Meet: John Marcar
Editor-in-Chief at Driven
John Marcar is an automotive journalist, presenter, producer and part-time racing driver.
After almost two decades working across motoring media, events, and driving experiences, he now travels the world as editor-in-chief of Driven, testing cars, motorcycles, and racing cars for the Driven website, social media feeds, and YouTube channel.
In his own words:
"Hello, I'm John and I'm frequently reminded that I probably have the best job in the world.
My automotive career started in 2007 when a few friends started a track day company called Mazda on Track. I'd go along to help out on my days off and found a love for working at events and with people. Once I'd got a taste for automotive events, I quit the day job, got quite good at it, and embraced it fully. In time, some very exciting opportunities started appearing.
Perhaps the most significant moment in my early career was my 'big break', which came unexpectedly in late 2012. That big break came in the form of a meeting about a job with Maximillion Cooper, CEO of Gumball 3000 and the founder of the iconic Gumball 3000 Rally.
Gumball 3000
At the age of 24, I jumped in at the deep end and took on the role of Event Coordinator at Gumball 3000, managing the production and logistics of the world's largest moving motoring event. My rallies included the 2013 'Copenhagen to Monaco' Rally, the 2014 'Miami to Ibiza' Rally and the 2015 'Stockholm to Vegas' Rally. The Gumball chapter was far from easy, but it taught me a huge amount, and to this day I remain very proud of my work there.
Car Throttle and going Freelance
After 3 brilliantly hectic years at Gumball, I moved on to focus on the media side of the industry. I joined CarThrottle in 2015, where I worked alongside the likes of Alex Kersten, Ethan Smale, and Edwin Klinkenberg (my intern), all of whom have since shot to stardom as automotive content creators in their own right.
I officially became an event and media freelancer in 2016. I worked with multiple start-up brands and some well-established ones too, such as Private Motor Club Magazine, Classic Grand Touring LTD and Driftworks LTD. I even landed a job as a radio co-host on The Motorshow on talkRADIO, which was broadcast live across the nation on Saturday afternoons. During this time, I also worked closely with YouTubers and content creators like Shmee150. I returned to event production in 2017 with a new opportunity at Classic Grand Touring, where I served as director from 2017 to 2020.
The Birth of Driven
After the Covid-19 pandemic, which sadly ended my career at Classic Grand Touring, I was given the opportunity to help launch another brand: Driven, and that's where I've been ever since.
I'm now in my 6th year at Driven, and I'm proud to be its voice, face, and editor, working with a truly amazing team of writers, presenters, and producers. For me, Driven is so much more than a job; it's become my passion and has let me draw on my varied industry experience, travel the world, drive amazing cars, ride spectacular bikes, and even compete in the 2025 Ferrari Challenge series.
So, yes, like I say... I think I might have the best job in the world."
Q&A with John
What was your first car?
My first car was a 1990 Mini Checkmate. My dad bought it to pass on some mechanical knowledge and wisdom. Quite handy, really, as it turned out the original A-Series engine wasn't all that healthy, and it would burn marginally more oil than fuel! So, we did the sensible thing and engine-swapped it, making it a 1380cc - imagine that as a first car! (Thanks again, Dad).
What stand-out cars have you owned since?
I've been so lucky. My first 'special' car was a Laguna Seca Blue E46 M3. I bought that whilst working at Gumball 3000 and used it for everything. From commuting to track days, I even used it for regular weekend trips to the Nürburgring. I've also owned a 996-era Porsche 911 Turbo X50 - it was incredibly fast but remarkably unexciting, in all honesty. Also worthy of mention are two BMW Z3M Coupés, the first of which was a very quirky LHD Japanese Import. I've also got a soft spot for Ducati and have been lucky enough to own a Ducati Monster and Panigale. Perhaps the strangest purchase was a Dodge Ram 1500, which a close friend imported from Texas - great fun at the time, but I'm not in a rush to own another one. There have been many less exciting cars and bikes in between, but those are the favourites, for sure.
What's your 'money no object' dream car?
It's a toss-up between a Ferrari F40 and a McLaren F1 - both of which are stratospherically out of my league. The Ferrari is the ultimate poster car, but the McLaren would probably offer the better overall experience.
In your role as a Journalist, what's the best launch you've been on?
I went to the launch of the Jaguar F-Pace in Montenegro back in 2016; that was pretty cool. Also, in 2024, to celebrate the launch of the Golf GTI Mk8.5, I drove every iteration of the Golf GTI from the UK to Wolfsburg and back - that was extremely special. More recently, I've done some great bike launches, including the new Norton Atlas in Iceland, where the Norton team closed roads so we could capture some truly breathtaking photos and videos in the incredible scenery.
What's the best thing about the automotive industry right now?
In a word: choice. As consumers, we've never had as much choice in terms of brands, powertrains, engine sizes, and fuel types. We're also seeing new brands enter the market frequently, which is shaking up the older ones, and I think that's great. As a result, there really is no such thing as a bad car anymore, and that's ace.
What's the worst thing about the automotive industry right now?
Aside from the obvious, such as 3, 4 (and somehow) 5D number plates... Everything is getting frightfully expensive, from the cars themselves to the fuel we're putting in the tanks; there's no denying that the scale of expense has increased dramatically in the past decade. I'm not sure how that will ever get better, and that's slightly worrying.
What's the best part of the job?
I love the creativity of what we do here at Driven. From writing articles and reviews to planning and producing videos, at its core it's a creative role, and that's great. It's massively rewarding to see the end result of something we've been planning, and even better when I see positive feedback from readers, viewers and followers.
What's the most challenging part of the job?
Time management. There used to be clear seasons in this industry, with busier months and quieter months, but over the past few years, that's changed. In a busy month, we can be cramming in multiple car and bike launches, plus cars to test and events to attend, on top of the standard day-to-day office stuff, so at times it can get very busy with not enough hours in the day. But it's a first-world problem, and I know it.
You went racing for the first time in 2025, how was that?
In a word: Amazing. I jumped in at the deep end with the UK Ferrari Challenge Series. A privateer Ferrari customer funded my entry, so I was in an incredibly fortunate position to compete in such an amazing series. It was by far one of the most challenging but rewarding experiences of my life, and I would love to have another stab at a motorsport championship.
