Talking about cars has pretty much endless fascination. But it's important to also recognise and appreciate the things you can do with them! From epic roadtrips to on-track battles the adventures behind the wheel the car itself is but a supporting actor in the adventure.
Here then members of the PH team share some of their favourite moments at the wheel in 2014. We're sure you've had plenty yourselves too - share them with everyone in the comments thread below and don't be shy with the pics or vids. We'd love to hear what you've been up to!
Mazda MX-5 Tsukuba race
The sight of Tsukuba's start finish straight, an orange sky above and track full of weird and wonderful JDM machinery powering up it, is one seared in my brain from formative years playing Gran Turismo. Years that have shaped my driving world, virtual and real. So a chance to go to Japan and do a real race at Tsukuba as part of celebrations for 25 years of the Mazda MX-5 and see the new fourth generation car unveiled on home soil was a proper dream come true. A few days fully immersed in JDM car culture, a slight run-in with the Yakuza and seeing the new MX-5 were a fabulous build-up but finding myself living, for real,
a proper race
at Tsukuba was beyond amazing. Great track, friendly folk and a weird collision of virtual and real I'm still trying to unscramble months on.
Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG in Germany
I did a story about the Autobahn which meant lapping Germany, travelling 2,200 miles in just four days. I scored an S63 AMG for the journey, and spent hours travelling safely (and legally) north of 120mph. Can't think of a better car to do it in, 15mpg aside.
Caterhams to the Nurburgring
Madness looking back on it. Somewhere in the region of 800 miles, three days, three Caterhams and just five laps of the place. But what a weekend. The roofs never went on at any point, new friends were made at every petrol stop and I drove my first laps of the 'ring in a Caterham! We got lost (a lot), we nearly ran out of fuel (a lot) and we were probably amongst the slowest cars out there. A truly fantastic place though (with some magnificent local roads) that I must visit again soon, albeit in a normal car perhaps. That record-holding Megane Trophy-R perhaps?
Racing the McLaren 650S Sprint
My feet didn't touch the floor for two weeks this summer after receiving the call up to represent our own dear PistonHeads in the world debut race of the brand-new McLaren 650S Sprint. The venue was Donington Park and it was a dream ticket. McLaren GT was running the oily side and my teammate was none other than factory driver and fellow northerner Rob Bell. As most
club racers
in the PH forums will tell you, actually driving the car is probably the easiest part of a racing weekend. To have all of the stress and worry of car preparations, pitstops and paperwork removed was both amazing and humbling. We finished that weekend with three class podiums and three trophies to take home. The walking-on-air feeling continued for another couple of weeks afterwards.
Onboard vid here
It wasn't me behind the bars, but the commitment and sheer determination that Michael Dunlop
displayed at the TT
this year was terrifying and awe-inspiring in equal measures. Taking an unproven bike with a team that hadn't been to the TT for years and still making the best road riders in the world look pedestrian was insane. And during one race he even managed to block out the thought of what could be and still ride flat out when he saw his brother William's smashed up bike. Bruce Anstey's 132.298mph lap was also very special.
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