Author: Graham Baalham-Curry

As a self-confessed petrolhead I have spent many an hour around a dyno. Be it as part of a group day where car owners bring their road vehicles to see who can claim the most horsepower, or the setting up of carburettor’s on an old rally car, there is a demand and need for such ‘rolling roads’ within the automotive industry. However, recent news to me was that the agricultural sector also relies on similar dyno technology. Not only to assess the output of machinery, but to fine-tune and increase the HP and frugality of a huge fleet of machinery…

First launched in the UK after the turn of the millennium, the Honda Jazz has blended seamlessly into an urban landscape. Setting about its daily duties with ease, this little car has never created a fuss thanks to strong reliability and more practicality than you would expect. Although its silhouette has not changed a great deal over its generations, this Honda retains its stance as a mini MPV. There was a time when MPVs were all the rage, but somewhat less practical SUV’s have taken over in the last decade. Looking similar in size to rivals such as the Ford…

Suzuki has always been highly regarded as one of the most affordable and reliable vehicles on the market. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I tested the now discontinued Celerio model, which cost something in the region of £6,000 brand new. Since the announcement of Brexit cheap motoring no longer exists, even for Suzuki, who’s most affordable model in the UK starts at over £15,000. I can see perfectly the look on a colleagues face if I told them that I had just spent north of £46,000 on a Suzuki. It would be akin to mine when I realised…

When it comes to pick-up trucks many manufacturers offer them somewhere within their line-up of passenger vehicles but for Isuzu pick-ups are all they do. Self-named the pick-up professionals, Isuzu has been the go-to for hard-working fleets for many years. Focusing solely on just one vehicle, their multi award winning D-Max offers something for everyone. The range starts with a utilitarian model which suits the needs of a farmer or the likes of Northern Ireland electricity perfectly. D-Max then offers progressively more as you move up the range towards a nicely styled family-friendly model with much more tech. If budget…

At the start of this year I got to experience the most practical of the KIA Ceed family with its Sportswagon model and I can see its appeal. In a recent article I touched on the Ceed family from Kia, as I reviewed its sleek and stylish shooting brake model, the Proceed. This family caters for everyone however, as it features a 5-door hatchback and a crossover SUV Style XCeed as well as the estate model talked about here. This latest Ceed Sportswagon incorporates Kia’s brand-new corporate logo and now, having received a comprehensive update in its third generation, is…

British Rally Championship returns to Ulster with revamped calendar for 2023… The Motorsport UK British Rally Championship has today [24 October] revealed a brand-new look to the series for 2023, as it announces an exhilarating calendar for the season ahead. In a revised roster, Britain’s premier rallying series will feature seven events across the four home nations, with rallies in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. It will also return to mainland Europe as it visits Belgium for the first time since 2019. The new-look calendar will once again see the Rally2 contenders form the topflight and will battle for…

Korean manufacturer Kia have a vast family within their Ceed model but what happens when you outgrow the entry-level hatchback, when you’re too cool for the Sportwagon, and when you’re too stylish for the crossover styled XCeed? You go and order the head of this family, the Proceed, that’s what happens. Referred to as a shooting brake, this incredibly sleek Kia takes inspiration from both an estate car and a coupe giving it an appearance that would make anyone look twice. Although not offering the true practicality of an estate, the Proceed offers a higher spec than its siblings. Looking…

For the past fifteen years Nissan has been at the forefront of an SUV revolution on our roads and we drive the latest incarnation of the pioneering vehicle which started it all. The Nissan Qashqai was first launched in 2007; it was joined then by much more utilitarian yet more established vehicles such as the Kia Sportage and the Hyundai Tucson. But, it was the Nissan that soon became a family favourite thanks to having a much more quality feel about it. The aforementioned Korean rivals have subsequently upped their game, forcing Nissan to do the same in an overcrowded…

Ford motor company are no stranger to performance having provided winning cars to the sport of rallying for longer than I have been around, they have also stamped their authority across the globe in various touring car championships. As years have passed, the cars which we see and love in competition, are far removed from their road-legal counterparts which you and I could buy in your local showroom today. Take the M-Sport Ford World Rally team’s Ford Puma World Rally Car as a prime example. Embracing all that we love about turbocharged petrol engines, and combining it with all-new hybrid…

More power and greater efficiency for the Mazda 3 thanks to outstanding engineering achievements within the brands latest version of its e-Skyactiv X engine. In recent years Mazda UK have been generous in giving me the opportunity to drive many of their latest models. With diesel becoming a thing of the past, one thing that struck me with Mazda was that their petrol engines were incredibly frugal. This is something the Japanese maker has worked hard on to improve, somehow, which not only helps the environment due to reduced emissions and greater economy. But it also aids drivability and retains…

For a decade now French vehicle manufacturer Renault have been at the forefront of electrification with its city car named Zoe. Not long after it was launched, I recall a deal being put on the table which was something like £150 deposit, followed by £150 per month including a free home charging port. For many commuters doing something in the region of 70 miles per day, this was a deal not to be sniffed at. In fact, when buying a diesel car from a friend who had just taken out a lease on a Renault Zoe, he essentially halved his…

Press photographer and motoring writer, Graham Baalham-Curry, is no stranger to the pages of Pacenotes Rally Magazine. In fact, some of his earliest published work was from the Paddy’s Day rally at Aghadowey Race Circuit which featured in issue number one, in April 2003… Back then, Pacenotes was a large format newspaper, and Graham was knocking on doors to help carve a career out of his passions for all things motoring and photography. Almost 20 years later, he is still doing what he loves, albeit with some middle-aged spread after two strokes left him, in his own words, Fat and…