal way to road-test a car, but if you travel the motorways of the UK regularly, these things occasionally happen. Thankfully a last-minute decision to take my laptop meant my time parked in the outside lane of the M1 wasn’t completely wasted. The car in question was the Renaultsport Twingo 133. I gave the original MkII Twingo a bit of a kicking when it was launched in summer 2007. There was absolutely nothing special about it, it just felt like a new small car from Renault – and not a very good one – with a dismal plastic interior. Things have improved dramatically after a facelift, and there is much more to like now. However, I think the thing that’s going to put most people off is the ride. I know it’s a Renaultsport product and so it’s supposed to be performance-oriented. But the stiff suspension and lack of rubber round the alloys means it’s pretty much unbearable on anything other than the smoothest tarmac. Maybe I’m just getting old…