You’ll notice that I’ve been gradually building up the power, as the insurance premium went down.

First car: VW 1.0 HIGH UP

Volkswagen up
1:0 litre. 73bhp You have to start somewhere

A white Volkswagen High Up, fitted with one of those black boxes to keep the speed down and the insurance down. Well, that’s the theory. If you drive the way that they want you to drive, the app says “Great driving” and you get a bit of a refund each month. No refunds came my way.

 

Second car: AUDI A1 1.4 TFSI S LINE

Audi A1 1.4TSI S Line
1.4 TFSI 120bhp Progress

Given that I’d signed up for an Audi apprenticeship, I needed to show some brand loyalty. So, a good looking Daytona Grey Audi A1 1.4 TFSi S Line was the choice. Pretty nifty for a standard car, but it needed some enhancement. I couldn’t afford the insurance hike that would result from a power upgrade. So, it was all about looks….  steering wheel, gear lever, STX coilovers and a smart set of alloys. Plus a set of Yokohama Advan AD08Rs to add a bit of grip.

Third car: AUDI S1 2.0 TFSI QUATTRO 

Audi S1
2.0 TFSi Quattro 227 bhp… Now we’re talking power.

Working in an Audi dealership brings temptation.

It arrived in the form of a Scuba Blue Audi S1… a bit more power than an A1 – 228 bhp , 0-60 in under 6 seconds. What’s not to like? The alloys came across from the A1, and a Quattro grill added a little more style.

The downside… it’s a bit thirsty on the petrol.

Fourth car: VW Golf R

“it looks like the sort of Golf that your mum has”

The only colour you can possibly choose in a Golf R, manual and three door. What else can I say. Well Clarkson says:

“The word is that, to drive, this vehicle is sensational, but, better than that, it looks like the sort of Golf that your mum has. It doesn’t even get the red line on the radiator grille that you find on a GTI. You could take an R to a meeting of the Socialist Workers party and they’d embrace you as a brother.”

Fifth car: Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0

The perfect driver’s car. And with a bit of boost from BBR.

Given that I’ve raced an MX-5, this seemed to be the obvious next step. It came with the factory Cup Pack which added 25mm lower Eibach suspension, a Bastuck stainless steel exhaust system and a set of 17-inch black BBS wheels. I have since enhanced it with a BBR Super 220 upgrade kit. Sounds great, drives great.