Why Seat is VW’s answer to the Focus RS 13 March 2009 by Ben Barry Our man gives Seat some product planning advice Read more ...
Video: swimsuit models sideways in 370Zs 27 February 2009 by Ben Barry Three models in three very sideways 370Zs = perfection Read more ...
BMW M Division’s straight six: 1992-2008 26 December 2008 by Ben Barry Ben Barry mourns the passing of M Division's straight six Read more ...
Driving and video at Porsche’s new Driving Experience Centre 17 November 2008 by Ben Barry I genuinely learned something new about my driving last week. I’d been invited along to the Porsche Driving Experience, and took to the track in a 911 Carrera 2 with an instructor – Simon – in the... Read more ...
Anglesey track guide, by CAR Magazine 24 September 2008 by Ben Barry The last time we ran Performance Car of The Year at Anglesey was in 2004. Back then the circuit was still based around the old service roads of this former artillery base. Shortly after, things came... Read more ...
Popping my supercar cherry in a Ferrari Enzo 30 July 2008 by Ben Barry No messing around in the is-it-isn’t-it-a-supercar middle ground for me. When it came to popping my supercar cherry, I went straight for the Ferrari Enzo. You can’t argue with an Enzo. It’s rear-wheel... Read more ...
CAR drives a Nissan GT-R up the hill at Goodwood 11 July 2008 by Ben Barry ‘Okay, light them up!’ Queue to drive up the famous Goodwood hill at the Festival of Speed and, just before the start line, you’ll find yourself in the tyre-warming area. Great if you’re in a... Read more ...
My first race and my biggest crash, on video 09 June 2008 by Ben Barry For a baptism of fire, it was biblically wet. I’d been invited to pop my racing cherry in a Jetta TSI at the VW Racing Cup, Rockingham and everything was starting to go horribly wrong. First, the... Read more ...
How Derek Bell made me physically sick 28 April 2008 by Ben Barry An old-age pensioner gave me the biggest adrenaline rush of my life the other day. No, not some myopic relative with a Metro stuck in ‘R’ and their foot stuck to the floor. I’m talking about multiple... Read more ...
Why Brits slate Lewis Hamilton 01 October 2007 by Ben Barry He's set to achieve our wildest dreams, so what's with the cheap digs, asks Ben Barry The British always like to cut people down to size. That’s why, even as a UK driver is set to clinch the Formula 1... Read more ...
Why McLaren has got off lightly with a £50m fine 14 September 2007 by Ben Barry To paraphrase Fernando Alonso, winning the constructor’s championship isn’t anywhere near as big a deal as winning the drivers’ championship. And that’s why, despite the unprecedented £50m fine (minus... Read more ...
What we do at weekends: competitive drift events 07 September 2007 by Ben Barry CAR's resident M3 expert Ben Barry enters a drift competition at the Nurburgring The choice was easy: stay at home and take the weekend easy; or leave work on Friday for a 1000-mile round trip to the... Read more ...
What F1 stars do the night before a race 12 July 2007 by Ben Barry Ever wondered what F1 stars do the night before a big race? Ben Barry joins Honda's F1 team Last Saturday evening I had the most surreal experience of my career on CAR. Invited to Silverstone for an... Read more ...
Tata’s vision for a greener India 03 June 2007 by Ben Barry Ben Barry applauds Tata's shift from cheap 'n' cheerful to cheap 'n' green While the alternative energy debate has been gathering momentum over the last couple of years in Europe and North America,... Read more ...
My first Ferrari drive – in a 456 03 May 2007 by Ben Barry Popping your Ferrari virginity is fraught with the risk of disappointment, says Ben Barry Two weeks ago I'd never driven a Ferrari. I'd had the F40 poster on the wall, played Outrun with a Testarossa,... Read more ...
Why I don’t trust customer surveys 24 April 2007 by Ben Barry Customer surveys throw up some odd results, finds Ben Barry Don't know about you but I'm incredibly suspicious of reader-voted 'best car' awards. Seems that drivers of underdog cars are determined for... Read more ...
Why Touring Cars beat F1 hands-down 02 April 2007 by Ben Barry Forget Formula One. Touring Cars is where the action's at, says Ben Barry Just back from Brands Hatch after watching the British Touring Car Championship. What a day – three races packed with some of... Read more ...
Too much electronic nannying in modern cars 26 March 2007 by Ben Barry Safety matters, but not if seatbelt beeps drive you up the wall, says Ben Barry I’m all for not flying through the windscreen in the event of an accident, but it seems ‘bleep’ warning systems have... Read more ...
Wet-weather driving: a Westfield lesson in slipperiness 28 February 2007 by Ben Barry Grappling with a Westfield in the wet Recently took a Westfield around Rockingham circuit in the pouring rain and now have a new-found respect for anyone who races anything similar. In the wet it... Read more ...
BMW’s green engine drive 03 June 2006 by Ben Barry BMW can do it all: screaming M3 engines to clever, new-tech green advances, says Ben Barry Gas guzzlers. I can’t stomach how the mainstream media are chucking this handy catch-all around at the... Read more ...