8 Reasons Why The Arrival Of Spring Is Awesome For Petrolheads

1. You can drive with the top down without freezing your nipples off

Oh sure, if you own a drop top you’ve probably cruised around in winter with the heating cranked up at least once, but it’s just not the same as letting that beautiful warm spring air in your cabin. I was lucky enough to be driving around in the Porsche 911 GTS Cabriolet you see above the weekend just gone, but any convertible - be it an old MX-5 or a near-£100k Porsche - feels awesome to drive with the roof down when the weather gets nicer.

Although this won’t be the same for everyone in the world right now, where the weather’s getting warmer, you can go for a drive without having to dig your car out of several feet of snow.

3. More light means pre- and post-work hoons are a possibility

In winter, it’s dark when you get up for work, and dark when you get home. Going out for a spirited drive when it’s pitch black isn’t going to be high on your agenda, but when spring arrives, there’s far more light to play with, so a refreshing sunrise or sunset blast is doable.

4. Show season is starting

When spring starts to kick in, so does the show season. Whatever scene you’re into, that’s a very good thing indeed.

5. And so is the motorsport season

After several months of hardly any motorsport around to stick on the TV or go out and spectate, it’s all kicking off once again for us to enjoy. Formula 1 starts next weekend, World Touring Cars sprang into action yesterday, and the Nascar Sprint Cup’s 2015 season began a few weeks ago.

6. Your car is no longer at the mercy of gritters

Salt and grit being laid down on the roads is a great idea when the weather’s poor, but it doesn’t do your ride much good. Having to tentatively overtake gritting lorries usually results in a paint-ruining shower, and all that salt and grit really isn’t something you want flicking up underneath your car. Now spring’s here, that’s a thing of the past.

7. The winter project can come out of hibernation

If you’ve been keeping yourself occupied with a winter project, now’s the time to enjoy all that hard work. Whether you want to show it off to your mates, bring it to a meet or just take it for a drive, now’s your chance.

8. Your favourite local roads are in the best condition they've been in for months

The chance of snow is now greatly reduced, and you can look forward to some warm and sunny days. This means the tarmac on your local twisties is much more likely to be dry and warm. The perfect condition for a blat, in other words.