Heloooooooooo! The car model I’m reviewing in the next lines doesn’t bring back very pleasant memories: the VW Polo 1.2. Yes, once again, I lived with a 3-cylinder Polo for a couple of days. Back in 2006, I spent a week with one of these things, and hated most of that time. Put simple, the old Polo was a poor product, living entirely on its badge. This one though, is a little bit different. The engine remains virtually unchanged, but thanks to a 5 PS power increase and 20 kg weight reduction, it feels a bit less lethargic. The biggest change in the drivetrain though, is the gearbox. It feels a bit more precise, albeit as slow as before, and all gear ratios are way longer. Even so, this setup doesn’t compromise performance too much, comparing to the old one. The clutch, just as the accelerator and brake pedals, has a long travel. Like the 1.2-litre 60PS engine in the Lancia Y, this one is also tuned for torque. Even so, it completely lacks the Fiat’s low-rev energy and refinement – it f...

Welcome back, petrolheads! Today, I’m back to an Italian “playground”: the first Lancia I have ever driven – the small Y, or Ypsilon as they want us to call it. First things first: this is a rented car, so despite being only 2 years old and having 38k kilometres (24k miles) on the clock, the paint is faded (too many automatic car washes) and the rear shock absorbers look to have had better days, as well. I rented it as a courtesy car, as my roadster was receiving its 30k kilometre (19k miles) service. Being at a Mercedes-Benz shop, the least I could expect was a latest generation smart fortwo, a car I never drove. So, when I was given the keys to a Lancia Ypsilon, I was shocked. Really, that’s that kind of cars you never remember of, and when you do, you wish you hadn’t. Me, a 27 year bloke, driving that girlie thing?! Is this a joke? No, it isn’t. My Panda may also not be the most masculine car money can buy, but the Ypsilon is almost like a Nissan Micra – it’s a dress with four wheel...

Hello car enthusiasts! Today’s post is a bit different from the usual drive-and-report business: in the next lines, I’ll report my thoughts along a big trip I made from the 6th to the 14th of April 2010. The plan was this: I wanted to do a big drive, and to “justify” this, set a few landmarks to visit across West Europe – this would be my 2010 vacation. My wheels? Well, as I cannot even dream with something wrong to occur to my beloved roadster, I took my faithful everyday partner – the Panda. Only me and my Panda, on a 4000+ kilometre (2500+ mile) trip – now that’s a challenge! :D Tags: Barcelona, Millau Viaduct, French Riviera, Monaco, Andorra. Day 1 – Tuesday, April 6th – from Redondo (PT) to Lleida (ES) – roads: N373 (PT), E90 A5-A2-AP2 (ES) After some last-hour arrangements, the trip began at 9:15 am (GMT), the Panda’s clock showing 47 737 kilometres (29.836 miles). First relevant fact: the Panda’s fuel consumption really rises with speed. Above 110 km/h (70 mph) it increased noti...

Hello car enthusiasts! Today’s post regards my latest acquisition: the Fiat Panda, with a diesel engine, in commercial finish. I will go past another background to this model, as I already made it when I reviewed my cousin’s Panda 4x4 Climbing Multijet. I always appreciated this car, but truth be told, what inspired me to go for the Panda was the (nice) surprise I had with the 4x4. Having decided that the roadster is not suited to my daily life, but more of a weekend toy which will be a future classic (I am sure!), back in last Summer I went back to my parents Rover 200 and stored the smart. But, as petrol prices started to rise so sharply, added to the fact that the Rover’s K-Series is getting thirstier (13 years old and 179k kilometres – 112k miles…) and as it is not really mine (well, at home nobody likes it very much, apart from me), I started thinking of an alternative. The specs? Second-hand, cheap, small, economical, distinctive and light. Let’s go hunting! The cars immediately ...