Ducati’s Diavel has been with us for over 10 years now.
In those 10 years I'venever ridden one, it's a bike that hasn't particularly caught my eye much, but I recently had the chance to have the new 1260 S on test so I thought I’d give it a go and see what all the fuss was about. All of the reviews I read have praised the Diavel so I must be missing out, let's see what it's all about.
We prefer to test cars in actual situations so that we get more than just an idea of their technical capabilities, but also what they are like to live with. So we took the latest Tesla Y Performance for a 3000-mile round trip from Surrey to just south of Valencia, Spain in less than a week. The preparations were left to the last minute as usual and we were a little stressed as to how the whole recharging process would go over such a long distance. However, we were more than pleasantly surprised at how well the Tesla Y performed. Spoiler, there was absolutely no range anxiety at all.
At last its summer, time to get out there and enjoy everything the great British social season has to offer.
Isle of Man TT
28 May - 11 Jun
The Isle of Man TT is the ultimate 'must see it' event for motorsport fans across the globe. Every May and June the Isle of Man, a tiny country between England and Ireland, turns into motorcycle nirvana as the world’s greatest road racers gather to test themselves against the incredible ‘Mountain Course’ - a 37.73 mile beast of a course carved out of the island’s public roads.
There is nothing quite like Paris in the spring/early summer and particularly the 6th and 7th arrondissements. These two marvellous “Quartiers" lie on the Left Bank and are famous for the numerous painters, writers, photographers, sculptors and philosophers who called them home. The perfect spot for a romantic weekend “a Deux”.
To get to know a car, you really need to live with it on tour. So where better to take the McLaren 720S than to northern France along the amazing coastal roads, smooth as silk autoroutes and picturesque country lanes?
It came delivered in a box to the door, in a fetching but discreet Sarthe Grey, almost as if it did not want to be noticed. Paradoxically it showed off the lines magnificently, reflecting every hue and dapple of the morning light in the sublime bodywork. Unboxing such beauty as the McLaren 720S is like all your Christmases at once.
The Lamborghini Urus is a huge departure for such a massive supercar icon, many said it would ruin the brand and should never be done. I felt the same way until I drove this new SUV all over Surrey, Sussex and Somerset on a glorious driving tour that changed my preconceptions.
Though this is not the first SUV they made, indeed the Lamborghini LM002, aka "Rambo Lambo”, was an off-road style jeep manufactured by Lamborghini between 1986 and 1993 and resembled a Humvee.
It seems the tide may well be turning, ever so slightly. For a few years now, it's been all about the adventure bike. Everyone makes them and everyone else buys them, it seems.
Sandi talks knitting, lockdown survival and why she’s desperate to get on the road again with her new live show NEXT SLIDE PLEASE…
Wow, The Audi TT RS is amazing, way beyond expectations. Is this really an Audi? If I got into this car blindfolded I would swear it was Italian, there is a genuine passion here paired with incredible engineering.
The performance and feel are way beyond what I would call serious or sober, words I normally associate with Audi.
Carol Drinkwater has a deep passion and knowledge of Provence, having made it her home for more than 30 years. On a hillside above the bay of Cannes, she and her husband Michel live on an olive farm producing delicious olive oil and other organic fruits. The recent series – A Year in Provence with Carol Drinkwater - aired on Channel 5, inviting viewers into Carol’s slice of Provençal heaven.
