Liam Bird

The Marches

Contributor at On: Yorkshire Magazine

Liam Bird: Motoring Writer. Treasurer: Welsh Motoring Writers. Member of the Guild of Motoring Writers.

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Articles

BMW G29 Z4 M40i Handschalter – Review - On: Yorkshire Magazine

1 month ago | on-magazine.co.uk | Steve Crabtree |Liam Bird

By Liam BirdThere’s something very pleasurable about changing gear. It’s the involvement, the connection; it’s knowing that you’re operating a machine, the feeling that you’re actually driving. It’s also that certain something that’s forever missing in an automatic. And flappy paddles just aren’t the same. Changing gear is something you learn, something you have to practise: it’s something you have to master.
MINI Aceman | Love Shrewsbury

1 month ago | loveshrewsbury.com | Liam Bird

You know how it is, you fancy something that’s small and fun to drive but family commitments and all the other life stuff means you have to have something practical too. And then there’s the whole saving the environment thing, and whether or not to go electric. Years ago you’d have bought a Mini Cooper, or a 205 GTi, whereas these days the demands of the school run dictate otherwise.
Hyundai Santa Fe – Review - On: Yorkshire Magazine

2 months ago | on-magazine.co.uk | Liam Bird

By Liam BirdHyundai, I’d say, is on a bit of a roll at the moment. Its faster-to-sixty-than-a-McLaren-F1 Ioniq 5N is the most talked-about hot hatch (yes, I know it’s technically an SUV) in as long as I can remember.
Renault Clio TCe 100

2 months ago | loveshrewsbury.com | Liam Bird

I passed my driving test in 1991, in a third-generation Ford Fiesta; steel wheels. four-speed ‘box, no power steering. It was dark blue, I think it was a three-door. Everyone drove hatchbacks back then, Fiesta, Polos, Civics, Saxos, 205s, 309s, Novas, Micras… And since that sunny March morning in Shrewsbury when freedom finally arrived in the shape of an A4–sized pass certificate, I’ve driven, not to mention owned, significantly more than my fair share of hatchbacks too.
Kia Picanto 2 – Review - On: Yorkshire Magazine

Jan 12, 2025 | on-magazine.co.uk | Steve Crabtree |Liam Bird

By Liam BirdIt would be untrue to say that there isn’t more than just a hint of self-indulgence involved when it comes to booking the cars I review. You see, not only do I do all the driving and all the writing, I do all the admin too. Hence perhaps one or two emails to Ferrari and McLaren every now and then, plus a few to Bentley, the odd one to Rolls-Royce, and regular correspondence with both Porsche and Aston Martin.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – Review - On: Yorkshire Magazine

Dec 8, 2024 | on-magazine.co.uk | Liam Bird

By Liam BirdLet’s see now, where exactly does one start? Hyundai’s new Ioniq 5 N looks, from a distance at least, like many a hot hatch. Closer inspection, however, reveals all is not quite what it seems. The Ioniq 5 N is Hyundai’s N brand’s first high-performance, all-electric model. It represents, say the Korean manufacturer, the N brand’s electrification future, and a new way for high-performance enthusiasts to electrify their passion for driving on road and track.
Skoda Karoq SE L 1.5 TSi 150PS – Review - On: Yorkshire Magazine

Nov 10, 2024 | on-magazine.co.uk | Liam Bird

By Liam BirdYou’ll have no doubt seen Skoda’s ad campaign for their new Kodiaq SUV, the one that constantly mentions Familying – whatever on earth that might be. Marketing types, eh, what will they come up with next? The Skoda Kodiaq was one of two SUVs Skoda originally introduced in 2017 to replace the Yeti. A car of which CAR Magazine once wrote “If Carlsberg made cars…” I’m currently on my second Yeti. When, that is, I’m not driving other people’s cars.
New Children’s Clothing Store is Sew Aneira

Oct 24, 2024 | loveshrewsbury.com | Liam Bird

Ludlow’s latest outlet stocks exclusive kid’s countrywear. Following an illustrious career spent working with a multitude of instantly recognisable multinational brands, former fashion buyer and now mum-of two, Aneira Holmes is set to launch her own range of children’s countrywear right back in the centre of her home county.
Morgan Super 3 – Car Review - On: Yorkshire Magazine

Oct 12, 2024 | on-magazine.co.uk | Steve Crabtree |Liam Bird

By Liam Bird – October 2024Doesn’t time fly? And especially so when you’re having fun. A quick glance at my archives reveals, almost unbelievably, that it was twelve years ago that I drove Morgan’s then-new 3-Wheeler from their Malvern HQ to Shelsley Walsh. I remember the day vividly – the chequered nose paint job Morgan had given their press demonstrator, the thump-thump of its big S&S V-Twin, the wind in my hair, and the warmth of the morning sun on my face.
Suzuki Vitara 1.4 BoosterJet HYBRID

Oct 8, 2024 | loveshrewsbury.com | Liam Bird

The last time I drove a Suzuki Vitara it left me feeling a little flat. The example in question was the 1.5 Full Hybrid SZ5 AGS, that’s the one with Suzuki’s 1,462cc petrol engine coupled to a CVT transmission: the full hybrid version. All new Suzukis now have some form of hybrid assistance. After driving that particular model from Cheshire, and across into North Wales, I wrote, “Even some of Suzuki’s own personnel seemed unsure about such things; almost apologetic in fact.