Wikipedia

Driven to Distraction (Clarkson book)

Driven to Distraction is a non-fiction book, first published in 2009, written by English journalist and television presenter Jeremy Clarkson. The book is a collection of Clarkson's articles for the Sunday Times newspaper, all originally published in 2006 and 2007. The articles consist of car reviews combined with rants on current events.

Driven to Distraction
AuthorJeremy Clarkson
LanguageEnglish
GenreFactual
Sports writing
PublisherPenguin
Publication date
2009
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePaperback (2010)
Pages466
ISBN978-0-14-104420-0
Preceded byFor Crying Out Loud! 

Cars mentioned

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Ascari

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  • Ascari A10 - "daft for sure, and not at all relevant in the modern world"

Alfa Romeo

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  • Alfa Romeo Brera Coupe V6 - "you've bought something for one reason only: because it's beautiful"

Aston Martin

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Audi

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Bentley

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BMW

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  • BMW 135i coupé - "the best car BMW makes"
  • BMW X5 - "next time the road ahead is closed could you escape up the embankment and across the fields in an X5? I think not. But in a Range Rover you could. I know, because I've done it"
  • BMW 335i Convertible - "get the big boy (the M3) instead"
  • BMW M6 Convertible "the speed. Oh my God. The speed. It's hyperspace fast"
  • BMW 335i Coupe - "as a driver's car, then, this is yet another winner"
  • BMW Z4 M coupe - "probably the first disappointing BMW M car I've ever driven"
  • BMW Z4 M convertible - "a fast and comfortable cruiser"
  • BMW M3 CS - "get a CS? Or go for the Audi RS4?...one of the most delicious choices in any corner of the motoring universe"

Chevrolet

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Chrysler

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Dodge

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  • Dodge Grand Caravan - this chapter is really an account of an unhappy experience hiring vehicles in Canada.

Ferrari

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Fiat

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  • Fiat Bravo 1.4 Turbo - "not quite as good as a Golf. Except for a couple of things. The way it feels and the way it looks"
  • Fiat Panda 1.4 - "you're better off with the Suzuki Swift Sport"
  • Fiat Grande Punto - "the biggest car in its class but... the least powerful"

Ford

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Honda

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Jaguar

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  • Jaguar XJ-R 4.2 V8 Supercharged - "Makes you look a little bit cool. Cool, and when you're stuck at the lights surrounded by a million Mercs, a little bit smug as well"
  • Jaguar XKR 4.2 litre V8 Supercharged - "wonderfully soft and compliant....a car you can dream about"

Koenigsegg

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Lamborghini

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Land Rover

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Lexus

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Maserati

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Mazda

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  • Mazda CX-7m- "looking good and having fun"
  • Mazda 2 1.3 - "in the cut and thrust of modern driving....it is terrible"
  • Mazda6 MPS - "when you turn the key and go for a drive it's...it's...it's just amazing"
  • Mazda MX-5 Third generation - "slightly more practical, slightly better looking version of something you loved anyway"
  • Mazda RX-8 - "jolly good if you don't mind spending as much on oil as you do on petrol...."

Mercedes Benz

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Mini

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  • Mini Cooper S Clubman - "torque-steers like a wayward horse and has no boot, no rear visibility, a silly door and a ridiculous cruising speed"
  • Mk II Mini Cooper S - "the biggest drawback is the price"

Mitsubishi

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Nissan

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  • Nissan Qashqai 2.0 Tekna - "gives you a sense of wellbeing, a sense that while you may live in a normal house with two normal children, at least the car you drive makes you look a little bit interesting"
  • Nissan Micra C+C Convertible - "Someone, at some point in this car's development should have had the courage to pull the plug"
  • Nissan D40 Navara - "not bad....a torquier diesel engine than any of its chief rivals and a bigger load bay"

Overfinch

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Pagani

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Peugeot

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  • Peugeot 207 GT - "not as much fun as it should be"
  • Peugeot 207 - "overall I sort of liked it"
  • Peugeot 407 Coupé - "nothing to make you feel special...big diesel... heavy...smooth and comfortable"
  • Peugeot 607 - "surely the most dreary and underwhelming device in the history of mechanised transport."
  • Peugeot 807 - "would be the nastiest car in the world were it not for the aforementioned 607."

Porsche

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Renault

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REVAi

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  • The REVAi (known as G-Wiz in the UK) - "too small, too dangerous and I'm sorry but it runs on juice from a power station, hardly a flower in the big green scheme of things"

Rolls-Royce

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Škoda

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  • Škoda Roomster - "Yes it's wobbly and rough but it's extremely clever (and) well-equipped"

Subaru

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Suzuki

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Vauxhall

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  • Vauxhall Corsa VXR - "an enjoyable, charismatic car that's fun to drive, reasonably priced"

Volkswagen

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Volvo

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One chapter is a wish-list of Jeremy's favourite cars, his "dream garage" as follows:

Part II of the book consists of a small number of Clarkson's articles other than his regular automobile column on topics including travel, restaurant reviews and an account of his trip to Iraq.

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