Skoda rocks, and now it’s official. The Czech carmaker has just been named ‘Best Car Manufacturer’ at the prestigious 2010 Which? Awards.

Without doubt, this has been the most objective awards decision-making process I have ever been involved with. Yes, the Which? Car crew still spent many hours sat around a desk arguing the merits of several manufacturers, but the process was assisted considerably by our extensive survey, investigation and road test data.

Skoda is named 'Best Car Manufacturer' at the 2010 Which? Awards

So why Skoda, you ask? Look around peeps. It’s mid 2010 in our not-anywhere-near-out-of-the-woods-contrary-to-what-the-papers-are-telling-you economic milieu, and the way people are buying cars is changing as a result. People want their cars for the long-haul; they therefore want their cars to last for the long-haul too, while still offering value.

Step forward Skoda. Once the prime target on which we would vent our spleen, today, all those outdated jibs would swiftly be flattened by a stampede of indignant owners.

Skoda has marshalled the combined weight of its various VW brethren to create the most convincing product portfolio it has ever had. Looking at the soon-to-be-published Which? Car Survey data, I’d say Skoda is seething with secret ambitions to be the next Volkswagen: its cars are cheaper, its owners are happier and its dealers offer a friendlier and cheaper service. Nothing other than snobbery would prevent you from having a look.

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Vote cast, time to get this week’s episode, sorry, podisode of The Gas Station online.

As you’ll soon find out, the recording took place the same eve as a very important game of European football on Merseyside. We may not have been there in person, but at least we had Jeff Stelling on iPhone keeping us updated minute by nail-biting minute. Not the best of ideas…

The Gas Station podcast crew: this photo was taken when Liverpool were still winning...

This week, Alex Goy, Cameraman Phil, Nigel Swan and myself discuss everything from the return of TVR to the SEAT Ibiza Cupra Bocanegra (those paint options are a non cost option btw) while sending our usual good will shout outs to stuff on the web that isn’t crap. Enjoy!

Here are all the other worthy shout outs:

• Cameraman Phil has a blog!
• Jaguar D-Type vs. Orient Express -- Octane Magazine
• Vehicle Design Sessions at the RCA
• Skoda Octavia vRS -- MSN Cars
• Alex Goy on Smoked Out TV

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The SEAT Ibiza Bocanegra has been strategically positioned to add lustre to the ‘Alfa Romeo’ of the Volkswagen Group. OK, so nobody at SEAT has actually mentioned the whole ‘A’ word since Erich Shmitt was president, but there is one man who seems pretty keen to keep up the tag line.

Design director Luc Donckerwolke (you may still know and love him as Lambo man) is working hard to give the Spanish carmaker some edge. After successfully reinventing Lamborghini, Donckerwolke moved to SEAT in 2005 and despite the broader palette -- think Tribu Concept, IBe Concept -- his designs remain sharp, high impact and with no sign of bloating.

If you don’t know the SEAT Ibiza drill by now, the FR is the fast and (relatively) insurance friendly one, while the Cupra is Renaultsport Clio rapid, albeit with much better running costs (44.1mpg vs. 34.4mpg; 148g/km of CO2 vs. 195g/km of CO2 respectively).

The mechanically identical Bocanegra version will set you back an extra 700 notes over a standard Cupra, ramping the price up to £17,245 (prices have been revised since my video). It gets 17in gunmetal alloys, black gloss treatments around the mouth (Bocanegra actually means black mouth in Spanish) and door mirrors, while inside gets appliquéd with lots of ‘B’ logos.

It’s certainly a very positive step in the right direction but SEAT’s engineers still need to be loosened up as much as the designers. Not being able to fully disengage ESP in a hot hatch, for example, is a massive no no, as is paying £700 for no engine upgrades. Not even a little chip, guys?

Also, the use of a lighter (and cheaper) XDS electronic limited slip differential is fine in the same way that Kanye thinks it’s fine to use voice synthesizers. It does a fine job, though we’d prefer it if he just had a decent singing voice to start with (read have a mechanical diff). Like I said, the SEAT Ibiza Cupra Bocanegra is a very positive step, but I’d still like to see a bit more rebellion. If you want to know more about the Bocanegra, why not have a listen to podisode six of The Gas Station.

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My dad wants his garage back. Serves me right, really. He’s been using these very pages to follow the regular updates on the health of my beloved Jaguar XJ6. Now, with light at the end of the tunnel, he hasn’t wasted any time in asking me to work similar magic on the Mini Paul Smith sat idle at his home. Starting this bank holiday weekend.

The Mini Paul Smith -- no more cars in the closet, this and the Jag are really it - is the car that committed me to a long-term relationship with my bank manager. Unfortunately, it’s been a slightly longer ‘work in progress’ thanks to a family of resident rats and their voracious appetite for wiring loom, but I hope to have it back on the road this summer.

On the more positive side, parts are cheap and the front subframe will never need replacing because of the Mini’s built-in rustproofing system -- that’s oil leaks to all you non converts. The resurrection starts now!

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