Same thing happened to me getting out of an Opel Speedster once. I didn’t even have the excuse of being old and fat at the time.

Umm, nope. Actually it was Rolls-Royce which did most of the early jet engine development work. The engines in the Messerschmitt 262 were incredibly delicate and basically had to be thrown away after a few hours’ flying time.

Either a driving a Renault Twizy through rush hour traffic in Dublin or bouncing across an open field in a Series 1 1.6 Land Rover with no roof (50hp on the nose).

How about “Spookerfortress”?

I was on this launch too and this is the first speeding or traffic violation ticket I've heard of from it. Which, when you think about it, is some kind of miracle...

Good news! The Dacia Sandero has a painted pillar...

You do realise that’s a last-generation Opel Astra with some spangly new lights and a Chevy badge, right?

Have you been binge-reading Woody Allen’s Match Wits With Inspector Ford?

I'm actor Troy McClure, you might remember me from such other film-strips as International Harvester Scout; the Communist peril that must be purged, and Dodge Dart; the car Satan would drive.

Why is this guy not running the Formula One team?

So, the visit Iceland, after which Iceland shortly explodes and shuts down European airspace for a week. The visit Syria, shortly after which Syria implodes into civil war. They visit Ukraine, ditto. The track record isn't looking too clever here...

It's down to Irish running costs.

Not in Ireland. The Subaru's Co2 emissions push it into our top band for road tax so you'd spend €2,350 just to be allowed to drive it on the road. The Audi, by contrast, costs just €570 to tax for a year. The Subaru would be thirstier too, which with unleaded running at €1.55 a litre is a significant extra cost. I'd…

Having driven both, I'd take the Subaru. Sure, the Audi is more sophisticated and cheaper to run, but the Subaru will survive a direct tactical nuclear strike and that counts, believe me.

Andrea Moda Judd. I was going to suggest the Japanese Lamborghini Owners Club for its inevitable first lap Le Mans retirements but I think that's more high comedy than low farce.

I'll see your Panda 4x4 and raise you the Hyundai i10 I've been driving this week. Not as cute as a Panda, I'll grant you, but small enough to be both nimble and cute, big enough to be comfy and practical. A class act from the Koreans this one.

Give Fiat some credit here guys. Ok, so it's still faffing around hopelessly trying to rebuild Alfa Romeo and the fat and frumpy 500L is just awful, but Turin has been on the ball more often than not lately. The Grand Cherokee is excellent and I'm hearing good advance word on the new Cherokee. Plus the reworked 300C…

Back in 2000, we (and by 'we' I mean the Irish Motoring Writers Association) have our Car Of The Year award to the pretty much totally dreadful Opel Corsa. To put that in context, that was the same year that Fiat launched the crazy-but-brilliant six-seat Multipla and Skoda launched the conventional-but-excellent 1st…

Hi guys. Just drove the GTD back to back with the GTI yesterday and have to say that it's the petrol one (sorry, gas one) that I'd go for. And I say that as someend who reall likes diesels.

Guys, you need to understand this car wasn't initially designed for America, or for anyone who cares about the heritage of a 500. What it was designed to do is to keep/attract buyers whose families are too big or numerous for them to actually fit into a standard 500 (or even a Panda for that matter). That's why Mini…