Driving Barefoot; Driving in Thongs; Driving in High Heels
“You can’t wear those when pay for homework you’re driving,” my father said, pointing to the high-heeled shoes I was wearing at the tender age of sixteen when I was getting one of my first driving lessons. “There’s no way that you can operate the pedals properly in those.” So I ended up taking that lesson driving barefoot.
I have to confess that I like driving barefoot. People talk about enjoying the feeling of the steering wheel and the more hands-on method of driving provided by manual gearboxes or paddle-flapper semiautomatic gear shifting. But not much has been mentioned about the sensory pleasure and subtlety of what you do with your feet. If anything, the trend seems to be to use your feet as little as possible, given the trend towards auto-braking on top of automatic transmissions and cruise control. A naked foot applies brake and accelerator (OK, I drive an automatic) with minute shades of control. A little pressure here, a slight bit of easing off here, a brief flicker of the brake there. Simply shoving one’s hoof down for maximum acceleration followed by jamming on the brakes seems, well, crude. Like scribbling with a vivid marker, whereas driving barefoot is more like delicate pencil sketching.
Classic Cars: Aston Martin DB5.
For everyone, there is something they consider important in their life; it even gets to the point where they meet up with like minded people. For some, a car is nothing more than a method of getting from A to B, like a fridge is for keeping things cold, a TV is for watching a reality program (shudder) but for many a car is a symbol of desire, of majesty, of perfection. In the first of an ongoing series (and because I grew up, like so many, with Sean Connery as Bond, James Bond) I’ve selected the Aston Martin DB5 to kick it off.
DB stands for David Brown, the head of Aston Martin from 1947 to 1972. The DB series commenced in 1950 with the DB2. 
The DB5 was launched in 1963, an evolution of the DB4. The alloy engine was increased from 3.7 litres to 4.0 litres with 210 kW available, a new five speed manual transmission (after the initial four speed manual was dropped) was standard and a weight of just 1500 kilos provided a top speed of 230 kmh and a 0-100kmh time of just over seven seconds. A buyer of a DB5 got electric windows, wool pile carpet, leather trim, disc brakes and a damned good looking car, thanks to the Italian company Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. There was 123 convertibles made (one most famously driven by Prince William after his wedding) with 37 made from October 1965.
Record Breaking Year: BTCC to host 7 Champions in 2014
The upcoming 2014 BTCC season was already shaping up to be something special, but now we are looking at special in the rear view mirror. This year will not only be one of the most exciting championships in recent years, but most importantly it is going to be a year that breaks all previous records. The capacity grid contains some highly talented drivers from a whole range of backgrounds. But if you look closely, you will see the appearance of a primordial beast; the champion. Fear will always be cast into the hearts of the other drivers to know that they will be sharing the same tarmac as a person who had conquered one of the most competitive series in world motorsport. Just imagine how they will be feeling when they realise that this year will not just be one former champion, not even 2 or 3.
Oh no, the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will be contested by 7 former champions.
Music To Our Ears
Once again, I am daring to disagree with my fellow blogger Lewis. A tad before Christmas, Lewis sang the praises of Queen, Queen and nothing but Queen as the thing to play on your car stereo (and threw in a list of his top favourites).
This is all very well… if you like Queen. I don’t. I have a very eclectic music collection that rotates its way around the cycle of the family Ford Fairlaine, my husband’s Nissan Navara work ute and the sound system in the house, but Queen is conspicuous by its absence. However, I reckon Lewis got it bang on right when he mentions the great electric guitar solos as being good for driving to. Especially on the open road where you can put the pedal down… at least as far as the cops will let you.
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