Chasing the #cultofmachine
This is where we keep our stories – stories of the people, the places and the things that make the #cultofmachine what it is. You’ll find tales of adventure, a showcase of the sheer variety of machinery that makes our little world so special, and a spotlight on our wonderfully diverse and ever-expanding community. Dive in.
Making THAT Bugatti video: Al Clark
Want to make the most-viewed car commercial on YouTube? Call Al Clark.
C&M Garage: Phill’s BMW 330d Touring
An E46 BMW 330d Touring seemed like the ideal affordable, stylish daily for Phill. What could possibly go wrong?
A lasting legacy: the Ken Block Safari 911
We helped pay tribute to Ken Block with a rip across the countryside in his safari rally Porsche.
Perfection, perfected: the JCR GR Yaris
Surely the feisty Toyota GR Yaris is nearly perfect? Our friends at JCR Developments weren’t so sure.
In praise of the hardcore winter drivers
We’re praising the hardcore who laugh in the face of cold weather and salty roads.
Silvia linings: Helen’s Nissan S14
Clean, purposeful and built to be used: is this Nissan S14 the perfect drift car?
A legend revisited: Callum’s Vanquish 25
What if a car designer could have another crack at an iconic project two decades on?
Welcome to C&M’s clothing lines
What’s the story behind our new range of clothing and accessories?
Cruising the UAE in Toyota’s workhorse
How do you go coast-to-coast across the UAE on as little tarmac as possible?
C&M People: Phill Tromans
What does it take to oversee C&M’s digital content output?
No half measures: Ben de Chair
What’s it like looking after Pink Floyd star Nick Mason’s car collection?
C&M People: Amélie Boileau
What drives Amélie, one of our friendly Team Leaders in Training?
Oli Cable: Pursuit Racing’s dream maker
Want to be a historic racing driver? You provide the car, Oli Cable can help sort the rest.
Better than real? Allora “Stratos”
About 35 times rarer than the real thing, could this 1980s Allora replica be a more inviting prospect than a real Stratos?
A Klasse of its own: BMW 2000CS
Why were BMW’s Neue Klasse saloons and coupés of the 1960s so important?
C&M People: Marcus Lau
Marcus, our Assistant General Manager, helps to run the bar at Caffeine&Machine. How did he work his way up to senior management in less than two years?
Unsung heroes: Prodrive’s Group A cars
Group A rallying was long seen as the poor relation to Group B. Is it finally having its moment in the sun as people rediscover the category’s variety and intrigue?
Northern powerhouse: the Top Gear Hilux
This big red truck has been to some of the toughest environments on Earth. What does it take to deal with the rigours of the North Pole and, erm, rural Warwickshire?
In search of adventure: Jess Gray
What inspires C&M Emporium-featured artist Jess Gray to create her beautifully minimalist artwork?
Delta blues: the Integrale’s final form
The Delta HF Integrale Evo 2 is the final evolution of Lancia’s legendary homologation special. What’s made it such a desirable collector’s car?
Perfect one-car garage? Porsche’s estate
Is the Porsche Sport Turismo hybrid all the machine you’ll ever need?
Little big cat: Ford Racing Puma
What made Ford’s little early 2000s road racer so special?
Forbidden union: 4AGE-powered Datsun Violet
Is this Toyota-powered Datsun Violet raly car the perfect embodiment of the Cult of Machine?
Snow way to drive
December 2022 brought savagely cold weather to the UK, and travel chaos with it. Why are drivers in this country are so ill-equipped to deal with snow and ice?
C&M Garage: Phil’s Porsche 964 RS
Meet the Porsche 964 RS that C&M founder Phil has used for just about everything over the past 20 years.
Middle child syndrome: Ferrari 430 Scuderia
The Ferrari 430 Scuderia sits in a trinity of lightened, track-oriented Ferrari V8s, and often feels overlooked. Does it deserve more of the spotlight?
C&M People: Tom Searle
Tom’s Caffeine&Machine career started as a customer and quickly moved to Senior Retail Assistant.
20 years of the Porsche Cayenne
The Porsche Cayenne broke with over half a century’s worth of tradition when it launched in 2002. Two decades on, how far has it come?
Crafting our identity: Jake Yorath
Ever wondered where Caffeine&Machine’s distinctive look comes from? A lot of it is borne from the mind of Jake Yorath, a graphic designer with years of experience in the world of motorsport. Where else does he draw inspiration from?
An untraditional tradition: McLaren GT
The McLaren GT represents a fresh take on the traditional grand tourer formula – can a mid-engined package really work for a car like this?
A twist in the tale: Twisted T110 Series IIA
The engineers at Twisted Automotive know their way round the classic Land Rover Defender better than most. But how do a few choice tweaks improve the driving experience?
NYE @ C&M
Come join us for a get-together in the Yard to ring in 2023 in the right way.
A whole lotta car: JCR Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR
A GT2 RS as a base, and not one but two lots of performance focused upgrades – is JCR Developments’s Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR the most extreme 911 out there?
Last of its breed: Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Is the raucous Jaguar F-Pace SVR the last of the truly wild big cats?
Discovery-ing the Cult of Machine
We’ve spent just over two months with our long-term Land Rover Discovery 5. Is it the perfect workhorse for Chasing the Cult of Machine?
Don’t call it an Escort: MST Cars Mk1
We headed to the hills of north Wales with the MST Mk1, a brand-new reinterpretation of a rally legend. Could it be the ultimate driver’s car for modern Britain?
Dedicated to Defender: Twisted Automotive
The original Land Rover Defender is now hot property among modifying and restomod firms. Yorkshire-based Twisted Automotive have been doing it longer than most – what does it take to build up a reputation like theirs?
Mythology and machinery: Brett Breckon
Illustrator Brett Breckon’s artwork has been a regular sight on the walls of the C&M Emporium for a while now. Where does the multi-talented artist take his inspiration from?
The fury that lurks beneath: Audi RS2
Nobody does fast estates quite like Audi. They’ve been dominating the space for nearly three decades, but how did that domination begin?
Say hello to my little friend: Citroen Ami
Tiny, French, electric and not technically a car – the Citroen Ami came to visit us in the Yard. But who exactly is it for?
Meet the women engineering change at McLaren
Holly Yeomans and Ella Podmore are two of the automotive experts challenging the traditional view of a male-dominated industry.
Mythical monsters: Audi’s legendary Quattros
Two extraordinary examples of Audi Quattro came to see us at the Yard. Say hello to the Quattro S1 E2 rally car, and the homolgated Audi Sport Quattro.
Marginal gains: JCR’s Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR
What if you were to take an already highly modifed Porsche 911, and then eke out even more performance? You’d end up with this monstrous performance car from JCR Developments.
It’s good to be bad: Emory’s Porsche 356 Outlaw
Before Singer, before Magnus Walker, there was Rod Emory. His incredible cars are ground zero of the modifed Porsche 356 scene.
Paradoxical: Bowler’s Fast Road Defender
The Land Road Defender and the character of “fast road” car seem very, very far apart. But nobody told serial Land Rover modifiers Bowler that.
Chats to soothe the mind: I Love You, Man
I Love You, Man is our monthly focus on mental health in the form of a jolly good car chat. Each month, we speak to a well-known figure from the automotive world about their struggles, highs and lows.
Perfectly period: Beinn’s BMW E12 5 Series
The BMW E12 is the genesis of the 5 Series. This bit of ’70s chic belongs to Beinn, who has lovingly restored and tweaked it since 2014.
Retroactive recognition: the Porsche 968 CS
Were it not for the 911, Porsche’s four-cylinder transaxle cars would get a LOT more love. And this 968 Club Sport is proof.
A life well-lived: Sam’s Chevrolet C10 truck
Some people want to get rid of patina and make their classic car look new. Sam is not one of those people, as his beautiful Chevy C10 truck can attest.
Rotary rasp: Amber’s Mazda FB RX-7
Think of the Mazda RX-7, and, likelihood is, you think of the FD generation. The compact,...