DEAR NEIGHBOUR

Kirby finds out ‘his’ E53 Coupe has been keeping secrets

MY NEIGHBOUR MARGARET is a lovely lady. She's retired and lives alone, spending her days tending to our complex's communal gardens. Margaret also keeps a very close eye on the frequently rotating parade of vehicles that I bring home from work. Whenever I bump into Margaret I am blessed with a rundown of her verdicts on my recent wheels. Lamborghini Urus: too green. Toyota GR Yaris Rallye: looks like great fun. Jaguar I-Pace: very futuristic. It's always intriguing to hear what Margaret has to say about a car. She doesn't care about а brand heritage or power outputs, it's an assessment made without bias.

So it came to pass that I became the temporary custodian of this Mercedes-AMG E53 Coupe. What the local PR team didn't know in approving the long-term loan, is that they'd secure themselves a hardcore fan. The reaction from Margaret was almost instant the moment I slipped up the driveway, with the kind of cooing noises I would assume are traditionally reserved for her grandchildren.