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
Ascari
Ascari A10 - "daft for sure, and not at all relevant in the modern world"
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Brera Coupe V6 - "you've bought something for one reason only: because it's beautiful"
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"
Ford S-Max 2.5 Titanium - "it's an MPV you buy because you like it"
Honda
Honda Civic Type R - "slower and slightly less economical than the old one"
Jaguar
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"
Lamborghini_Murciélago LP640[broken anchor] - "a mad, expensive, preposterous waste of money, the sheer force of its personality knocks the techno-Ferrari into a cocked hat"
Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder "for the first time ever (I think I might) buy a Lamborghini)" (he later did indeed buy one)
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
Overfinch Supersport (customised Range Rover Sport)- "(the performance enhancement) is worth every penny"
Pagani
Peugeot
Peugeot 207 GT - "not as much fun as it should be"
Renault Clio Sport[broken anchor] - "fitting a 2 litre hatchback with all this pseudo-F1 stuff is like fitting your washing machine with a front wing"
REVAi
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"
Volkswagen Phaeton - "better than any of its rivals from Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Maserati". However regarding the diesel version Clarkson says "It is a car designed to be as silent and as efficient and as focussed as a contract killer. So putting a diesel under the bonnet is like putting James Bond in a pair of wellingtons"
Bugatti Veyron - "the engineering summit, man's hobnail boot in the face of nature"
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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