Meet the Fast Car Entertainment team

Jules Truss (Slim Jules) – Head of Content

I blame my dad for my car obsession and can even pinpoint the exact day that it all started. It was 1986 (yes, I am that old) and a 5-year-old Slim Jules was waiting to be picked up from primary school, when my dad rocked up in a brand-spanking-new Sierra RS Cosworth! From that day on I was hooked. My first car was a Nova GTE, shortly followed by a Mk1 MR2 and a Calibra 4×4 Turbo, I won’t mention the Mondeo TD that sandwiched a couple of those cars. The Calibra was my first project car on FC, when I joined back in June 2002. I stayed on the mag for 18-years before taking up my new position as Head of Content in 2021.

I currently drive a 2 Series Beemer (company car) but if my numbers come up on Friday’s Euro Millions, I’ll be buying a Ferrari F40, white 3-door Sierra Cossie like my dad’s, a 300zx Twin Turbo, a triple rotor Eunos Cosmo and a R5 GT Turbo Raider. I think that’s a pretty good summary of my taste in cars. Oh, and I’d slam them all on split rims and air-suspension! Old habits die hard.

Matt Bell – Digital Content Editor

Did you ever play that game in the car while you were young where you’d try and identify every make and model vehicle that you passed? That was me. I’ve loved cars for as long as I can remember, watching WRC & Formula 1 with my parents and brother, and playing games like Gran Turismo and Ridge Racer on the PlayStation. Growing up in the late ‘90s and early 00’s meant video games played a huge part in my childhood, naturally my love of cars transferred to gaming, Gran Turismo rarely left the disk tray. Then along came the Fast & Furious films and Gone in 60 Seconds, needless to say I was hooked on cars and everything about them.

I didn’t start writing about cars “professionally” until around seven years ago with CAR magazine. I then joined Kelsey Media and have since written about classic cars, organized content for performance car shows, driven a countless number of vehicles, across several countries on road trips and met so many great people along the way. Across those years, I’ve contributed to a number of magazines, including: Banzai, Fast Ford, Performance Vauxhall, Ultimate Supercar, Classic Car Mart and Classic Car Buyer.

Jamie King – Branded Content Editor

I’ve been into Fords ever since I was a kid. I remember sitting my dad’s mate’s RS500 and from that day forward I was hooked on fast Fords.

I’ve always been a huge Sierra fan and while at University I went out and spent my student loan on a 2WD Sapphire Cossie! Who needs books anyway?

All joking aside, that car taught me more than any textbooks ever could and proved to be the path into Fast Ford magazine.

Ever since, I’ve been writing for the mag and messing about with modified Blue Ovals. My love for fast Fords has only gotten stronger, and I can get just as excited about a little track-spec Ka as I can the latest GT hypercar. If it’s fun and a Ford, I’m in!

Of late, I’ve moved away from editing Fast Ford and onto a new role outside of cars. That being said, it didn’t take long before I was back writing for Fast Car…

James Bowers – Features Writer

Being born in the year 2000, I missed out on that turn-of-the-century tuner culture heyday. But in the 2010s, old Fast & Furious DVDs, modified magazine back issues, and subtitled uploads of Initial D brought me up to speed fairly quickly. Put all that together (plus a brain which can’t do maths) and you end up with someone who wants to become an automotive writer. And yet, I ended up doing a psychology degree instead. Long story…

In my free time though, I worked for pennies as a motorsport reporter. That, plus a brief PR stint, opened the door to joining Kelsey in 2021 as part of the classic car editorial team. I shifted over to Fast Car in 2022, much to my delight.

As for dream cars? Well, the usual suspects don’t really interest me. Instead, I’d take a DC2 Integra Type R (JDM front end), a Lexus LC 500, a late Rover Mini with the flared arches, and a Jaguar XE SV Project 8. To be honest, I could easily add another 20 cars to that list, which – if you’re reading this – is probably a familiar feeling.

Elliott Roberts – Contributor & Editor of Performance VW magazine

With over a quarter of a century’s experience as a motor journalist, Elliott has contributed to a number of niche automotive publications over the years with his specialist field being modified cars.

Having edited the highly regarded Performance VW Magazine since 2004 and founded the globally recognized Wheel Whores brand in 2007, it’s safe to say Elliott knows a thing or two about modified metal. He also has an unhealthy addiction to rare, unique and quirky wheels and boast at having modified ever single car he has ever owned!

Elliott has built no less than three high-profile cover cars over the years, helped bring a number of new modified automotive brands to the mainstream and owns arguably the longest running project car build in the history of modified cars – his beloved Golf Rallye unicorn!

Elizabeth de Latour – Detailing Expert & Editor of Total BMW magazine

My dream was always to be a motoring journalist and I’ve been lucky enough to have made that my career. Over the years, I’ve worked on several different magazines. I started on BMW Car, also working across GT Purely Porsche. I then became the editor of Performance BMW, as well as Pure Performance and Performance Mini, and am now the editor of Total BMW. BMWs are a huge part of my life, and I own three, including my supercharged E92 M3 and my E39 540i show build. But I’ve also had a MkIV Supra twin-turbo, a 1999 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, and a CLS55 AMG. I’m currently waiting for G80 M3s to become affordable, and that’s my next car goal. I love cleaning my cars, and I’m a huge detailing enthusiast, as well as a recovering wheel addict. I’ll never get over my V8 addiction, though!

Dan Bevis – Contributor & Editor of Fast Ford magazine

I’ve been part of the furniture at Fast Car for a decade or so now, and have written hundreds of features for the mag/site as well as oodles of guides, test drives, show reports and all sorts. I’ve also written loads of features over the years for Classic Ford, Volksworld, Total BMW, Performance VW… oh, and I’m the editor of Fast Ford magazine too!

Particular highlights over the years? Well, driving FEV 1H (Hannu Mikkola’s London-to-Mexico winning Mk1 Escort) was pretty special, as was commuting daily for a while in a shiny new Rolls-Royce Ghost, high-fiving Ken Block at Goodwood, building a project 205 GTI for Retro Cars, and pushing the FK8 Civic Type R to its v-max on the autobahn. Oh, and lapping the Nürburgring in a Volvo 240…

Adam Rayner – Audio Expert

When I was a boy, TVs were rented. When they died, the rental company made you dispose of them yourself. My parents gave them to me to destroy in the garage so the fragments could be binned. It sparked my lifelong fascination with electronics, magnets and well, breaking stuff! I spent days pulling them to bits until I got to the speaker magnets, always stronger than toy ones, I love magnets.

The job of reviewer, (for that’s my thing) is to find out the truth and deliver it. All I want as a reader is the opinion of someone who’s opinion I can respect! Sounds pompous but it has been my passion for my whole career. I have written for What HiFi, Home Cinema Choice, Top Gear The Telegraph, even Exchange & Mart! Max Power (ice ed, 4 years) Revs, Banzai, Fast Car magazine (ice editor for seven years!) and more…

James Maxwell – Contributor

Since a teenager, I’ve worked in sales and business roles in the automotive industry, supplying parts to race teams both on the drag strip and off-road racing. It wasn’t long before I moved into the world of editorial, initially in sales, then photography and finally in media promotion for the maker of the “Miami Vice Ferrari” cars, converted Corvettes, a fantastic experience until Enzo Ferrari put a stop to that, and the car (Daytona) was blown up on TV.

I’ve been active in world-wide magazine work 35 plus years, always shooting muscle cars and hot rods, plus did a stint in the “Fast & Furious” scene in Sport Compact “imports” all across the Western USA. Not forgetting the Hot Import Nights that I covered for Fast Car back in the ‘90s!

Some highlights for me: covering SEMA Shows for the past 40 plus years, 15 years credentialed NHRA starting line photographer, shooting NASCAR and road racing events, endless amount of feature car shoots and event coverage. Oh, and the excitement of the car world never ends!

Jeff Zurschmeide – Contributor

I grew up in a racing family, so I didn’t really have a choice about what to do with my life. I’ve been a full-time automotive journalist since 2002, covering cars and motorsports for the Portland Tribune newspaper. I have also served as Editor of MazdaSport, Maximum Drive, and The Star magazines over the years. In addition, I’ve written nine books on automotive topics. I live in beautiful Tillamook, Oregon, where great roads meet public acceptance of keeping a barn full of hopelessly shot old cars.

Graham Leigh – Contributor

I’ve been around modified cars for longer than I care to remember. My automotive interests are eclectic as evidenced by an extensive car history. After a long career in the Royal Navy, I started producing content for Magazines in 2020. To date, I’ve had over 80 articles published in various titles including Performance VW, Performance BMW, BMW Car, Classic Ford, Fast Ford, Classic Porsche and Fast Car.

Rob Hawkins – Contributor

I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in cars and over the last 30 years, I’ve been test-driving, owning, fixing and modifying them for a living through my writing and photography for numerous motoring magazines. And I still can’t decide on what I really like the most. My VW Bay Window camper is the ideal family transport, but my Mk2 MX-5 is my choice of work car, yet I’m drawn to electric cars and see me in a Citroen Ami or Vortex GTT.

Trinity Francis – Contributor 

I am an international freelance automotive journalist and motoring writer. Focusing on all aspects of B2C & B2B automotive content, with particular attention to emerging trends, industry innovations, technology and consumer advice. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with and learn from some of the most notable players in both print and online automotive media. As a result, it’s afforded me the rare opportunity to produce a body of work that’s not only diverse in subject matter but also varied in style.