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Driven to Distraction (Clarkson book)

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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! 

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.

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.