Of the more than 100...
Of the more than 100 on-sale cars that I"ve driven in the last 12 months, which examples proved to be best in class? It"s something I am asked at the end of every year, and it"s a question that"s considerably easier to ask than answer. But here goes... Starting at the bottom of the ladder, it seems to me that the battle is between the Citroen C1/Peugeot 107/Toyota Aygo family, the Volkswagen Fox and trusty Kia Picanto for the title of top budget motor. But the VW just nicks it, because it"s a proper, spacious, if slightly crude, car for silly money - £6,590.
It"s the pride and joy...
It"s the pride and joy of enthusiast and mechanical engineer Ron Patrick. "I wanted the wildest street-legal ride possible," he explained. "I don"t know how fast it can go, and probably never will! I built it to thrill me, not kill me - but I can"t resist taking it for the odd "run" up the highway."
Ron modified the super-Bug in his garage in California, US. It runs off two powerplants: a standard Volkswagen petrol unit, which drives the front wheels, and a customised kerosene-fuelled helicopter turboshaft motor giving extra thrust. The gears shift in accordance with Ron"s own design of Cool, Big-Fire and finally Afterburner, to achieve a whopping 1,350bhp.