t’s been a testing few months for the trusty A2. With a house move complete and renovation work currently being carried out, it’s really been put through its paces. Lots of short journeys to pick up building materials and tools, moving furniture and hauling rubbish to the tip. All while averaging high 50s mpg round town and costing me absolutely nothing in maintenance, not even a drop of oil or psi of air in the tyres. With road tax a non-issue at £30 a year, I couldn’t ask for a better car to suit my (skint) situation.

The old workhorse did throw up an ABS warning on the dash and made a bit of a song and dance about it, but weirdly cleared itself after a few days. Maybe that was in protest at the fact I can’t remember the last time I washed it or that the interior looks and smells like a skip? Sorry about that. Once the hard graft with the house slows down, I’ll recommence the mission to top 70mpg on a run. Not very RUSH I know, but in a car as dull to drive as the A2, you need ways of keeping yourself awake.

In contrast to the A2, it’s been an extremely quiet few months for the Type R. I’ve barely had time to breathe, never mind get it out to stretch its legs. With the new house comes a new home for the Honda though, and that’s in the form of a rickety but stable old garage, made of rotting wood and asbestos. It doesn’t sound great, but it’s my first garage, and it feels great locking the car away, knowing it’s safe from the elements.

A big frustration is the absence of a tuning package purchased in early December from TDI North. I ordered an Injen cold air intake, TDI North exhaust system, a baffled sump, and an ECUTEK remap to take power to approximately 240bhp. I’m told the problem lies with the supplier. Fingers crossed said supplier gets their act together soon; we’re nearly at the halfway point in 2022, and my track car has yet to hit the track.