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...

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...