2014 went by in a flash – didn’t it?

In my case, fortunately, I was able to appropriately punctuate the year by strategically positioning myself in the drivers’ seat of some all-time greats – well, a handful of my dream machines anyway. The first car I owned was an E30 3 Series BMW, a 1987 vintage, and I’ve longed to drive the legendary M3 of the same era ever since – the car that started it all. By a fortuitous stroke of luck, and with some dogged determination, I managed to convince the head of PR for BMW M to loan me their museum piece momentarily. They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes – I absolutely disagree! Beg, borrow, steal, but don’t let go of a chance to fulfil a lifelong dream if the opportunity ever presents itself. I may have already forgotten 90% of the events of last year, and I’m likely to forget most of the balance 10% as well, but I will never forget my thirty minutes in that black Sport Evolution M3 from 1990. Neither will I forget the half-hour I spent in the Bowler EXR a few months later. You see, road cars are all well and good, but race machines are my absolute favourite. They have a clear goal – a defined purpose! They must go as fast as possible – or faster than the competition at any rate – over specified terrain. In the case of the Bowler, that terrain can be quite diverse and expansive – as it’s designed for rally-raid competition. I’ve wanted to get behind the wheel of a Bowler for many years now, and I was completely awestruck by its breadth of capability once I did. Supercars appear fragile in front of the EXR – it felt like it could eat them for breakfast. And, quite simply, it made me feel on top of the world. Another thing that I discovered this year was that race cars are also the elixir of life. I found this out as I competed with a 16-year-old (a highly talented teenager I might add) in a MRF Formula 1600 single-seater at the BIC in late September. Not only did I feel young again, as I battled it out wheel-to-wheel, but I also got to take home a souvenir in the form of a trophy that helped me hold onto that feeling. As it turns out, I managed to save the best for last. Let’s just say that if Hindu mythology had an automotive lord among the many useful gods in its ensemble, he or she was certainly looking out for me in 2014. Very recently, I got to drive a machine that I wouldn’t have even dreamt of in my wildest dreams – the car you see on the cover of this issue, the two-time World Rally Championship winning Polo WRC car. You’ll have to flip the pages of this issue to see how it drove – suffice to say that it’s like nothing else I’ve ever driven before. You know it’ll be good, but you have no idea just how good until you experience it first hand. I can only hope that I’ve been able to convey the experience of piloting any of these machines with even the slightest level of proficiency – such that it helps transport you into the cockpit with me. Because, without that, I have no business being there in the first place! After all, this is not an occupation that you pursue for the pay-check at the end of the month. Producing this magazine is a labour of love. The kind of riches I’m looking for certainly won’t swell my bank balance, but they will enrich my soul. And that’s all I can wish for in 2015 once more. So, here’s to another great year ahead…