i-SPY Cool Cars: Spy it! Score it! (Collins Michelin i-SPY Guides)

Great!

Great little book for a car lover. Got this for my son who just turned 4 good selection of cars loves to just sit and look through it.

Love these I-Spy books bring back fond memories of my childhood although at 66 I had a very different experience of spying on the road!

This is a i-Spy book in the classic format, except it feels like the working title might have been something other than “cool cars” and they may have changed the name at the last minute. “Various slightly unusual cars” might have been more appropriate. There’s a real mixed bag of cars in here, and some feel like odd choices. There are the obvious modern sports cars like Hurricans and Aventadors that will be familiar if you regularly watch Top Gear but which you’re unlikely to see driving down the motorway very often. Then there’s some classics, like the original Porsche 911, an E-type or the gullwing Mercedes 300SL, that you’re more likely to spot in a car museum or at a show. But in amongst them you also got more everyday cars that make you wonder, why is this in here? For example I’ve got a soft spot for the Honda CR-Z, but is it really worthy of inclusion, honestly? Why is a Range Rover in here? The 1997 redesigned VW Beetle is a recognisable car yes, but is this just filler? Did the Nissan Figaro make it into this collection because it’s cool, or because it’s rare and a bit weird? The book format is bright and colourful, though even my kids would probably have benefited from a bit more text. The text there is is interesting in parts, but feels short on details at times. It also could do with a bit more of a spotters guide- for example my young son probably needs some guidance if he wants to be able to tell a Tesla Model S (which is in this book) from a Model 3 (which isn’t). What it does make you realise, as a cynical grown-up, is how homogenous many modern cars are becoming. A few more cars with flair, whether you actually like how they look or not, could have lived up a book where many of the cars aren’t obviously distinguishable from each other to the untrained eye. A curious collection, but a nice little book to keep on the back seat for long car journeys.

We started our collection with the countryside book & my son was hooked, he really enjoys doing these now & it’s great to get him off his tablet for a bit, he only opened it this afternoon but already he is hoping to find an Audi Quattro! Love the idea of sending off for the certificate.

I don't think this book is value for money as it is very small.

Lovely ideas and things to look for

I remember these from when I was a kid. Got brought them for journeys - ISpy on a Train, ISpy on car journey, etc. Perhaps screens have replaced them, but they are still jolly good fun. Big Chief ISpay apparently no more exists but the basic jist does. Got this for my grandsun, who, like his father, is nutty about cars and already has a vast collection. They also travel a bit and tis gives a reason to look out the window and do simple car spotting. There's exotica here, but also not to exotic - in other words cars you may see on a motorway trip. It's being enjoyed. To be honest I'm not quite sure more by father than son, but it is. I like to think it teaches observation and identification; and it takes the eyes away from a screen.