I used to enjoy driving. Manual gearboxes, open roads, the process of learning routes, freedom. These days most of my driving consists of commuting. Driving has become a chore but at least Nimrod, my Volvo S90 offers luxurious seats, excellent sound quality and the bonus of automatic everything.
Steering involves the fingertips, the occasional furious in more than one sense braking manoeuvre and often futile attempts to reach applied speed limits. As regular readers of this parish already know, the S90 has been my steed for almost three years and life with it has so far been a life affirming experience. The quality and integrity of the car is second to none, and when released from the commuting leash onto the motorway, it feels right at home.
Dreams of continuing across Europe often spring to mindโฆ. The crushing banality of the daily drive often finds me in a state of wonder.
As we grind our way home, glances at other charges lead to semi-heretical thoughts. Is the driver of that just-from-the-showroom Range Rover aware of its staggering off-road capabilities?
Gosh, that elderly Seven Series is shiny and that new-ish S-Class is clean as a whistle. Their material is listenable, a couple of standout tracks but not a patch on their old-band days. This new stuff remains on the playlist, refusing to leave. The Dingolfing produced, Nader Faghihzadeh-drawn design caught my eye due to its price, low mileage and at least screen-friendly beige leather.
