Dear Mr Baraza, Thanks for your articles. My relatively new Toyota Fielder (1800cc) stalled in town the other day. I tried to restart it in vain, despite the fact that the car had enough fuel and the battery was well charged. After hustling to get it off the road and to a nearby petrol station … Read more
While last week’s article may have been a bit controversial, it did not provoke a post-bag of outrage as sizeable as I may have desired, but there were responses. Suspects were fronted, and disagreement reared its ugly (pun intended) head more than once. Of note was the concord over the Toyota Will’s lack of visual … Read more
There is no beauty that hath not some strangeness about its proportions,” so quoteth one Francis Bacon. Another wag added: “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder,” and that went on to be modified in various ways, with “beholder” being swapped for “beer-holder” and, for automotive interiors, “cup-holder”. Anyway, Mr Bacon had his own … Read more
If there is one thing any columnist tries to avoid, it is repeating oneself. Unfortunately, I will have to do just that this week. I had talked about overdrive earlier, but reader feedback suggests I left a lot of unsatisfied curiosities out there, so we will have to put aside the happy-go-lucky merry-making of test … Read more
Anybody who has watched Top Gear, the popular British motoring show, must know of Jeremy Clarkson, a belligerent but charming chap known for screaming “Poweeeeer!” when driving something expensive very fast on a runway. So, how do the makers of the power machines he spins squeeze more power out of their engines? The easiest (and … Read more
Last year I advised you on how to buy a second-hand car. The article covered all used vehicles, be they reconditioned or otherwise. When the economy was liberalised back in 1992, it opened the floodgates for reconditioned ex-Japan, ex-UK, ex-Singapore, and ex-Dubai cars to make their way into new hands for a lot less money … Read more
Investment! Investment! Investment! Our parents drummed the importance of this monster into our heads so much that we almost ran out of brain. I, for one, was weaned on the line: “A fool and his money are soon parted (or audited)”. Well, the more aspirational among us sometimes dream of playing the fool and parting … Read more
We are told repeatedly that speed kills, but speed does not kill. Hard acceleration might, and so will losing that speed instantaneously, but speed itself will not. Those who disagree, please account for the existence of supersonic aircraft and the 430 km/h Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. Couple that wrongful notion with the fact that Kenya … Read more
You cannot have your cake and eat it too. Says who? In the world of motor vehicle transmissions lately, there have been several attempts at both possessing and munching one’s gateau by having the lazy convenience of a full automatic and the option of performance-enhancing, DIY gearshifts when the need arises. This type of transmission … Read more
It must be painfully clear even to the least concerned that the world is running out of oil. Again. This time it is serious, and we have to think long and hard about how we will reduce our dependence on the black stuff. One of the most common uses for this oil is to fuel … Read more