To start off this road-heavy newsletter series, let me introduce to you, once again, your majesty, Autohaven!

Autohaven is the digital home for cars. Just like we have digital homes for people, pets and houses, so do we have Autohaven for cars. It's a place for cars to live, to be experienced and to be forever remembered.

As I take the next few weeks and months to deliver Autohaven to you, I want to first thank you for being apart of this and for your support in our early phases! Merci beaucoup.

Part and parcel of Autohaven, the Autohaven Newsletter will be our editorial and publishing wing.

This is where we will to bring you, mostly in written word, exclusive 
car stories, automotive news, expert reviews and much more.

Our aim is to not only keep you informed and entertained with the latest trends and insights from across the geographical divide, but to also put you in touch with various men and women who have varied experiences in the industry! The latter is our goal.

Whether you're a seasoned gearhead or just starting your automotive journey, there will be something for you.

Stay tuned for exclusive content!

The recent Masaku TT 1/8 Mile Drags "Payback Edition" on August 11th was nothing short of electrifying! Kenya's Machakos People's Park was the place to be as the fastest cars in the region hit the track, vying for the top spot.

For many, the electric Nissan Leaf carried the day's highlights with its impressive performance and speed against a Subaru Forester!

Here's a few images from the event(Courtesy, IG, X).

GermaxASGarage from Uganda is selling this sleek 2017 Volkswagen Arteon R-Line for $34,000

It has the following features

And more pics!

You like what you see? Contact them on their Twitter  or call on +256779250886

Watch how fast Garage Yoshida(husband and wife duo) take apart an R34 Nissan Skyline GTR. Absolutely wild to watch

The first time Mr Yoshida disassembled the same car, it took him a whole month but now he does it in 6 hours!

The cost of the restoration cost the owner $76,600, minus the engine rebuild! 

Our first issue of the featured car story is nothing short of exhilarating. It's a story of how one passionate car enthusiast, after meticulous research, chose the Honda Stream for its reliability and driving experience.

Find out why this gem was found and why it remains a beloved choice, despite the allure of the Accord Type S Tourer.

Also, you'll be thrilled to know that the owner keeps an up-to-date record of every single thing, such as repairs, he does on the car!

What's your name and what do you do?

Ian Otieno call me Oti. I am a software developer working remotely on contract basis. It is how I fuel the car and myself.

What car do you drive?

Honda Stream RSZ, 2012 YOM

Do you have a nickname for your car?
Aoi Heshi, my girlfriend calls her Bluey

How long have you had this car?
4 years 4 months

What do you primarily use this car for?
I drive around to clear my head and roadtrips

Where did you buy your car, and would you recommend them to your friends?
Toyotsu Automart, yes I would my Brother also bought his Mercedes W211 from them

Why did you choose this car over others?
I was always going to go Japanese because I am a great believer that JDM cars are the most reliable cars on the market. Amongst the JDM car makers I narrowed my choice down to Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan as they were the only ones who had wagons I knew off and my favourite car body style is a wagon of price between 1M - 1.5M

I didn't want a crossover or SUV because coming from a Suzuki Samurai I was done with tall cars  I didn't like toyota's because the only wagons in my price range are fielder and Probox and I just didn't like them because of thieves of Toyota parts and I felt they prioritise cars being utilitarian over diving feel in my price range of 1M- 1.5M Nissan got dropped because in that price range I didn't find a single wagon I liked, Mazda got dropped because I was worried about reliability. 

This singled me on Honda where I explored the available cars in my price point and stumbled onto the facelifted Stream that offered, reliability, looked decent (I bought the lowered version) and when I went for a test drive felt fantastic to drive, If I had waited a few more months in my research would have discovered the Accord Type S Tourer but buyer's remorse won't weigh me down, that Accord is the one that got away but I really like my Stream.

What do you like the most about this car and why?
The looks it has an agressive looking feel especially looking from the front and hides the fact that it has 6 seats very well. It feels awesome to drive, and is very comfortable even with 6 adults in the car I can rev the engine all the way upto 6,500 rpm even at 230k+ kms and it takes it like a champ. The colour, it has a nice shade of blue-purple that shifts with the sunlight. It is very light, 1420kg which means you can corner at 100kph on bends comfortably.

What do you not like about this car and why?
No roof rails from factory. it looks a lot sleeker but an MPV with no roof rails from factory is criminal for Honda. the RSZ version could use more power especially when fully loaded I think giving it 180hp instead of the 138hp it came with would be perfect. Economy in traffic is bad, it is much happier on the highway

What custom modifications have you made to your car?
Custom Bi-LED projectors from Modz n Lights - 120k Roof Wrap and rails in scratch resistant glossy black Wrap from ProWrapp Hood, fenders, front section of bumpers wrapped by glossy black scratch resistant wrap by gentleman called Reagan, he also wrappen my front fenders, doors and bumper with PPF, Ceramic coating by Venience Auto Detailers Sumpguard from Sumpguard centre Wireless Android Auto Radio from Shiznit Audio Wheels painted custom by BlackGold Kenya to be black with Blue flakes Brembo pads all the way round swapped to lower profile 225/50/17 Goodyear Eagle F1 Assymmetric 5 tires (by far best value for money mod)

On average, how much does it cost to run your car monthly?
Most of my cost is in fuel and insurance, I drive approx 3k kms per month so my monthly bill for fuel and maintenance averages between 50k - 60k per month

Which places or road stretches do you like driving in the most?
Sotik Ikongwe road, Southern Bypass, Redhill road

What kind of music do you love jamming to while cruising in your car?
Rock, Rap and Classical

How often do you visit the repair shop with this car, on average?
Once every 2-3 weeks. small small issues that i like checking early like cleaning throttle body, repairing scratches and bumps and replacing bulbs I can only remeber one mechanical issue where the fron break locked itself and that was solved by replacing the brak switch really weird one, other than that no mechanical issues at all and the car does around 400+km per week

Who is your preferred mechanic or garage/repair shop and why?
Honda and Mazda Enthusiast's garage and Homaz AutoTech, they specialise in Hondas and are my go to mechanics because they are along my route

Where do you source your spare parts?
Locally, my brake pads I import by sea

What challenges have you faced owning this car?
I am a heavy footed driver, so the car isn't powerful enough for my preference, but I love driving it

Any future plans, modifications or adventures you're planning with your car?
was going to supercharge it once I hit my planned for ownership goal of driving 500k kms on original engine and gearbox. I have so far driven 159k kms got the car at 74k kms

On a scale of 1 to 5, rate your car and give a reason for that rating
4- it's nearly perfect, will dock one star due to lack of power for my preference

If you were to sell this car today, which car would you buy next?
I better earn enough money to keep this car and buy my next car which would be the FL5 Honda Civic Type R

Let's see some pictures!

We are accepting new car stories!. If you'd like to get featured on an upcoming issue, please do share on this Google form. It takes a few minutes tops!

The next car story will be featuring a Volvo XC60.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this story and our first ever newsletter in general! Share your feedback by replying to this email, including what you like and what we can improve!

See you on the next one 🫡