We talk a lot about cars on PistonHeads. Perhaps we should talk more about actually driving them...
Here we do just that, recalling some of our most memorable drives of the last 12 months. And if it goes to show anything it doesn't matter whether you're driving a supercar, a ratty old Shed or a hot-hatch - if the moment is right it's about more than how much power your car has or how much it cost. It's about the smile it puts on your face.
Here are ours. The floor is open to share yours...
Goodwood in a Mazda Eunos Roadster
Off the back of a year's medical licence suspension any drive was going to be memorable and something to celebrate. The
Aston V12 Vantage S
launch in Palm Springs stands out for the incredible roads and joyful fury of the way the car attacked them and my final drive in the
997 GT3
was also pretty special. Even if the weather was somewhat less appealing.
For all that exotica though my most memorable drive this year was in a £1,200 car with 100hp (ish), 185-section eco tyres, stupid orange wheels and a loud exhaust. My car.
As any sensible man would, I celebrated my return to the wheel by immediately booking a track day at Goodwood and heading down in my little Eunos. And Goodwood was, appropriately, glorious. The mental cobwebs were blown out in the first few laps, the Mazda seemingly as giddy and excited to be out on track as I was and if not actually fast it felt and sounded it. The perfect 'get back on that horse' moment - I loved every second. The drive back from the track across Sussex with my one-year-old beside me on his first roof-down drive in the late summer sunshine was pretty special too. One of those days at the wheel to bottle and remember.
Lamborghini Aventador Roadster, Italy
Lamborghini Aventador Roadster
may be a flawed supercar, but there can be no doubting its theatre. I joined the
Lamborghini Grande Giro
, also a 50th anniversary celebration event, on the leg from Milan to Rome. A V12 Lambo through the Italian countryside may be pretty predictable fodder for this sort of thing, but on this occasion it wasn't the car I was driving that made the moment so memorable, but instead the car that I was chasing.
For a 20-mile stretch on the run up to an isolated airstrip where we'd be stopping for lunch, I found myself following a red Countach. The driver was clearly pedalling a bit, but the Aventador was at a canter to keep pace. I could have slipped past given a 100-metre straight, but I instead sat back behind it just to enjoy the incredible sound; all 12-cylinder roar under power and volley fire crackle on the overrun. For 15 minutes or so the Countach had me spellbound and I completely forgot that I was actually driving one of the most exciting new cars on sale.
Hot hatch triple test/Toyota Blyton Sprint
There are two here, one on road and another on track. The latter was the
Toyota Sprint
at Blyton. As a first competitive track experience in a GT86, the day was just mega. Car and circuit were both ideal for a novice, and the desire to continue all day bettering your last time is addictive. Luckily I've got chance to do some more next year...
The most memorable drive of this year on the road has to be our hot hatch triple test. The cars were all brilliant in their own way, the roads were superb and it didn't rain at all. Dan was plotting the route as we went, and the roads just got better and better. It really was a dream combination of everything, and secured the Golf GTI a special place in my heart too.
So there are ours. Let's hear yours! The floor is open...
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