Alex Unleashed on Cars

  Forza Horizon has always been one of my favourite franchises as it takes the freedom of the open road and combines it with the content of a simulation racer. But I’ve generally been rather unsatisfied with the franchise’s offerings over the past few years and the latest offering, Horizon 5 feels lacking in multiple area’s. So let’s break the game down with what’s good and what needs changing. First off, the map is fantastic. Horizon 4’s UK map was fairly dull likely down to the location not having varied types of terrain being in the UK. Whereas Horizon 5’s Mexico map is more like Horizon 3’s map where we have a jungle, a desert, a volcano, beaches, and mountains as well. The variety is also coupled to a well-designed map with plenty of long straights and winding roads that encourage driving just for the sake of driving, and that I like. Next the custom events are a welcome addition. I have never approved of the change from Horizon 1 to 2 in that events don’t require cars f...

  If I told you that the Noble M12’s engine was from a Ford Mondeo, you wouldn’t think too much of it. But if I told you that it will do 0-60 in 3.7 seconds and has 2 turbochargers, then you’d perhaps take notice. The M12 was the second car made by Noble, the first was the M10, a rather puffy looking cabrio targeted at Boxster & Chimera buyers. But when the M12 came out in 2000 it was targeted at more upmarket cars like the Chevrolet Corvette, TVR Cerbera Speed Six & BMW M Coupe, but it wouldn’t be too much of a push to suggest it could hold its own with a 911 Turbo or Ferrari 360, Why? Because it weighed 1080 KG, had a 310 BHP and 320 Ib ft of Torque  2.5 litre V6 with twin turbos and would top 160 flat out, not to mention the highly praised handling and vented disc brakes.  It's also important to note that the M12 was mid-engined (which was very unique for a British sports car) and that helps with weight distribution and stability. Upon launch the M12 was in...

  Now the Jaguar XJR-15 of 1991, that was what the XJ220 was supposed to be. It may have only 450 BHP but because it weighs the same as a TVR Griffith, it can match the more powerful XJ220 from 0-60 and will top 200 flat out. But what the XJR-15 lacks in top speed it makes up for in cornering and braking, provided it’s not in full 700 BHP LM spec. The XJR-15 is more like the F40 in being a back-to-basics kind of car, focussing on race car technology such as several components being borrowed from the XJR-9 Group C car as well as the full carbon fibre body, but it’s not the greatest from this period. The Bugatti EB110 (also launched in 1991) packs both brute force, technology, and luxury. It’s 4-wheel drive system provided plenty of grip off the line and in the corners. It’s 60 valve 3.5 litre V12 with 4 turbos makes 550 BHP and despite being garnished with plenty of wood and leather it will top 210 MPH and in stripped out Supersport form it can get close to 220 MPH, firmly putting...

  The original Ford Puma is a very interesting car. With humble Fiesta running gear and a small 1.7 litre engine, on paper it wasn’t going to be too much to squawk about especially compared to the exotic looking Alfa Romeo GTV and ballsy Nissan 200SX and yet it was a massive success.  The Puma had been conceived as a driver’s car, manual only, low weight and a punchy but small engine meant it was agile and a hoot drive according to almost anyone who drove/owned one. What’s more, build quality was leaps and bounds ahead of other cars in the Ford range and the sleek New Edge styling gave it an almost spaceship like design, and above all else, it was good value, it was just as much fun as a Fiat Coupe or Nissan 200SX but at halve the price of either. Then in 1999 the Racing Puma was unveiled. Limited to 350 units it was a smash hit, featuring mild upgrades to the engine and suspension which only cemented how fun the car was. Nothing this side of a BMW M3 or Nissan Skyline was a...

  Today Skoda is a well respected member of the VW empire representing the budget option in the range. But as anyone who knows about motoring history will tell you, Skoda was a laughing stock prior to Volkswagen acquiring the make.  Although the Favorit did gain VW’s input upon acquiring Skoda, the early cars were as bad as could be. But the first sign of improvement came in 1995, when Top Gear revealed the results of it’s yearly JD Power survey and the once mocked Skoda Favorit came 13 th out of 70 and the motoring world was shocked that what was the laughing stock of the motoring world was now ranked better by owners than the likes of the Subaru Legacy, Jaguar XJ6 and Audi 80. But despite it’s success the shadows of the past still remained, the new Skoda would have to prove that good Skoda’s were to last. And that’s exactly what the Felicia did, from 1997 to 2003 the Felicia consistently ranked well in customer satisfaction surveys beating far newer cars like the Peugeo...

In today's world it seems that when a new supercar arrives we already know what to expect and if i'm honest they're not that exciting in my opinion.  But back in the late 80s and early to mid 90s the arrival of a new supercar was an exciting moment in automotive history. Especially if it was supposedly capable of 200 MPH, the period between 1987 and 1997 is what I like to call the 1st Supercar Renaissance, a period when we got a special group of cars that have gone down in history as some of the most breath taking supercars the world has ever seen. They pushed the technological limits of the time and achieved what was to most, impossible. Now as i'm sure your aware cars had long been able to achieve 200 MPH before the 80s but cars like the Porsche 917 and Auto Union Type D were racers that were never meant to be bought and driven by the lucky few who could have afforded one. But I digress. The Ferrari F40 has gone down in history as possibly the greatest supercar of all...

  We're living in strange times, and yet, despite the ever changing world and threats to democracy, I still enjoy driving and cars as a whole.  There's something sensual about driving, if your like me and drive an older car, even if it's something as humble as my Ford Fiesta, when you drive, it's you and machine working together and most cars unless it's something like a horrible Hyundai Amica or VW Sharan your going to have a level of driver appeal. When you change gear or grip the steering wheel in a fast bend you feel connected and in sync with the car. Above all else, driving (even if it is just a daily commute) feels like an event and something to experience and that's what I love so much.