THE thoroughly modern Millie is another of those cars which came into being as a fairly honest remake of a much-loved classic, but has gone on to morph into an entirely new brand. Under BMW ownership, The new Mini has been an unprecedented success, selling millions of examples all over the world.
THE Mazda MX-5 is the world’s favourite sports car – it is also mine! It has always been a fabulous little car with almost bullet-proof reliability, but this new model raises the bar again and is the best so far. Accused of being a girl’s car in some quarters, it now looks far more aggressive, or perhaps I’m just more in touch with my feminine side, but I really don’t care, I love it and thoroughly enjoyed my few days with this newcomer.
IF this Jaguar F-Type Coupe isn’t one of the best looking cars on the road today, I’ll eat my hat. My son described it as “epic”, and who am I to argue? The spiritual successor to my dream car, the one I would buy if money were no object, the glorious E-Type, this sleek coupe really is art on wheels.
IN what Mazda call their “most intense period of activity ever” we have seen this year five new or revised models launched in the UK: the 2 and the 6, plus CX-5, CX-3 and MX-5, so that the Japanese maker now claims the “youngest model line-up of any manufacturer”.
WHAT IS so puzzling about the Mitsubishi ASX is why it hasn’t been more popular in the UK. Curiously, and without referring to statistics, its presence seemed more obvious on roads on the other side of the Channel, where a Breton neighbour had one and which, coincidentally, sported the same dashing white livery as the test car!
MAZDA is on a roll across Europe. Sales increased by 29 per cent year-on-year between July and September, extending the brand’s growth to 12 consecutive quarters. The Japanese car maker sold just under 60,000 vehicles in the third quarter, outpacing an overall market that was up by 10.6pc and raising its market share to 1.7pc.
COMPACT is a familiar name to aficionados of the BMW brand and that description fits this fabulous little convertible perfectly. It feels just right, you almost become part of this car when you slip behind the wheel.
THE new Nissan Pulsar is the Japanese manufacturer’s Golf or Focus sized contender which replaced the Almera. With a long wheelbase it offers plenty of interior legroom which is currently best in class and a boon for long-legged teenage rear passengers who have to travel in the family car, despite their persistent protestations.
NOW into its fourth generation and with its 40th birthday behind it, the Scirocco is defiantly not over the hill in the UK, which is its largest market in Europe and its second biggest in the world, after China.
