Star in car

How many times did you try before you got your driver's licence?

I passed first time. Massive pressure to get it - my brother had passed on the first attempt, as had many of my friends. I had already purchased my first car too. I remember vividly the day I had my test. It was swelteringly hot and stressful.

You have quite an array of vehicles, from the brash American Dodge Charger to the dainty, effeminate Nissan Figaro. What do you use for your daily commute?

At the moment I use my 1993 Mercedes 230TE, it's the estate version. And I have a Hyundai i10, which happens to be the cheapest new car in Britain. I do use my wife's Nissan Figaro occasionally. I like something strong, simple and reliable for my daily drive.

Is there a route that you love driving?

Where I grew up, in the south-west of England, there's a road called the A39. It goes along the coast and through idyllic meanders. It was the first road on which I really took control of a car, experimented and learned about a vehicle's limits. Not many speed restrictions then, so one was able to drive much faster than they are able to now. It means a lot to me since it's near my home town.

What's playing on your car stereo at the moment?

Some Kings Of Leon, and I always have a bit of Stevie Wonder. The last CD I bought was the new album from Metallica. You have to have a variety of music, I think. I enjoy listening to Podcasts and I love Depeche Mode.

Ever used one of your rides to arouse the interest of an appealing female?

I never really found that having cars impressed girls. Even if I had a flash car or something quirky, girls never really seem to care about wheels. I once went on a date in a Proton Gen-2, - an awful car - the date went well, though.

Sampling new cars as an automotive journalist is comparable to that chocolate-taster dream job many of us had as children. How did you enter the industry?

I was always bad at maths, but good at English. I knew I wanted to use my English skills as a tool to help me do something I liked.

At university, I offered my services free of charge to car magazines, writing short pieces to get my name out there. Eventually, I was offered a job as a junior writer. The pay was meagre, but it was quite rewarding. That was 13 years ago and I have moved up the hierarchy since. It's a satisfying job. None of that 9 to 5 associated stress.

Tell us about life on set with the 'Fifth Gear' team?

I'm always trying to learn tips from Tiff and Jason. Racing drivers are very competitive. Even when we order pizza, they try to be the first to pick up the phone! Then you get Vicki, who gives a feminine perspective to things and brings down testosterone levels - she's a good laugh.

Tom is a very good friend of mine, I've known him for 10 years now. He's like a dad to me. Tim is a thin version of Tom, who likes the sound of his own voice. We all have a common interest - we just go about it from different angles.

Ever set tread on South African roads?

I have only visited South Africa once. I was doing a feature on whale conservation in Cape Town. I drove back from the harbour in a Citi Golf. It's a fun car to drive, and I would love to import one to the UK. - Brenwin Naidu