Mine is up for sale soon. Won’t quite get a third of its new value for it, but it’s nice that I’ve been able to drive around for 14 months in a car that hasn’t depreciated. A car with a real-world 70mpg (and a healthy battery) will always be desirable.

The Renault R-Space concept from a few years back was pretty silly. Relatively normal as far as concept cars go in the front, but the coloured leatherette bricks acting as rear seats are rather novel...

I never knew this existed. I don’t know what it is. But I do know I want one, and I can’t wait to hear about how beautifully terrible it is.

I never found the Smart’s transmission remotely difficult to fathom. Neutral whenever you’re stopped, reverse when you need it, and the rest of the time the lever is over to the left in either automatic or manual mode.

“What kind of people head out to buy such an awful car?”

'Vintage cameras are a retro alternative to the iPhone camera'

Does the Kia Optima not count? Is it not basically identical to the Hyundai but a little easier on the eye? I've only driven the diesel version we get here in Europe but it's comfortably one of my favourites in that class. Right behind the Mazda.

You make it sound like a tin can with wheels is a bad thing...

As Volkswagen constantly told us throughout the Beetle's production run, air-cooled cars are perfectly good in hot and cold weather, since air neither boils, nor freezes. I believe one of the 2CV's strengths is being able to run flat out absolutely everywhere and at all times without going wrong, and since there'd be…

I like the idea. But the name needs to change. There is only one true BX...

COO has long been one of my favourite albums. Came out when I was 15, which is pretty much the perfect age to get completely swept up by a certain type of music.

There's a few differences, but we're basically dealing with the same idea. I'd put the radiator/AC condenser up front, shape the fuel tank to act as the front trunk floor, and let the Beetle's rounded shape help give back a little headroom to the raised rear seat. It's not all that different from the new Renault…

That's pretty impressive. My record across a tank is about the same, only in imperial gallons, which is about 70 MPG US. My average since buying the car a year ago is 73 MPG UK/61 MPG US.

Inline threes have got pretty good recently for NVH. The last few I've driven have still felt distinctly like threes (in terms of sound/response etc) but have absolutely none of the vibration or offbeat feeling of older ones.

One of my all-time favourite concept cars. Kei cars are fabulous.

I have an unnatural obsession with the little Fiat 126. I have wanted one desperately since I first laid eyes on one. Here's the question: are they terrible?

I've driven Mercedes cars with this gearshift, and it always takes me moment to think and adjust when I get in one. The push-button to park always takes a moment, and I usually have to look at the lever to remember which way is D and which is R. If this is, in fact the mistake that was made, I can totally see how it…

High five, followed by a swift kick in the shin.

I'd suggest many professional horse racers would be competent drivers at the very least. Riding a horse requires a good sense of balance, which is an inherent requirement of being quick in a car. There's an element of being more conscious of the behaviour of the "beast" beneath you too. Jinba ittai, as Mazda would say.

…

Well either way, can I borrow your time machine?