Suzuki's Swift sport proved a delightful weekend runabout, honing an already sweet-handling hatch without scuppering fuel economy. Looks good too. 

But not as good as the shining bronze Veloster turbo now parked in my drive – naturally I took the bendiest of scenic drives home, bypassing the last turnoff entirely to fang along the whole of the Waitakere Ranges crest before turning round and boogying home. A car with harder, more sporting suspension might be better on a track but this combination of raunchy looks, surging turbo and relatively compliant suspension suits my challenging and lumpy home roads to a tee. Wonder if they'll let me keep it...

Thursday sees Fieldays – utes galore! Tractor pulls! Whip-cracking contests! V8 chainsaws! - with 1000 agri-business stands lapping against the shores of Hyundai's giant installation which each year blows a raspberry at more traditional brands by ringing a bell at each Fieldays sale.

Shame I have to leave early to return the Veloster and collect the more practical Subaru Impreza hatch. 

Friday my BMW takes a rest at AMPS while I ride Harley-Davidson's Softail Slim and Saturday I'll see if a mountain bike will slot in the Subie's boot... watch this space!

The weekend's Kia Rio is a tad underwhelming; nothing wrong with the handling, but it could do with a perky engine instead of the too-relaxed unit fitted. At least the stop-start helps cut fuel use. In contrast the Husqvarna Nuda in the garage is an out-and-out hooligan; a supermotard with aggressive looks and delivery that uses every ascent of my gravel drive as an excuse to flick the tail out.

Rio goes back today in favour of a Nissan Navara ute, just in time to collect some gravel and a couch; if I can't persuade the distributor I should keep it, Nuda returns on Thursday and by Friday I'll be piloting a Suzuki Swift Sport.

Meanwhile I'm still harbouring steamy dreams about last week's Lexus LFA at the GS launch at Hampton Downs. We got to drive the GS (see pic) but journo drives of the LFA were eventually banned thanks to wet track and we were stuck with a passenger outing, a hairy one courtesy slippery tarmac and Neil Bates, Aussie rally and race driver and our pilot for the day.

And what does one talk to a racing legend about between laps? Motorbike injuries of course, though he trumped me by undoing his shirt to display a spectacular scar, the first time an attractive man has flashed flesh at a race track just for me...