Greetings everyone! Today’s post is about another commercial vehicle, even if a very different approach from my Fiat Panda Van: the 2004 Seat Ibiza TDI Sport Van. Back in 2002, when Seat renewed its biggest-selling model – you guessed it – the message it wanted to spread was simple: we’re a young, stylish brand focused on those of you who are dynamic, young (at heart, at least...) and uncompromised. It was this clear. So, they went to Alfa Romeo, borrowed Walter de Silva – at the time Alfa’s chief of design – took the Skoda Fabia’s new platform (launched one year before), added a couple of powerful engines from VW and had a success between hands. I must recognize I like the look of it. Even today, the design is relatively up-to-date, despite the car having been sold in such great numbers and being a compact hatchback. On the inside, it’s another story. Yes, the round dials and air vents look Italian (wonder why...), but everything else is purely German: definitely practical and well s

Driven: Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 (1999 R170) Hey car freaks! Today’s post regards my dream car. After spending a lot of time driving every kind of cars, I’m back at the wheel of something remotely special. Yes, for the first time since 2006, I’ve been back at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz SLK! However, this version is far from being my favourite amongst the range: it’s the non-facelift SLK 200, with a normally-aspirated engine, and in a very basic specification, indeed. I remember the first time I saw this model as if it has been yesterday. Back in March 1997, a 15-year old kid was giving a quick look to a car magazine, when he was faced with this slim, brilliant-silver sporty shape. He was everything but a car enthusiast, but the then-new SLK had a very profound effect on him. It was what can only be described as love at first sight! From there on, his passion for cars grew an awful lot, first concentrated on Mercedes-Benz (I must recognize that, for me, the vast majority of go

Greetings, car enthusiasts! I hope 2010 was a great year for all of you, and I wish you an even better 2011! What I will post today is not a test-drive of some weekend rented car, nor a report of a big trip to the end of the world. No. Today I will report what it’s like to own a car, the very first car I’ve bought. As I previously explained, when I first wrote about the roadster, this wasn’t the actual life-dream materializing. My biggest passion was the first-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK (R170) in facelift-shape but, in a succession of events, I ended up with my second-biggest passion, the smart roadster. Almost two years later, I can only be happy with that. The little smart proved to be a lot more than just a fantastic-looking shape. It has such a strong personality that you just love or hate – it is impossible to talk about it in a cold way. From the experience I have so far, most people like to see it (you should see and listen to children!), then regret it for its lack of practic