As much as I like cars and motoring I’m struggling remember the last car I had a serious want for, something I really hankered after. Is it just age? Do we all lose interest as we get older or have cars become soulless machines filled with unnecessary gadgets and lacking in any real joy?

I’ve always liked hot hatches, ask me what my favourite car is at almost any point in my life and a fun to drive yet useful family hot hatch of some sort would pop to mind immediately. Peugeot 306 GTi-6, Citroen ZX Volcane, Renault 19 16v, Renault Clio 16v, Honda Civic Type R EP3, Peugeot 205 GTi, Metro GTi were all a hoot on a twisty B road yet affordable to ordinary folks like me. They weren’t over endowed with too much power, they didn’t come with feel sapping electric steering racks that sucked the fun out of driving. They were usable, fun and practical. They generated a smile on your face.

Ask that question today and I’m at a loss to answer it, I really can’t think of a single car I really lust after. I mean I respect many modern cars, I like my C Class estate and same goes for our Nissan Leaf, both are very efficient and surprisingly quick but I’ve no real interest in them, I won’t be found out in the garage polishing them every other night like my dad did with his long line of interesting cars while I was growing up and I don’t just go out for drive for the sake of it anymore. They’re appliances.

Hot hatches today are overpowered, ludicrously overpriced and unattainable for ordinary people. A Type R Honda Civic comes in at almost £50k, a fast A class Merc is over £60k! There is no real world hot hatch offerings left. SAIC make a stupidly fast electric MG4, but it’s absolutely numb to drive as per the norm with EV’s, fast but no fun in the twists where a good hot hatch should shine, outright speed had nothing to do with it.

I think the last car I really fancied was my neighbours bright red Fiat 500 Arbath, but it’s a bit too small to work for us even as a second car. Beyond that I’m drifting back to the early naughties or even the 90’s. I’ve driven a recent Golf GTi and found it no fun at all. Very efficient, quick and refined but it just wasn’t fun.

Bring back the fun. Even car adverts and motor shows are largely gone, cars are a financial product you rent to get you from A to B as dispassionately as possible. They don’t stir the soul. Maybe I need to finally get my bike license.

If asked today what your favourite current car is what would be your answer? I have none to give, no recent cars give me the fizz (as James May says) nothing stirs me at all. I don’t even think they still make the Fiat 500 Arbath petrol with a manual box, I believe it’s an EV shopping trolly now sadly. I’ve so little interest I don’t even add to my huge collection of What Car and Autocar mags, nothing of interest ever provokes me enough to buy a copy. Read more

We've received a VARS drive off notice from a petrol station in Bristol we've never been to. We live in Devon and were in Exeter for a hospital appointment on 11th April, the date in question. So it definitely wasn't us. The CCTV photo is useless - its the same model and colour, but you can't read the number plate at all. They maintain it is us, and we're responsible for paying the fuel (only £25 but its the principle!). They won't provide a better image because of GDPR but they want us to provide photos of our car.

If we don't pay up within 14 days they start escalating fees and threatening debt collection. Help!? Read more

Hi guys,

I’m just looking for some advice on where I stand.

I purchased a car from an Audi main dealer last August which was an “audi approved used” I’ve now come to sell the car to a company and we agreed a price but now they’ve backed out of it because of this message they sent me.

“During post sale checks The Company received data suggesting your vehicle has travelled more miles than the current odometer reading. To validate this data we arranged for your vehicle’s Engine Control Unit (ECU) to be read. The results of the ECU reading identified that your vehicle’s mileage has been tampered with”

Am I within my right to go back to Audi with this imformation? Read more

I remember driving one of these years ago and couldn’t believe the acceleration. Didn't realise it was only a puny 120 bhp.. www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404058334705?s...a Read more

I have above bmw that I get my intermittently no heating or have to turn temp up to 24 to get a bit of heat , apart from taking to garage any ideas what it can be please or what I can do to diagnose the issue. The engine does not overheat and the temp stays in the middle. Coolant is ok have to top up a small amount between min an max sometimes.

Thanks Read more