Car Culture & Motorsport Stories

The Petrolhead Gift Guide: What to Get the Car Obsessive Who Has Everything

Stuck on what to buy the car fanatic in your life? A no-filler gift guide sorted by the marque they actually worship, from Porsche diehards to JDM fans.

Countach, Testarossa, F40: The Poster Cars That Grew Up

The three supercars that owned every bedroom wall in the 1980s, and why they belong on your wall again, properly this time.

The Martini Racing Livery: How Three Stripes Became Motorsport's Greatest Design

The story of the red and blue stripes that turned a drinks brand into the most recognisable livery in racing, from the Le Mans-winning Porsche 917 to the rally-conquering Lancia Delta.

Custom Car Skateboard Deck: Your Actual Car as Wall Art

Most car gifts are generic. A poster of a similar model. A die-cast in roughly the right colour. A keyring with a logo. None of them say anything specific about the person you're buying for or the ...

VW Golf MK8 GTI: The Most Powerful and Most Controversial Generation

The Golf MK8 launched in Wolfsburg on 24 October 2019 as the most technologically ambitious Golf ever built. A Vehicle Dynamics Manager that coordinates all chassis systems up to 200 times per seco...

VW Golf MK7 GTI: The Generation That Set the Nürburgring FWD Record

The Golf MK7 is the generation most people point to when asked which GTI was best. Launched in spring 2013 on Volkswagen's new MQB platform, it was 42 kg lighter than the MK6, sharper to drive, mor...

VW Golf MK6 GTI: The Underrated Generation That Sharpened the Formula

The Golf MK6 is the generation nobody asked for and most people underestimate. Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 2008 and largely based on the MK5 platform it replaced, it was immediately...

VW Golf MK5 GTI: The Generation That Saved the GTI's Reputation

After two generations that disappointed driving enthusiasts, Volkswagen went back to basics with the MK5. Unveiled at Frankfurt in October 2003 and launched in late 2004, it was immediately praised...

VW Golf MK4 R32: The Golf That Introduced DSG to the World

The Golf MK4 launched in 1997 as Volkswagen's most ambitious Golf yet. It became the best-selling car in Europe in 2001. And then in 2002, Volkswagen launched the R32: a naturally aspirated 3.2-lit...

VW Golf MK3: The VR6, the Harlekin and the Misunderstood Generation

The Golf MK3 has always been the misunderstood generation. Heavier than the MK2, criticised for softer handling, remembered by some for rust problems that the earlier cars never had. All of that is...