Driven: Jaguar F-Type

So the embargo has been lifted and I can now tell you what I think of the Jaguar F-Type. If anything beats this my Car of the Year title, I will be genuinely amazed. Driving the two-seater convertible on the empty roads around Pamplona, Northern Spain, is about as much fun as I can ever remember having in a car. The route was sensational and the F-Type more than matched it. Whichever of the three models I drove, it was hugely enjoyable and engaging experience. The car looks stunning, particuarly from the rear end where those horizontal lights pay tribute to the E-Type. It drives exceptionally well; it’s light, agile, responsive, extremely flat through some serious high-speed cornering and makes a fantastic noise. The little snorts as you change up through the gears and the ‘pop, pop, pop’ on the over-run put a stupid grin on my face that never left. Absolutely loved this car.

Roads to die for

I thought I’d driven most of the great roads in Europe, but it would appear not. Never been to Pamplona, northern Spain, on a car launch but would certainly like to go back. Was there over the weekend to drive the all-new Jaguar F-Type. I would love to tell you all about the vehicle but driving impressions are embargoed until Wednesday. Come back on Thursday for my thoughts on the car. Meanwhile, back to the roads; just stunning – tight twisty bits, switchbacks like in the photo, wide flowing corners, straights through valleys where you can see two miles ahead – and so little traffic it was ridiculous. Sunny weather, roof off. Lovely.

Nicked for speeding. Again.

So I’ve been caught speeding again, the third time in 13 years. Previously it was 36mph in a 30 zone and 57mph in a 50, so with 35mph in a 30 I’ve set a new personal best. That’s the lowest speed they will prosecute in Suffolk, where I got photographed driving the Ford B-MAX. Here is my excuse, and yes, I know it’s a well-worn argument but it doesn’t stop it being right. It was 4.30pm on a Saturday afternoon going through an A-road village. I came round a wide corner and the camera van was sat in the lay-by. He was the only vehicle or pedestrian to be seen. And yet just last week on the A14, there was a boy-racer and three mates in a modified Corsa driving like a complete tool. He was speeding, weaving aggressively around the lanes, undertaking and generally causing everyone else to back off the throttle just in case. Did he get stopped? Will he be on the same Speed Awareness Course as me? I very much doubt it. 

Ford B-MAX: update 6

Here’s a couple of photos of my road bike in the back of the Ford B-MAX, which I put on Twitter yesterday. They show that it’s perfectly possible to get a large adult bike – and I’m 6ft 4ins so it probably qualifies as an XL rather than an L – into a B-segment hatchback without needing to remove the front wheel or the seat post. The secret to this is very simple. The back of the front passenger seat folds flat, creating a level cargo area from rear bumper to dashboard. My question is this; why doesn’t every hatchback have a fold-flat seat? It can’t be cost, because they’re all getting a seat anyway, and one where the back is adjustable. It would add nothing to the price, yet make the car's interior that much more versatile. Strange.

Track driven: Ferrari 458 Italia and Spider

Track driving is something I don’t do regularly, and consequently I’m not very good at it. I’ve done it enough to understand the theory but it’s as much about confidence as anything else. By the time I’ve done half a dozen laps in a car, I’m just finding my feet… and then it’s time to pack in and for some other journalist to occupy the hot seat. And so it was this week as I got the chance to drive a Ferrari 458 Italia and Spider round a completely empty Brands Hatch. Being 6ft 4ins and wearing a helmet meant it wasn’t the most comfy I’ve ever been in a low-slung supercar, but what’s not in doubt is the 458’s impressive performance. It’s spectactularly smooth, lightning fast, wonderfully noisy and very grippy through the corners. Even better, it made me look like I knew what I was doing.

Finally, a decent car interior...

Over the years I’ve moaned countless times about the state of car interior design. Even with some of the premium brands, there’s precious little effort put into giving the cabin a cohesive look. All the design budget goes on the exterior – which you as the owner who has forked out thousands get to see infrequently – and what’s left gets spent on parts-bin bits and random cost-effective components. There’s no thought given to what they might look like when they’re put together, and mostly it’s a mess. So praise be for the Volvo V40, a car with an interior I think is excellent (pictured). It’s smart, contemporary, not too fussy with plenty of attention to detail. It’s also comfortable. Matched with the exterior lifestyle add-ons of the Cross Country model I’m driving at the moment, which I also really like, it’s got more appeal for me than many of its rivals.