Variable Valve Timings: Memoirs of a car tragic

Chris Harris

Nov 2023 · Ebury Digital · Narrated by Chris Harris

About this audiobook

Brought to you by Penguin.

Tyre destruction, power slides and continuous drooling

Chris Harris has driven more cars than most people could ever dream of. His vast knowledge is legendary. He calls it 'unhinged geekery'. But we call it infectious enthusiasm, adrenaline-fueled escapism and peerless journalistic rigour and integrity.

And then there are his famous skills at the wheel, from city cars to rally cars, F1 to vintage, not forgetting the Guinness World Record 3.4km sideways in an electric car.

And now for the first time, Harris is going all out with that unhinged geekery, and takes us down the road of his life-long adventure with the automobile - from the Scalextric track to the Nürburgring 24 Hour, via his own formative low-powered Somerset version of The Dukes of Hazard.

A highly individual, petrol-soaked life story that's all down to variable valve timings.

©2023 Chris Harris (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Ratings and reviews

An incredible book. He explains his whole life story and gets as geeky as can be with his love and passion for cars. A great reminder as to why us car enthusiast love these things in a crazy way

Fantastic down to earth writing which discribes his life and love of cars brilliantly. I'd gladly listen to it again.... And I will

The greatest motor journalist of my generation, and narrated by the man himself in his inimitable style. Fantastic.

About the author

Chris Harris is an automotive journalist, amateur racing driver and TV presenter. He has worked as a reviewer and columnist for many automotive magazines including Autocar, Evo and Jalopnik. Chris has been appearing on Top Gear since 2016, and became one of the three main presenters in 2017. He also has his own web series Chris Harris on Cars, now hosted by Topgear.com. This is his first book.