There's not been much going on in here recently... So, in the style of a normal blog where people tell you what they have been up to for no apparent reason, here is a run down of some random car based goings on from this week.

I've basically been racking up miles across the country like a demented yoyo for the last few days. An early start on Thursday for a trip to Sheffield and back was followed by a comically early start (4:30am with no milk for tea, crikey) on Friday for a day out to Cadwell Park.
After just enough time for a rest on Saturday morning, I was back on the road to Manchester, the combined total including track pounding being something silly like 1300 miles in three days.

Highlights of the road included a Subaru SVX wafting along (bloody cool), a fully laden Jaguar XJS Eventer (a rare estate version in case you were wondering) cruising around South Manchester as if it was a Volvo 240GL, and seeing a BMW E60 M5 giving it all 500bhp from standstill to about 75mph. The grin on the (50 odd year old) driver's face when he passed was even bigger than the size of the wagon ruts on the M62.
Since we're on the subject of motorways, let's talk about the M60. I am definitely going to nominate it for the worst in the UK for driving standards. Maybe it was just that all the other drivers had geiger counters and the inside lane was actually emitting huge levels of radiation or syphalis or something. Or maybe it was just that nobody (literally not one person) could be arsed to use it except me.
Oh yeah, and to top it all off, on the one time I travel there this year they just happened to be holding the National Tailgating Championships at the same time, how hugely inconvenient.

Rant over. On the plus side, Cadwell Park remains one of my favourite places in the world and the E30 proved remarkably fun and reliable once again considering it is a budget track car, taking as much abuse as I could throw at it without so much as a hint of brake fade. 

Meanwhile, the LPG'd E36 daily is also making me smile, soaking up the other two trips with ease and the equivalent of over 55mpg - not bad considering the relative size and comfort on offer (ie. it is not a little 106 diesel turd). Unfortunately, due to the prevalence of stupidity contained within me, I've been having one of those 7 Series weeks. I found a bloke in Blackpool willing to swap his immaculate brown '94 740i for the E36. Since both are worth £1200 at the very most it seemed like an exciting deal. Until I though about the realistic prospect of a four litre V8 and about 20mpg. Solution? Well, obviously I've found an LPG'd 730i. It is still a V8 limo but joyfully sensible in comparison. Watch this space tomorrow to see if I actually end up doing the dirty. 

I'm not BMW obsessed by the way, just getting a few out of my system this year. Also, has anyone noticed how cheap Cinquecento Sportings are these days? Great little funboxes, I was watching one on the 'bay last week, grey with 10 months MOT, 2 months tax and nothing really wrong with it apart from a broken rear light lense and cracked bumper. The sale price? £275. The consequence? I'm now watching all the others in auctions. 
It would be the perfect accompaniment to a 7 Series for nipping around town. If both were possible for the value of the E36 I'd be a happy man indeed. A stupid one, but a happy one.