Sizing it up

Remember when Ford Sierra estates were big cars?

They aren't any more...

It looks positively tiny next to that Mazda 6.

And next to my car.

Here's some dimensions for you according to Google's AI thingy:

The 1988 Ford Sierra Estate (station wagon) had a length of 4,531 mm (178.4 in), a width of 1,727 mm (68.0 in), and a height of 1,367 mm (53.8 in). 

The Mazda 6 saloon has a length of 4,870 mm, a width of 1,840 mm, and a height of 1,450 mm. The wheelbase is 2.83 meters.

Meanwhile my car...

The 2020 Volvo S60 has a length of 4761 mm, a width of 1850 mm (excluding mirrors), and a height of 1437 mm.

Perhaps the more relevant ones though are the supposedly smaller Fords of today...

The Ford Focus Estate has a length of approximately 4,668mm (183.8 inches) and a width of 1,979mm with mirrors, or 1,844mm without mirrors. The wheelbase is 2,700mm. In terms of boot space, it offers 575 litres with the rear seats up and 1,650 litres with the rear seats folded down.

You get a lot more info on the Focus and it's bigger than the Sierra - while the Fiesta...

The 2025 Ford Fiesta is approximately 4040mm long, 1735mm wide, and 1476mm high.

Wider - and not a lot shorter.

And Google AI uses American spellings so obviously isn't intelligent enough to realise I'm sat in England.

But a 2025 Fiesta definitely wouldn't stand out on the M53 in 2025 - here's a closer look.

And the driver looked a bit like Dom Chinea.

Child's Destiny to Drive.

 Never liked Destiny's Child.

Their music never did anything for me and that video always reminds me of chicken thighs.

But since Beyoncé has become a Country Star my view of her has changed.

Loved Texas Hold-'Em.

Including rhyming Texas with Lexus.

She appears in one of two BBC car stories I've read this week.

Beyoncé had to stop her show in Houston on Saturday night when the Cadillac she was flying over the audience in started to tilt.

Fortunately, they hadn't rigged up a real Cadillac.  She hung on to the flagpole and was safely lowered to the ground - presumably not onto the audience.

But there is some debate as to the speed of the lowering.

The BBC story clearly states that,

"Gasps could be heard from the audience when fans realised what was happening, but then applause as the star was slowly lowered to the ground, smiling and waving to the crowd."

Beyoncé's company, Parkwood Entertainment, said "She was quickly lowered and no one was injured."

Meanwhile, in Scotland, reported in the second BBC story,  a Woman was charged today with allowing a young child to drive a car through a village. The child, presumably her daughter, was barefoot and it was during bad weather.

The stupid woman also videoed the incident - which may well be why she was caught.

But worse than that, as the BBC made a point of reporting, during the drive, she was listening to The Sugababes.

Riderless.

I was at Oulton Park yesterday watching the British Touring Cars.

I saw Lewis Hamilton...

...'s brother Nicolas.

But I didn't see ITV's (formerly BBC's) Steve Rider who retired from broadcasting after the coverage finished.

But then it is very rare to see a member of the ITV Sport team as they are usually in their on-site studio.

Maybe I should have arranged to be around the pit area when this photo was taken:

That is Nic Hamilton behind his right shoulder.

It's incredible to think that he is 75 years old.

Steve - not Nic!

That makes him the same age as Jay Leno who discussed his age with James May in this bit of YouTube from last week.

An entertaining edition with two car blokes having a pleasant and interesting conversation in a Triumph TR6.  Jay looks very good for his age - until you compare him with Steve.

I know which one I'd like to look like when I'm 75.

And it's not the one who's garage I'd like to own when I'm 75.

Stalking

Something I have said on more than one occasion is, "If your Audi starts with a Q, then I'm not interested."

But that's because they are stupid cross-over SUVs.

Like the Q3.

Here's the new one:

It just looks like all of the other ordinary, bog-standard, stupid, cross-over SUVs.

And here is the Auto Express report on it.

Which I normally wouldn't have bothered to read.

Except, their headline involved the phrase, 

New Audi Q3 reinvents the indicator stalk

Another Tesla-type cock-up?

No, this might actually work...

It's basically a thumb-wheel.  It might actually work - and it's different!

And, because it isn't a BMW, it may get used.

You probably have to go into the menus though to find the toggle for tailgating.

Twits

I enjoy a Twix.

And I enjoy driving.

Doubt if I've ever enjoyed both at the same time.

Like the chap in this German advert from a couple of months ago.

Silly but fun.

And I don't have the slightest urge to try that for real (even assuming it was possible - which it isn't)

So Mars decided to show if in the UK.

And it was banned - BBC story here.

Who says the Germans have no sense of humour?