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Some of my earliest childhood memories take place on gran’s farm near Dordabis. The smell of furniture polish in the gigantic house, a thriving herb garden out front, the monotonous beat of a Lister engine and a powder blue Toyota Land-Cruiser FJ40 pick-up parked next to the second barn.
I’ve recently become very aware of how much of a selling a point a car full of gadgets is, particularly for those more outdoor-orientated types. This point was driven home recently when I test-drove Mitsubishi’s Pajero Legend – a limited edition of the popular 4th generation Pajero 3.2 Di –D GLX – complete with a rather generous supply of gear and gadgetry to tempt any 4×4 enthusiast into the bush.
When last have you been to the dentist or spent some time with your mother-in-law? I’ll avoid answering both questions but can report that this past weekend, I did something I tend to avoid like the plague: drive a double-cab. Which one? A bi-turbo Volkswagen Amarok 4×2.
Retro is irrefutably trendy and whereas some may dismiss it as a passing fad, old school remains cool. Exhibit A through C in the automotive world would be the new Mini, Fiat 500 and Beetle. The not-so latest retro attempt is the cool FJ Cruiser made by, sharp intake of breath, Toyota.
Last Wednesday morning at precisely 03h24 I woke up to the sound of pelting rain and a startling realisation: the BMW X5 is a fantastic car. Note the use of the word “car” instead of four-by-four, SUV or other such descriptions.
As per usual, I’m launching straight into a confession with this week’s review of the Land-Rover Defender 110: I actually own a Defender. I encouraged colleagues to write about the boxy Brit but somehow everyone was busy, thus I’ll try to be as objective and rational as possible.