March 2007 – where's the brake?

This month's update is a little late, basically because it's already a manic month. It started in Carolina, an unusually wet Carolina, which might have suited the BMW X5s we were driving but was a bit of a shame for enjoying the scenery. Back on the Saturday, on a plane on Monday to my annual favourite motorshow in Geneva.

What did I think of this year's event? Well I found plenty to get excited about as ever, but there were also some less agreeable aspects - far too many people for one, including children and dogs - on a press day? And the smoking - at a time where it's being banned left, right and centre the Geneva authorities could have taken note - there was a permanent fog over the place. And yes, I did get annoyed, as usual, at the Japanese spies photographing and even worse, videoing every hinge and boot catch. I nearly brained one Oriental gent who barged into the front seat of the new Mondeo and started pressing buttons while I was trying to picture the dash...

There were better aspects of course - the fact that Citroen kept me sustained with hot and cold running grub all day, the fact that Kia took me there in the first place, thanks chaps, and some gorgeous cars. Some gorgeous girls too, those at Ferrari getting my personal vote! Oh and I managed to sell an identical photo to the same magazine two years running! All because the show re-uses its hall signs each year, depsite the fact one still has MG on it...

I've attended the British Touring Car Championship media day for the first time in seven years, strange as between 1993 and 2000 I hardly missed a BTCC race. Best race news of the month though is the return of NASCAR, and lots more TV coverage. I'm not going to suggest it's time for a UK NASCAR magazine....

As I write this I'm just back from Valencia with BMW, soon to go to Seville with Dodge, after I've called into Bath to drive Nissan's Cash Cow - sorry Qashqai. The life of a motoring journo is certianly never boring...