The Review JLR Didn’t Want + €6,000 Speeding Fines | Driven+
About this episode
Max Davani shares his journey from a car enthusiast to a successful automotive content creator, discussing his experiences with the Range Rover Sport SV review that stirred controversy with JLR. He reflects on the evolution of car culture, the impact of social media on car buying decisions, and the importance of relatable content. The conversation also touches on road trips, the thrill of driving, and the challenges of maintaining authenticity in a rapidly changing automotive landscape. With insights into his future plans and the balance between passion and profession, this episode is a deep dive into the world of automotive media.
In this episode of Talkin' Shop, Louis and Aaron sit down with Max Haftavani from Driven+ to talk about his journey from hosting car meets at his family’s pub in Wales to building a 50,000-strong YouTube community.
Max opens up about the review that put him on JLR’s radar — releasing his take on the Range Rover Sport SV before the embargo lifted, and documenting the car’s shocking drivetrain failures. The fallout? Angry emails, viral videos, customers demanding refunds… and even rumours of an internal JLR memo warning dealerships about his content.
Beyond the drama, Max shares his passion for attainable performance cars, the chaos of 120 cars turning up to his parents’ pub, why relatable BMWs and Audis outperform supercars on YouTube, and the unforgettable moment German police fined his road trip convoy €3,000 each on the Autobahn.
Topics include:
- The Range Rover SV review JLR didn’t want you to see
- How Driven+ grew from a village pub to 50K subs
- Supercar Sundays & community-driven content
- Autobahn chaos: police stops & €3K fines
- Why relatable cars beat supercars on YouTube
- Dream cars that aren’t supercars (M5 CS, Land Cruisers, F12 TDF)
- Future plans: buying a Lada in Armenia & driving it back to the UK
Thanks to Max for coming on the podcast!
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tiktok.com/@drivenplus
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Land Rover Range Rover
"...I think JLR might actually hate me because of the Range Rover Sport SV, I think, just disclaimer there."
Mercury Villager
"...ust turn up in a small Welsh village pub. And the villagers came to a stop and it was actually quite frighten..."
Toyota Land Cruiser
"... me, I quite like unique cars. Like I really like Land Cruisers. If you ask me a dream car garage, one of it,"
Lamborghini Gallardo
"you sort of type in, Lamborghini, Gallardo, or the Huracan review, and you find your top cha..."
Lamborghini Huracan
"...ou sort of type in, Lamborghini, Gallardo, or the Huracan review, and you find your top channels,"
Lamborghini Rivalto
"...ly, if someone's asked me, I've got a Lamborghini Rivalto there for you to review, or you can go and review..."
Alfa Romeo Stelvio
"weren't you on the... You've gone beyond the Stelvio Pass. Yeah."
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
"2020 Range Rover Evoque. Okay."
Mercedes-Benz Aclass
"from a Fiat 500 or a Mercedes A-Class goes up to a Range Rover."
Porsche 911
"your Porsches, your 911s, it's stuff that we can"
Ford Ranger
"Troy got a delivery of the Ranger of a Sport SV."
Jaguar Etype
"but then it dropped off. The E-Type or whatever it was. No."
Jaguar Fpace
"I can't get? F-Pace SVR as well. Yeah, they're great cars."
Volkswagen Passat
"Anyway, it's got Passat rear lights. Brilliant."
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