02 Feb 06
So there I was, thrapping the Mazda 6 MPS along the wonderfully twisty road that runs from the Spanish coast to the small hilltop town of Ronda, when all of a sudden - bang - the steering wheel goes heavy and the car lurches to the right. Yup, I had a puncture.
Now, I'm not averse to getting my hands dirty, but upon opening the boot I'm greeted by the sight of a wheel with a three-inch wide tyre. Not exactly the sort of thing you want to be driving on in anger - especially considering the other trio of wheels ride on 7-inch wide rubber.
As I waited for International Rescue to bring me a new wheel, I pondered on why I'd chosen to get up extra early to sample some of the best roads Spain has to offer, in the hottest Mazda saloon yet built. Could Mazda have really produced a car as credible as the other turbocharged Japanese four-doors? And will I be able to get to lunch before the rest of the journalists - who are now cheerily waving to me as they blast past - eat everything?
