The BMW M140i is the baby M3 hot hatch for the masses.

I was sceptical at first when my friend said he was going to spend £30,000 on a hot hatch, never-mind a rear wheel driven one with a massive engine. However 3 years on the 140 has really grown on me. The 3 litre twin scroll turbocharged straight 6 delivers around 335bhp although many dyno at closer to 350bhp, this is good for a 0-60 sprint of 4.5 seconds. My friend has specced the M-performance exhaust and alcan wheel which really finish the car nicely, satisfying burbles and crackles from the exhaust on the overrun and a deep rumble as you hit boost will leave you grinning like an idiot. For a short car the M140 feels incredibly planted when compared to the likes of the M3 of the same era, there is literally no suggestion of oversteer from the chassis despite fairly heavy provocation in the dry, even in the wet the car feels immensely stable. Billy’s car has Bridgestone rubber all round and even though tread is down to around 4mm I’m really impressed at how well it grips in greasy and wet conditions.

The automatic gearbox is fantastic it’s so smooth yet quick when you ask it to be, it’s not as fast as a dual clutch system but the ZF8 performs admirably. I also love that you can use both the paddles and the gear selector itself to change gear manually, as variety is the spice of the life. The BMW has a lot of character compared to its rivals such as the golf R, it’s a powerful car yet refined and smooth with plenty of rear leg room, actually more than my GT-R which I admit isn’t hard. But for a medium sized hatchback it’s incredibly practical with a well sized boot for your shopping or the dog.

You’d think a 3litre 6 cylinder would be fairly expensive to run but in reality it’s somewhat frugal in its consumption of fuel. I’ve seen the 140i routinely passing 30mpg which with many short runs for shopping and the odd takeaway you have to admire. Would I pay £30,000 for one? Quite obviously not I bought a GT-R, but the second hand prices of a lightly used 140i nestling around the £15,000 mark mean even I’m seriously thinking of choosing one over the E92 M3 which says a lot. Now for the “enthusiasts” amongst us yes you can substantially up power with a Litchfield tune, offering around 435bhp from their stage 1 package. You can gain slightly more if you choose one of the exhaust offerings, but at £600 for 100bhp on paper has got to be a bargain right? I’ve absolutely no doubt a stock 140 chassis is more than capable of handling 450+bhp with relative ease however I would consider some drilled and grooved brake discs twinned with some meatier pads to dissipate heat more effectively and improve pedal feel.

The 140i wasn’t the best received BMW model however I feel it’s really grown into its role and bought some credible market share to the masses. Not everyone has £55,000 to indulge their “driving pleasure” with an M3 so the 140i especially remapped offers a massively competent alternative. I personally would opt for the manual gearbox just to bring a little more involvement to the experience. I’d also opt for a stage 1 remap and most likely a Remus exhaust as I feel these would offer me the best bang for my buck. I’m pleased the say I like 140i overall and I think they’re going to represent good value in the second hand market.

Audi’s new RS7 is the intimidating family supercar you need.

Handsome brute eh?

For some time now Audi have basically dominated the “family” supercar market. They’ve spoilt us with missiles that can carry your weekly shopping, the dog and the children in style and comfort but also well exceed 155mph. I’m a little biased here I’ve had 3 RS4’s and loved them as each was faster than the last. Cast your mind back a few years to the Daily Telegraph campaigning to ban the Audi C7 RS6 because it had too much power (552hp to be precise) and it was just too much for the British roads. Audi logically have countered this issue with even more power from the forced induction V8 and a meaner more purposeful stance. I’ve always loved how the flagship Rennsport models usually weigh around 2 tonnes, deliver 0-60 in 4 seconds or less (always faster than Audi quote) and have massive tuning potential for those frankly awesome dads on the school-run. Starting with the C7 generation I preferred the RS7 to the 6, both are simply gargantuan if you’re ever stood next to one, but I feel the RS7 hides it’s bulk well with some stunning yet menacing architecture.

Yes you read that right 22” unbelievable.

You know you’ve a serious weapon on your hands when Audi bestow it with their largest carbon ceramic brake setup to date, which look to me to be the 440mm setup worn by the Lamborghini Urus, serious stuff. The 4.0 bi-turbo charged V8 gives you 600hp which is more than enough to deliver stratospheric performance and 700nm being sufficient to pin not only yourself but the entire family deep into their honeycomb stitched bucket seats. I’ve written about the Audi last because if I’m honest I liked the Panamera Turbo S a lot more than I expected to and the RS7 feels noticeably larger than the Porsche, not in a good way either. Living with my GT-R daily I often dread taking it somewhere I might bump into other humans, as it’s like trying to park a battleship. The Porsche manages to deliver plenty of rear leg room (I’m 6ft) yet feels compact when you want to manoeuvre it somewhere. I feel Audi have gone a little style over substance with the C8, it’s an epic looking thing , menacing broad shouldered and pissed off. I can’t even begin to imagine the terror these will insight through peoples rear-view mirrors in the coming years, but seriously 22” wheels are you taking the piss? I’m a little biased again as I’m hoping to acquire a C7 RS6/7 in a year or so and their 21” rubber requires a second mortgage to replace every couple of years. I feel Audi may have forgotten people have got to daily drive these cars…..

Each generation of Audi’s flagships set the standard for the class.

In True Audi style the interior is stunning , ultra modern yet logical like most German things. The Honeycomb stitching really modernises the interior it looked great in the last model it looks great again here. The alcantara wheel gives a purposeful yet classy vibe to the cabin and everything is where you’d expect it to be. Add lashings of carbon fibre and this car feels every single bit of £110,000.

The 7 has such an advantage over the competition being a hatchback, very practical for something that’ll give a Huracan a run for its money.

One thing Audi have lost in the last few years with their flagship cars is understatement. The C6 variant of the RS6 had blistered boxed arches , the traditional oval tailpipes, a big grill and some 20” wheels. If you missed the styling cues then that was your loss. The RS cars used to be about rewarding the petrol heads amongst us for noticing the subtle hints that a nuclear power-station was hiding under the bonnet. Now it’s all look at me I’m broad shouldered angry and someone paid an extra £3000 to have me in a vulgar colour. I love the new RS7 as it’s just about right, yet on the edge of being too much. It’s still one of my dream cars and spending the day with one albeit a press car was an absolute honour. I just wish it was a little more subtle so the true enthusiasts could sneak up on supercar owners and remind them Audi joined the party, but for a fraction of the cost. Give it two or three years and Akrapović will slap a titanium system on one for some added drama, releasing that thunderous symphony. With an ECU flash most will be comfortably over 700bhp. These will soon be the new 200mph super saloons.

The RS Models always perform well against the competition,the Quattro 4-wheel drive system keeps you planted to the tarmac in even some of the most torrential of downpours. Audi’s also seem to hold their money well (within reason). The C7 RS7 even with the launch of this latest model will cost you £35,000 with the nicer cars still hovering nearer to £50,000. Which is positive news for those buying new, bad news for people like me who will be counting the pennies for years to come. Overall I feel Audi have really put their stamp on the ballistic family car market certainly in the UK. As the The E63 and M5 respectively will be residing in a hedge when it rains, while you spear off into the distance completely un-phased.

The Porsche Panamera Turbo S is a 5 door hybrid supercar.

I really feel this latest Panamera has a much better look to it’s arse.

I’ll be blunt, for years the Porsche Panamera has been a hideous family saloon that wasn’t just mercilessly expensive it was ugly too! It had this “fat” hunchbacked targa 911 look to it I always thought. However I’m happy to report the latest incarnation seems to be a much more handsome brute, with modern styling and refreshed appeal. I found myself spending a lot of time with the Panamera, the oxblood interior really grew on me over the day, I loved the glass display for the heated seats and climate controls. In a typical German way the glass delivered a satisfying click when you pressed it, enabling you to toast your backside with the heated seats in lavish comfort. I feel this Panamera was interestingly specced at first,however once I was reminded that the lime green accents on the exterior and around the interior dials were due to its hybrid drivetrain and not a sales mangers unusual taste during speccing, I really felt the red and green worked well together. Like a massive German watermelon but with a V8 and a couple of turbos for good measure.

390mm carbon ceramics for those track days in-between school runs of course!

The Panamera Turbo S comes as standard with some frankly gargantuan 390mm carbon ceramic brakes up front and 350mm ceramics to the rear, more than enough stopping power despite it coming in at 2.4tonnes! The Turbo has a forced induction V8 boosted by a hybrid drivetrain, very similar to the 918 where it fills torque troughs and gaps in power to never leave you wanting, this truly is a mile-munching family supercar. Here comes the but and it’s quite a big but I’m afraid…. The Turbo S comes in at £140,000 with a couple of options it can be raised even further! A well specced 2020 Audi RS6 will cost you £110,000 and Audi has ruled this sector of the market with its RS models for some time now.

The lime green and red interact incredibly well I think, beautiful place to be.

The Panamera has a few unusual features I admit , such as a “fake” key just to the right of the wheel, you turn this to start the car whilst your “real” key remains tucked into your trouser pocket. I always found myself reaching for it when I got out despite having the proper key on me already. I love the dial on the steering wheel where you can switch between drive modes like sport and eco with a satisfying click to one side, the way the rear wing raises in sport plus makes you grin like a schoolboy seeing his first supercar at a set of lights , it’s the little things right? Add massive brakes a lavish interior and bundles of leg room and it’s an impressive proposition for the family rocket ship. The Turbo S hides its size very well I thought , Audi’s super-aggressive styling has the RS6/7 getting wider and taller every time it’s face-lifted, but the Porsche delivers comparative space inside yet looks much smaller and less dramatic. I can’t believe I’m saying this but for your subtle family barnstormer it has to be the Porsche in this class, the beautiful metallic blue/silver paint adds a crisp business vibe to the package, really a phenomenal all rounder for the money.

The Panamera has evolved into a handsome brute with more than enough power to match.

The Turbo S delivers 677hp from a bi-turbo charged V8 which is good for a 0-60 sprint of 3.2 seconds and will carry you all the way to 192mph, not bad for 2.4 tonnes right? I love the subtlety to the design and how broad modern Porsche’s have gotten. Gone are the days of the narrow body 996’s the modern era of Porsches are mean and purposeful I’m a big fan! It’s not over egged it’s just right subtle aggression well packaged typical Germans really.

Is the Bentley Flying Spur setting the benchmark for luxury road travel?

Something I’ll always find absolutely astounding is the way a car that weighs nearly two and a half tons can not just hit over 200mph, but do it with unparalleled comfort and luxury. Now I’ll admit at the age of 25 I’m not by any means Bentleys client base, however the Flying Spur is a handsome car! It looks like something you’d see next to a stately home where you know some mad baron will take it thrashing up the autobahn at weekends. What I think is interesting though is how reasonably priced the Bentley is, I spent a good chunk of my day sat in a Porsche Panamera hiding from the wind and found the interior to be beautiful if not a little brash in oxblood red. The Panamera was around £35,000 less than the Bentley which yes I’m aware is an awful lot of money but there’s two detachable tablets on the headrests, a champagne fridge (yes really) reclining and pampering rear seats with enough leg-room for a game of 5 a-side! Despite the driver being over 6ft4 in this instance.

Business on the go? Why not take your Bentley branded tablet to the office with you.

The Bentley does incredibly well at bestowing you with all the leather-bound luxury you could wish for, yet it remains elegant not ostentatious at all with it being a beautiful place to traverse any distance really. The 6 litre twin turbocharged W12 develops 635bhp (again not showy or in your face) but 900nm which gives you a meaty surge of torque to propel your stately home forward with some veracity. For years I’ve always seen Bentleys as just some old overly expensive executive saloon for the royal and wealthy, but this new car really is a breath of fresh air it’s modern yet traditional and subtle and bloody fast!

The grey tinted leather is nice but I can only imagine how a beautiful tan interior would finish this car off perfectly.

As you know by now I’m forever moaning about my GT-R and how harsh I find the ride quality, so when I saw the Flying Spur wearing a set of 22” shoes my brain couldn’t piece together how it rides so well so I’m just going to call it magic and be done with it. I know it’s £170,000 and I’m sure some options will push it even higher, but the Bentley is exquisitely finished with everything feeling reassuringly expensive and well made. If I had the money would I buy the Bentley? Probably not but I still find farts funny which is why I’m not who Bentley is catering to. It’s nice to know when I want to wear a nice pair of brogues and a flat cap I can traverse great distances at phenomenal speed in comfort.

Can you go anywhere without a bottle of champagne? Probably but let’s not chance it!

It’s day like this I feel immensely proud to be British and I really felt connected to the Bentley because of its heritage and the way our cars always seem to be the underdogs and a little outdated. The Bentley wasn’t quite as quick as an RS7 or the Porsche Panamera in a 1/4 mile but the lords and ladies that’ll run these cars won’t really care about that. The quilted leather, tablets and massaging seats will distract them as they spear towards the alps at a rate of notts in complete refinement and style. The Flying Spur would look good next to a spitfire right? I’ll let you imagine that for yourselves.

Talk about inviting! It’s like a roaring fire at Christmas.

My cheap GT-R gets some new shoes!

Have you ever thought about something and played it down? Then before you know you’re semi infatuated and it’s all you can think about? Well that kinda happens to me a lot, certainly with car parts. I see a picture of a car and think “I wish mine was that nice”. I’m a perfectionist and despite buying cheaper examples of the cars I choose I want them to compete with some of the very best. I’ve made a carbon front lip to repair the damage from previous owners, I’ve corrected the paint and fitted a much better exhaust, but something was leaving me cold with my GT-R…. it’s wheels. MY DIY dip job successfully masked the blue rims, but is gradually starting to wear now thanks to inclement weather and the lack of quality roads in Oxfordshire. What started as a little “idea” to cheaply upgrade my car quickly became the “I must have those” mentality. I found a set of TSW Nurburgring alloys on Facebook marketplace and they were well-priced at £1k (effectively a third off from new) the tyres as pictured are wrapped in Toyo r888r rubber and seem to be in clean overall condition, I made the seller an offer of £900 via PayPal and even managed to get away without paying the fees! add £37 shipping from Scotland to the midlands where I live and that’s a damn bargain in my eyes.

I’ve no idea who’s car this, all I know is this is exactly how I would love mine to look one day.

The standard wheels look a little lost in the arches in my opinion so these have some meatier rubber fitted, circa 285mm fronts and 315mm rears also referred to as f*cking massive. Now as you know this is a “cheap” GT-R and I’ve a budget to stick too. So my “one in one out” rule applies, my oem wheels will have the Michelin’s removed and be refinished ready for sale for around £500. I could maybe get a little more but I’m happy to get 50% or more of my purchase price back. Take this as you will but I’ve always been a little against the “sleeper” vibe of high performance cars , I feel wheels really make a vehicle unique to their owner and put a personal stamp on it. All of my cars bar the B7 RS4 saloon have had aftermarket wheels , several sets in some cases, it also helped people recognise my cars at shows or just generally on social media.

If you ever want to feel inadequate financially try buying wheels for a Nissan GT-R or any other supercar for that matter. Most sets that I liked of forged construction were minimum £2500-£5000 before tyres which frankly made me feel a bit useless. I love the Rays TE37 but second hand sets at £4000 before tyres is out of the question, I also feel the whole “cheap” GT-R premise would be somewhat lost if I did that. I’m happy with how the car is taking shape and progressing now, it’s looking better, driving better and making a great noise. The car will be serviced in April along with some new rear brakes and a general check up, the R35 has so much character and I still can’t believe it’s mine, a real dream car realisation. My GT-R is going to hit 78,000 miles this week and I’ll be honest it feels tight,solid and seriously fast! This is why I buy “older” performance cars, the way a bond is forged as you learn it’s strengths, it’s flaws and personality. In the modern world the GT-R is starting to feel very analogue in it’s delivery and I’ll admit I don’t miss a manual gearbox one bit, if nothing else it’s mechanical gear changes and surges of torque make the experience better now I’m used to them. Stay tuned for the next update as there’s definitely more to come for the cheap Nuclear Datsun.

Why I bought my first supercar instead of a property…

So I get a lot of questions and quite frankly judgment on the cars I’ve owned, even more so with the purchase of my GT-R. So how did I get to here? Well I was fortunate that when my B7 RS4 decided to detonate it’s rod bearings I was able to make probably my smartest choice to date. I broke the car for spares as it’s most valuable asset (the TTS supercharger) was barely 3000 miles old and the car had pretty much all the upgrades I’d ever wanted for an RS4. I turned a negative situation into around a £10,000 profit give or take a few pennies, because I swapped the B5 RS4 for the charged B7, the equity involved was only £16,000. Couple that sum to the fact I had additional parts to sell from the b7 and I was quickly making money with my new acquisition, to the tune of around £1500. I sold a carbon front lip, spare mirrors and a set of oem wheels with mint Michelin rubber. This would set the tone for how my b7 ownership was going to go. I sold it’s 20” Rotiform wheels and managed to get replacements for less than my sale price, so again gaining myself money even if only £200 at a time.

But anyway back to my point… the B7 was worth considerably more in parts even with a ruined engine. The supercharger kit, BBS wheels , bucket seats and steering wheel saw me at nearly £13,000 alone, add coilovers the carbon fibre air-box and i had essentially broken even with 90% of a car still remaining. Then you’ve got all the silly parts like mirrors which fetched over £350, under trays , downpipes , gearbox, exhaust, headliner, yes I was investing some personal time into the project now but I was pulling in revenue week by week. This enabled me to pay off a small personal loan I had taken to purchase the B5 in the first place and have a sizeable pot of cash leftover. This is where I was in a dilemma, in a strong financial position with a sizeable house deposit (should I of chosen that method) but with a unique career path not needing of a property. I have accommodation provided with my career that costs an appetence, I’m around 100 miles away from where I consider “home” and house prices in Rutland are somewhat high. To put it bluntly I could afford it but only just, and would I even live in it? No probably not.

I’ve adored anything with an engine since before I could even walk, my mum would get me “Truck&Driver” magazines or “Top Gear” and I would read them again and again. So finding myself in a strong financial position I wanted to really explore my abilities as a driver and experience as many new cars as possible. The GT-R was a game changer it would batter a 997 turbo in 2008 for nearly a third of the price. I wanted a supercar that I could afford to use and cherish without fear of depreciation or someone vandalising it. I’m newly 25 hence the R35 purchase in the first place, I like to think in 10 years time I’ll be that “cool” dad who gets to tell his little lad stories about the cars I’ve had and how much I’ve loved them over the years. While if I were to be mortgaged up to my eyeballs now would I ever have a chance to own something like this? Perhaps not.

What I find so damming is being constantly challenged by people in a world where most people in their 20’s seem to live in the pub or go on boozy holidays that have nothing to show for their money. I’m the one having to justify my expenditure as if I’ve done something wrong or questionable. I always say to my family I’ve not thrown a house deposit away I’ve invested it in a car for a couple of years. My interest rate on my savings account is around 0.3% so if I’d left roughly £20,000 with them for a year or two the benefit was so negligible would I even notice? I’m hoping for two great years with my first supercar but will there be another? If I’m honest I doubt it, but I will indulge myself in new ways maybe something manual and rear-wheel drive. While I consider property, but who knows I can’t predict the future. By purchasing “cheap” examples I’m minimising my risk providing they’ve been maintained well. And with a bit of luck when I come to sell the new exhaust and carbon fibre splitter will help claw back some extra cash for the next stupid automotive venture. I feel it’s important to look at it logically, if you’re borrowing substantially less than the value of your vehicle and your savings continue to grow each year (outweighing the depreciation of your vehicle) you can continue to jump up the ladder again and again. In 2 years time I can probably afford a 2013 GT-R or a C7 RS6, however if I chose to sell and not replace the R35 I would be in a stronger position for a house purchase. But with a larger deposit this only makes sense to me as I get a fun car to play with while I’m “saving”. I like to think my decisions are somewhat defendable as I keep any monthly costs to below 50% of a mortgage. So it’s not to the detriment of my savings or impacting on my life quality and if I’m honest it costs me £80 a month less than the B5 RS4 was so if that isn’t a victory I don’t know what is.

I talked my friend into buying a supercharged RS4!

So from experience I know an awful lot about Audi RS4s especially the B7 platform. It’s what got me to where I am today, they’re incredibly underrated cars with a competent chassis good looks and practicality. The B7 has many weaknesses as I’ve written about before, however there’s one I don’t like to mention to often.. they don’t have enough torque to pull the skin off a rice pudding. In standard guise the B7 started a trait no manufacturer wants, they never made quoted power figures! I’ve known many modified “stage 2” examples that have barely surpassed the 414bhp figure , and that’s without cats, an improved air-filter and a Milltek cat-back exhaust usually. Now as you’ll know my decision making and list of “priorities” when buying a car are somewhat warped, but I genuinely believe a supercharged B7 RS4 is one of the best daily drivers you can have and I’ll explain why.

TTS performance are a fairly small company based in Silverstone England and they make blowers (supercharger kits) and they’re bloody good bits of kit. The charge plenum along with most of the kit is made from billeted-aluminium. Yes it’s incredibly expensive but once you look at the intricacy involved of making this bespoke kit you know it’s been money well spent. The best part of this kit isn’t the 200bhp you gain (trust me) it’s the usability of it all , if you’re not mashing the loud pedal you would never know you’re over 600bhp at the flywheel. They really can be a smooth yet powerful beast in the right hands. Anyway …. back on track I’ve known Jason for about 3 years now, we met at Vagtuner when I had my B7 saloon. We’ve always stayed in touch and caught up at shows regularly and he’s the proud owner of one of the cleanest B7 RS4’s I’ve ever seen. Anyway skip forward a couple of years to when my supercharged RS4 arrived and Jason instantly fell in love with the car. He’d find any excuse he could to snatch the keys away and take it for a hammering. After I’d broken my B7 for parts and actually bought the GT-R I found a gorgeous silver avant on eBay , blessed with a TTS supercharger, some C7 RS6 wheels and a smattering of other goodies I knew it was too good to pass on. The car only had 60,000 miles with full history as it had been cared for by a Porsche addict with his own museum. Despite the odd age-related mark here and there the car looked great. I immediately forwarded the link to Jason and pestered him for a couple of days about how for basically a few thousand pounds (once his mint avant is sold) he can have one of the rarest and quickest RS4’s on the road. Fortunately a buyer wasn’t able to get down within a week after leaving a deposit so Jason and I were next in line. The original plan was Jason would drive us in his car we would check everything over with me having some decent working knowledge of the TTS kit, then he would leave a deposit and collect the following week.

However … Jason then decided he wanted to have the car that day if all was well so at 6am I’m up coffee in hand firing up a cold start on the GT-R and single handedly pissing everyone within half a mile off. This was the start of what would be a 6 hour road trip for me. Oxford to South Wales, South Wales to Birmingham, then Birmingham to Rutland for me to go home. 320 miles and about 6 hours total. Now if you’ve read my GT-R pieces you’ll know that it’s not the most comfortable cruiser in the world nor the most efficient, however it was great to share my latest purchase with Jason while he hopefully scooped up his RS4 upgrade. This was a very unique buying experience as not only we were able to comb through the car inch by inch and test drive we were also able to get underneath the car on a lift and see that nothing was wrong. The money changed hands and Jason was like a kid at Christmas, the car pulls immensely well , however I know he’s going to put his own stamp on the car very soon and maybe get a little more power from the V8 lump. I think honestly he’s going to be very happy with the car as it’s Low mileage but missing a few key pieces that give the RS4 it’s character. Such as it’s bucket seats and the flat bottom steering wheel stolen from Lamborghini’s parts bin. Jason is a little OCD so I’ve no doubt this car will live a very pampered lifestyle for the foreseeable future.

The r35 Nissan GT-R and what I’ve learned so far.

So we’re about 6 weeks on from taking delivery of my GT-R and here’s how I’m getting to grips with it so far….

The R35’s performance never fails to astound me, the sheer violence of torque drives you deep into the bolstered seats, what I find so unique is the way the acceleration builds through the Rev range. I’m used to turbo-charged cars giving their boost and then backing off towards the top of each gear, yet with the GT-R this simply isn’t the case. You get that assertive surge of power that builds adding drama to what is already a somewhat engaging if not terrifying experience. The ride is incredibly harsh I’ve been assured the latter DBA models have been softened a little but I must admit I find the GT-R hard work on long trips. Couple this to virtually non-existent suspension and I’m often stopping for coffee, just to get away from it for a few minutes. I adore the sheer road presence the GT-R delivers it looks broad-shouldered and mean. I can’t imagine how aggressive it must look in a rear-view mirror. I’m typically a little shy and awkward at times as I’m just not used to the amount of attention the GT-R commands , often being filmed, photographed or just genuinely stared at during my routine trip to the shops. However on the flip side the positive comments and random conversations you find yourself in are very rewarding even if you’re just putting some fuel in someone usually has something to say.

Being fair the R35 can be a competent car for daily duties depending on your usage , mine are mainly longer journeys of a couple of hours and around 100 miles. I tend to average around 27-29mpg with a mixture of heavy acceleration and commuting on dual carriageways and A-roads. The boot is more than large enough for my golf clubs, a rucksack and a suitcase or two, the rear seats are purely decorative unless you have small children. Being 6ft I’m not a big man yet I find my shoulders tend to straddle the seat bolsters and my driving position makes my seat touch the rears. Thanks entirely to my own doing the car drones quite badly at motorway speeds ,however this is some-what necessary to drown out the road noise. The roar from the tyres despite the fact the Pilot-Sport 4s are not run-flats as Nissan recommends still intrude in the cabin with the road making itself heard. You can hear all the gravel and soil hitting the underside of your car, a far cry in quality from its German rivals.

I think the best way to describe a Nissan GT-R is that quite simply when tuned nothing in its price bracket can compete. It’s performance both in a straight line or in the bends quite frankly scares the shit out of me more times than I care to mention. Despite its irritating quality issues it makes me smile and thanks to my exhaust it makes Norse god like noises (probably draws attention) but it’s by the far the most complete car I’ve ever owned and it really is savage. This being said day to day on short runs I would rather walk. The R35 is a fantastic platform but to quote Chris Harris “it’s just too bloody big” it’s fills any normal parking space, makes multi-story car parks feel incredibly tight and I’m forever wincing trying to avoid kerbstones. I did a gearbox re-learn a couple of days ago and it’s transformed the car dramatically it’s much more bearable at lower speeds with it “softening” its gear changes. I’ve always found its blip down to 2nd from 3rd less than satisfying and jerky, but since the relearn it feels slick and smooth. I would massively recommend ECUTEK software, as a complete GT-R novice I was able to download an app onto my iPhone and complete the relearn thanks to a Bluetooth OBD attachment, which has given me greater confidence in working with the car should any faults arise.

GT-R spotted in the wild filling a parking space and making a nuisance of itself , over to one side as due to a car being next to me I couldn’t get out.

I made a carbon-fibre front lip for the cheap GT-R

Jacking up a GT-R isn’t the easiest.

So in what seems to be my never ending thread of rectifying crap parts of my cheap GT-R, we come back to the front end. Due to the unique way the R35 lacks in build quality, I’ve noticed during the February rainy season that water either pools or leaks from everywhere. My smart wrap job of the front lip was ruined because of this! With water seeping down behind it and it subsequently starting to peel. This left me with a few options , pay a professional to wrap it, get it painted, or spend £835bn on a poorly fitting carbon fibre replacement. As you’ve no doubt learnt thus far I hate spending money, fortunately I happen to have all of the materials necessary to skin items in genuine carbon-fibre.

A battered and sanded front lip.

So the lip with what can only be described as a gouge with a few cracks added for good measure, is what drew attention at the front of the GT-R. I didn’t like the idea of replacing it or wrapping it again , I love carbon fibre and now have carbon tips on my exhaust. So I felt a little at the front would balance it nicely! My first battle was removing the offending trim piece which is no easy feat. Step one use a small scissor jack to raise the back of the car literally 1inch , step two place “low profile” trolley jack under front side jacking point and raise the car up. Step three place 2inches of wood under each front wheel , this will allow room to get the trolley jack to the central front jacking point. When i finally got it up in the air I used axle stands to prop the car up on each side jacking point. A plethora of 10 and 12mm bolts hold the lip and under-tray in place , once removed I used my nose as a chock while I slowly pulled the tray forward. Next it was time to use some coarse sandpaper and begin prepping the lip for some black epoxy base-coat. Once sanded I also measured the total length with curvature so I could cut the carbon cloth to length. After a lending a hand from my grandfather the cloth was delicately draped over the splitter and patted down flat , luckily there were no creases and fitting was a success.

The timely process began , once the cloth had been left for 8 hours to bond with the base-coat it was to be layered with epoxy clear-coat. This was done first as a single layer and allowed to cure for a day then followed by 3 further coats within 2 hours of each other. Again these coats needed to be flatted with sandpaper before the final coat could be applied, for a reasonable amount of gloss to be achieved. I finished the project here, mainly because it’s February and the weather is awful! I needed the car and it’s a very vulnerable part. When the weather is better I will finish flatting all of the carbon with 400,600,800 and 1200 grit paper. However I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, it’s cost barely £25 and the front lip that was battered and cracked is now strong fresh on the front of the car, which I would render a success. There will be more pictures to follow once a final polish and high quality lacquer have been sprayed onto to lip, but for now it’s filthy while I’m enjoying sticking miles on my project car.

Raw unadulterated carbon fibre.

The Audi S3 is a bargain hot hatch masterpiece.

I feel the Audi S3 is an often overlooked proposition in the “hot” yet practical hatchback line up. You’ve the die hard Ford fans who will buy anything as long as it makes a good noise and torque steers like a pig. Vauxhall’s offering which is essentially the same albeit with a Phoenix on the front and every now and then Renault offer you a hot chassis plagued with electrical issues and some questionable features. I feel the “hot hatch” has just become an excuse to make tacky and nasty looking versions of ordinary cars, I’ve a lot of experience with the Ford scene (yes I know I’m sorry ok?) and Mk2 ST/RS models with the 5 cylinder lump stolen from Volvo made a great noise with the help of an exhaust and intakes. However I’ve learnt from my RS4 days that they never put power to the floor! You’re forever battling torque steer, understeer and when you think you’ve cured that a spoonful of lift-off oversteer, to really ensure an accident happens.

Here’s the sticking point for me …. the Mk2 Focus RS , Fords flagship model had two options from new , yes two. The first of which I think from Memory gave you SatNav , the other gave you black trimmed “Dynamica” Recaro Cs buckets instead of the vulgar cloth you were offered from standard. This is where the S3 really comes into its own I feel, you get minimum half leather “comfort seats” with alcantara , or you can have full leather with a thick perforated wheel. Offer Audi a little more money and the RS4 wingback buckets are a trim option which really brings the level of interior to one which couldn’t be matched back then by any of its rivals.

The 2 lite turbocharged Power-Plant left the factory with 265bhp which is more than enough for a satisfying forced induction pull. However there’s plenty more readily available. With just a Resonator delete which is predominantly sound related and a remap with renowned VAG tuners R-Tech, this S3 now produces 317bhp 461nm which are pretty impressive figures for essentially a stage 1 package. This era of S3 can be had for as little £6000 upwards add the £400 remap and you’re getting an awful lot of power for the money. The cabin feels refined yet sporty and doesn’t look like a training shoe as it’s “designer” rivals seem to opt for, Audi’s RNSE SatNav was also an option adding to the quality and refinement. The cars Haldex Quattro system gives you a planted feel on the road and an air of reassurance should you dive into a B-road hairpin a little aggressively. My friends car has covered around 30k miles and besides a cheap differential repair and regular servicing no massive issues have been reported.

I’m really not sure why the S3 has been forgotten the last decade or so compared to its rivals, every car meet sees a plethora of fast Fords banging off their rev limiters, while the fast Renaults spend most of their time on track. I feel the Audi is too refined and therefore unappreciated by the younger generation, however now they’ve become so affordable. And with a solid tuning network around them I think we’ll start to see them getting the love they deserve, I know that’s how I’d invest my money at this price point.