Daihatsu X-021 sports car – dead on arrival
Daihatsu X-021 sports car – dead on arrival
Daihatsu was on the verge of launching a lightweight MX-5-rivalling roadster in the '90s, but it never came to be
2 Nov 2023
Ford GN34 – dead on arrival
Ford GN34 – dead on arrival
This Ghia-styled, mid-engined V6 coupe came close to becoming Ford’s answer to the Honda NSX
28 Sep 2023
Volkswagen Golf A59 – dead on arrival
Volkswagen Golf A59 – dead on arrival
This 4WD homologation special with 400bhp potential could have rescued the Mk3 Golf’s reputation
24 Aug 2023
MG PR2 – dead on arrival
MG PR2 – dead on arrival
In an alternate reality, the MGF could have been a front-engined V8 roadster
20 Jul 2023
1990 BMW M8 – dead on arrival
1990 BMW M8 – dead on arrival
A 613bhp V12 and a 340kg diet could have enhanced the original 8-series’ reputation – but for the price
14 Jun 2023
'An ageing Range Rover can be a reliable car, especially if you carefully categorise your idea of reliability'
'An ageing Range Rover can be a reliable car, especially if you carefully categorise your idea of reliability'
Porter’s old Range Rover is proving the doom-mongers wrong. Kind of
23 May 2023
Talbot Horizon Lotus – dead on arrival
Talbot Horizon Lotus – dead on arrival
The Sunbeam Lotus successor was mid-engined and turbocharged, but lacked another vital ingredient
4 May 2023
'My Land Rover is old fashioned, out of step, and very far from the best way to get around'
'My Land Rover is old fashioned, out of step, and very far from the best way to get around'
Richard Porter contemplates whether his beloved Land Rover Defender makes any sense in the modern age
2 May 2023
‘Taking one hand off the wheel is an underrated part of the old manual gearbox experience’
‘Taking one hand off the wheel is an underrated part of the old manual gearbox experience’
Could there be a substitute for what we miss about a manual? Porter thinks so
11 Apr 2023
Alpine A710 – dead on arrival
Alpine A710 – dead on arrival
It didn’t get to succeed the A610, but instead transformed into one of the ’90s most extreme sports cars
30 Mar 2023
Ford F‑150 Lightning 2023 review
Ford F‑150 Lightning 2023 review
The electric version of America’s best-selling pickup is a 580bhp modern-day muscle car
23 Mar 2023
‘Pigeons flutter, leaves rustle, Alfa Romeo has a new comeback plan’
‘Pigeons flutter, leaves rustle, Alfa Romeo has a new comeback plan’
A journey through the familiar sights, sounds and stories of the everyday
21 Mar 2023
Mercedes-Benz C112 – dead on arrival
Mercedes-Benz C112 – dead on arrival
Despite strong demand, this V12-powered supercar was denied production – but its legacy lives on
23 Feb 2023
‘The great thing about ordering a Porsche new is that you get to indulge in the joy of specs’
‘The great thing about ordering a Porsche new is that you get to indulge in the joy of specs’
Porter plays ‘Horrible & Expensive’ with the Porsche online configurator
14 Feb 2023
HSV HRT 427 – dead on arrival
HSV HRT 427 – dead on arrival
This racing-inspired 7-litre Holden Monaro garnered more than enough interest for its limited production run to sell out. But sadly the sums didn’t ad…
19 Jan 2023
‘There’s a segment of the population that still wants Jaguars to have barrel sides and droopy boots’
‘There’s a segment of the population that still wants Jaguars to have barrel sides and droopy boots’
JLR is reinventing Jaguar. Porter doesn’t underestimate the scale of the task
4 Jan 2023
Mini-based sports car – dead on arrival
Mini-based sports car – dead on arrival
Not one but two attempts were made to spin a two-seater sports car off the original Mini’s platform, but flaws in their designs would see both stall a…
1 Dec 2022
‘Brown Chords shot to fame in 1966, taking their place as one of Britain’s top eleven bands’
‘Brown Chords shot to fame in 1966, taking their place as one of Britain’s top eleven bands’
Lost’ film footage of a 1960s band and their cars has Porter intrigued
8 Nov 2022
Volkswagen AE 266 – dead on arrival
Volkswagen AE 266 – dead on arrival
Few cancelled automotive projects have had such significant consequences, or been as costly, but the culling of VW’s original choice for a Beetle succ…
27 Oct 2022
'The most magnificent thing of all, it turns out, is a Bentley Mulsanne Speed'
'The most magnificent thing of all, it turns out, is a Bentley Mulsanne Speed'
Porter finds himself moved (extremely rapidly) by a very British saloon
28 Sep 2022
Ford GT70 – dead on arrival
Ford GT70 – dead on arrival
It was supposed to be Ford’s first mid-engined rally contender, to be joined by 500 homologation road cars, but a plethora of problems saw it stall at…
22 Sep 2022
Leyland Force 7 – dead on arrival
Leyland Force 7 – dead on arrival
This V8-powered hatchback was all set to take on the Australian muscle car establishment until the twin 1970s woes of the oil crisis and Leyland build…
18 Aug 2022
‘She gestured towards a double switch on the wall. “That switch,” she said. “I want to get rid of it.”’
‘She gestured towards a double switch on the wall. “That switch,” she said. “I want to get rid of it.”’
Porter recounts a tale of home improvements that feels eerily familiar…
3 Aug 2022
Range Rover 2022 review – new generation icon sits in a class of its own
Range Rover 2022 review – new generation icon sits in a class of its own
Doubling down on a Range Rover’s best bits, while polishing some of its worst – the all-new model is everything you expected, and hoped, it would be
22 Jul 2022
Lamborghini P140 – dead on arrival
Lamborghini P140 – dead on arrival
A V10-engined ‘Baby Lamborghini’ was in development more than a decade before the Gallardo was launched in 2003. This is the story of why it it never …
14 Jul 2022
‘The occupants of a Porsche 911 with the Jarvis Cocker Pack will find their trousers firmly anchored’
‘The occupants of a Porsche 911 with the Jarvis Cocker Pack will find their trousers firmly anchored’
Leather is overrated, reckons Porter. It’s time to embrace the corduroy
17 Jun 2022
Opel Omega V8 – dead on arrival
Opel Omega V8 – dead on arrival
It would have been the understated successor to the Lotus Carlton, if only it could’ve stayed cool
9 Jun 2022
Rover P6BS/P9 – Dead on arrival
Rover P6BS/P9 – Dead on arrival
This mid-engined, V8-powered three-seater could have been Rover’s first sports car, but a
wary rival within the British Leyland empire ensured it wo…
5 May 2022
‘The Porsche Taycan is a terrifically comfortable and able bit of kit, but as a sports car, I’m not so sure’
‘The Porsche Taycan is a terrifically comfortable and able bit of kit, but as a sports car, I’m not so sure’
A drive in a Taycan leaves Porter reflecting on The Meaning of Liff
4 May 2022
Renault Clio RS16 – Dead on arrival
Renault Clio RS16 – Dead on arrival
With 271bhp, a manual gearbox and a weaponised chassis, this ‘SuperClio’ could have restored the Renault Sport Clio’s reputation, but instead it had t…
31 Mar 2022
‘General Motors is a company that made a 7.5-litre V8 front-wheel drive coupe'
‘General Motors is a company that made a 7.5-litre V8 front-wheel drive coupe'
GM has built some quite brilliantly bonkers cars over the years, says Porter
15 Mar 2022
Ford RS1700T – Dead on arrival
Ford RS1700T – Dead on arrival
Even turbo power and a switch to rear-wheel drive couldn’t make the Mk3 Escort competitive against the upcoming mid-engined, 4WD weapons of 1980s rall…
24 Feb 2022
'A two-spoke steering wheel makes sense in a sports car: it gives you more places to wrap your fingers’
'A two-spoke steering wheel makes sense in a sports car: it gives you more places to wrap your fingers’
The revival of the two-spoke steering wheel is welcomed by Porter
2 Feb 2022
Lotus M90 Elan – Dead on arrival
Lotus M90 Elan – Dead on arrival
Financial issues, the death of the company founder and a change of drivetrain ethos at a Japanese giant all played their part in the demise of this 19…
20 Jan 2022