Random muse about cars and stuff

[CazzieB]

IF You want it to be, it is. Definitions are vague

best thing about the XJS is because it is white, I get lots of nice people at traffic lights winding down their windows to tell me what a nice car it is.

Its also got another super car on its number plate as it starts J220

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

I do think differently about cars v's bikes. A car is more of a tool for me, hence self-driving will be perfect. Something that is comfortable and serves a purpose to do a task.

However, my motorbike is an absolutely headcase rocket on two wheels. Race prep spec, 0-60 in less than 3 seconds and will rattle windows in the neighbouring town . Shame it's ridden by someone who tends to poodle around just enjoying the low rumble from the cans.

Until quite recently I was happy with a sensible (not fast) car because my motorbike was always faster, and a good bit of fun. However I ended up buying a fast(ish) car which gives me nearly as many smiles, but I have far more occasion to use it. Can drive it in various weather conditions, can put the children and dog in the back, can carry suitcases.....

 

[Ozzy]

you must have chains ready to fix or have put on already

This is the same in Austria and France around the Alps, which to be fair I think is very sensible considering the depth of snow conditions. Would bring the UK to a grinding halt

can put the children and dog in the back, can carry suitcases

Now come on, that doesn't sound correct. No midlife crisis supercar would be able to fit any children, dog or suitcases in the tiny storage compartment at the front (because obviously the engine would be in the rear behind a glass display cover) .
I keep threatening my wife that should I ever come into stupid money I'm buying a Lambo. She says "Yes dear" so I'm sure that's the Ok I'm looking for.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Since when has a BMW Z3 been a super car

I was thinking the same. My XFR is de-restricted and has been at just over 200 mph on the Germany autobaud

Definitions are fairly broad, but I'd say for its day the M Sport Coupe made a good case for itself

Errr, it was a joke Note the spacing of the text, the smilies etc.,

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

best thing about the XJS is because it is white, I get lots of nice people at traffic lights winding down their windows to tell me what a nice car it is.

Its also got another super car on its number plate as it starts J220

Would you like to borrow some spanners ?
I know you have had the bonnet up a few times !
You Dont plan lunch when you have an XJS Just go for lunch when you are waiting for the mechanic

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

Now come on, that doesn't sound correct. No midlife crisis supercar would be able to fit any children, dog or suitcases in the tiny storage compartment at the front (because obviously the engine would be in the rear behind a glass display cover) .
I keep threatening my wife that should I ever come into stupid money I'm buying a Lambo. She says "Yes dear" so I'm sure that's the Ok I'm looking for.

My silly money car would be an Audi RS6 (c7) - the supercar for the family man.

 

[AllUpHere]

My silly money car would be an Audi RS6 (c7) - the supercar for the family man.

Don't get an RS6 if you value having a clean licence. I've had some of the quickest cars money can buy, but nothing will get you into trouble like an RS6. The problem is, it's deceptively quick. On a bike if you give it some down a slip road you can be doing pretty much twice the speed everyone else is doing before you join the motorway; the same is true in the RS6 but it doesn't feel like you are misbehaving. It's almost too good.

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

Don't get an RS6 if you value having a clean licence. I've had some of the quickest cars money can buy, but nothing will get you into trouble like an RS6. The problem is, it's deceptively quick. On a bike if you give it some down a slip road you can be doing pretty much twice the speed everyone else is doing before you join the motorway; the same is true in the RS6 but it doesn't feel like you are misbehaving. It's almost too good.

Only relevant if they can catch you.

 

[Ian J]

Only relevant if they can catch you.

30 years ago when living in Newcastle Upon Tyne I drove a Renault 5 Turbo and the local scrotes stole it twice and drove it down the fast dual carriageway to the coast to use in robberies as the police couldn't catch it.

I sold it after the second robbery as I wanted the sort of car that would still be on the drive when I opened the door in the morning and replaced it with something that was fast but not on a typical scrote's TWOC list

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

30 years ago when living in Newcastle Upon Tyne I drove a Renault 5 Turbo and the local scrotes stole it twice and drove it down the fast dual carriageway to the coast to use in robberies as the police couldn't catch it.

I sold it after the second robbery as I wanted the sort of car that would still be on the drive when I opened the door in the morning and replaced it with something that was fast but not on a typical scrote's TWOC list

I have a Focus ST at the moment which apparently is a TWOC special as well!

 

[Ian J]

I have a Focus ST at the moment which apparently is a TWOC special as well!

Back in the day up on Tyneside a policeman told me that they found a map and it was marked with the locations of Renault 5 GT Turbos like mine as well as Golf GTI and Peugeot 208Gti and Ford XR3i so that the scrotes knew where to go to steal one.

Mine was stolen twice and needed extensive repairs after each theft and additionally my house was burgled three times and it was that which made me decide to up sticks and leave the North East for the more peaceful Devon coast

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Back in the day up on Tyneside a policeman told me that they found a map and it was marked with the locations of Renault 5 GT Turbos like mine as well as Golf GTI and Peugeot 208Gti and Ford XR3i so that the scrotes knew where to go to steal one.

Mine was stolen twice and needed extensive repairs after each theft and additionally my house was burgled three times and it was that which made me decide to up sticks and leave the North East for the more peaceful Devon coast

About 15 years ago 7 XR3i s were found in a barn in Devon They were all stolen some 20 years before and the thief had lost his bottle and run . Ironically nobody had gone in the barn in all that time

 

[Fagin2021]

Apparently, all the Red Bull F1 pit crew hale from Liverpool because no-one can get the wheels off a car like a Scouser.

 

[fisicx]

Since lockdown we have done less than 2000 miles in the car (a mini) It’s almost for to the point where it would be cheaper to use taxis for the odd local journey and hire a car to visit parents than it is to own a car.

Got a TR6 in the garage on the days I need to have some fun.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

It funny that we all look back fondly at classic cars and think how nice it would be to own one, but looking at the car mags you soon see how things have advanced

Austin Healey 3000 top speed about 120, 0-60 about 10 sec and 20-22 MPG and you soon realise its fine for poodling along but not much performance in modern traffic, even the same for Ferrari's and the like, Look great but?????

 

[AllUpHere]

It funny that we all look back fondly at classic cars and think how nice it would be to own one, but looking at the car mags you soon see how things have advanced

Austin Healey 3000 top speed about 120, 0-60 about 10 sec and 20-22 MPG and you soon realise its fine for poodling along but not much performance in modern traffic, even the same for Ferrari's and the like, Look great but?????

You are missing the point. It's not about all out performance, it's about having fun. Modern cars are too good to have fun at sensible speed. Even a chavtastic focus ST needs to be going silly to get out of shape. A classic (with it's basic suspension) can get properly out of shape at very sensible speeds, and provide endless entertainment. They are soft enough not to bite back to hard too.

My Atom is quicker than pretty much anything else on the road, but you have to be really bloody stupid to intentionally get it out of shape on the road.

 

[fisicx]

@Chris Ashdown - it’s not about performance. It’s about getting the top down and thrashing down the road to the pub for Sunday lunch with some mates in their classics.

They all leak and rattle, aren’t that comfortable, can be overtaken by most things but they are fun. That’s why you buy them.

Going back to the opening post, there is no spec/tech. You have to pull out the choke to get them to start, feather the clutch, yank on the wheel (no power steering) and remember how to drive. And contratary to most opinion, if well maintained, don’t break down.

 

[cjd]

My requirements for a car are

1. Fits my two bins - for tip trips
2. Estate - for moving big stuff around
3. Automatic - I don't understand why manual cars still exist
4. No maintenance, self-cleaning and totally reliable
5. Adaptive cruise control - of course. 95% of my driving is behind someone else, might as well let him do the driving.
6. Non-tosser brand; don't want people getting all the right ideas about me.
7. Sat nav.

So at the moment it's a VW Golf Estate with all the bits I can get in it.

I fixed the self-cleaning problem by never cleaning it. Same effort but rather different effect.

As for 6; the badge on the back says TSI, which a "friend" pointed out stands for Tosser Sits Inside, so I got that one wrong.

Can't wait for self-drive and non-car ownership, just whistle for a car to arrive and kiss it goodbye when you're finished with it.

 

[Ian J]

My Atom is quicker than pretty much anything else on the road, but you have to be really bloody stupid to intentionally get it out of shape on the road.

I went on a Palmersport driving experience day in Bedford a few years ago where we raced half a dozen different cars around a track all day long. First up was an Atom and that was really hairy

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

It funny that we all look back fondly at classic cars and think how nice it would be to own one, but looking at the car mags you soon see how things have advanced

Austin Healey 3000 top speed about 120, 0-60 about 10 sec and 20-22 MPG and you soon realise its fine for poodling along but not much performance in modern traffic, even the same for Ferrari's and the like, Look great but?????

Starting to make my BMW Z3 look like a supercar after all.
0-60 in 5.7 secs, down to 5.2 in autobox manual mode! MPG about the same as the Healey

 

[AllUpHere]

I went on a Palmersport driving experience day in Bedford a few years ago where we raced half a dozen different cars around a track all day long. First up was an Atom and that was really hairy

Which model was it, do you know? Was it supercharged?

 

[Mark T Jones]

It funny that we all look back fondly at classic cars and think how nice it would be to own one, but looking at the car mags you soon see how things have advanced

Austin Healey 3000 top speed about 120, 0-60 about 10 sec and 20-22 MPG and you soon realise its fine for poodling along but not much performance in modern traffic, even the same for Ferrari's and the like, Look great but?????

Numbers are vanity metrics - especially the ludicrous mode on Teslas. Very occasionally you can massage your ego by burning a ferrari away from the lights - which used quarter of your charge.

The most pleasurable driving I've had in the last few years was in a 15 year old z4 coupe across a relatively empty and open Northumberland National Park - all within the speed limit

 

[Mark T Jones]

I went on a Palmersport driving experience day in Bedford a few years ago where we raced half a dozen different cars around a track all day long. First up was an Atom and that was really hairy

Went on one if those with Bibby, many years ago
Still stands out as an amazing day!

 

[Mark T Jones]

My requirements for a car are

1. Fits my two bins - for tip trips
2. Estate - for moving big stuff around
3. Automatic - I don't understand why manual cars still exist
4. No maintenance, self-cleaning and totally reliable
5. Adaptive cruise control - of course. 95% of my driving is behind someone else, might as well let him do the driving.
6. Non-****** brand; don't want people getting all the right ideas about me.
7. Sat nav.

So at the moment it's a VW Golf Estate with all the bits I can get in it.

I fixed the self-cleaning problem by never cleaning it. Same effort but rather different effect.

As for 6; the badge on the back says TSI, which a "friend" pointed out stands for ****** Sits Inside, so I got that one wrong.

Can't wait for self-drive and non-car ownership, just whistle for a car to arrive and kiss it goodbye when you're finished with it.

A Golf GTI is my concession to the realities of everyday life, including the need to take a dog with us.

It's a car that isn't actually brilliant at anything, but is pretty good at everything

It's DSG / auto. Everyone said after 6 months I'd never want a manual car again - they were wrong.

Personally I'll happily go for a ****** brand, just to annoy the ******s who like to judge.

 

[Ian J]

Which model was it, do you know? Was it supercharged?

I don't know but all I remember was that it was scary especially as the track was damp and the instructor said that they tended to be a bit lively in the wet

 

[cjd]

Personally I'll happily go for a ****** brand, just to annoy the ******s who like to judge.

I think the to$$er car brands are providing a very useful social service, Useful to know who's who without needing to ask ;-)

 

[Jeff FV]

@Chris Ashdown - it’s not about performance. It’s about getting the top down and thrashing down the road to the pub for Sunday lunch with some mates in their classics.

They all leak and rattle, .

Your mates, or the cars …?!

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

a chavtastic focus ST

Heyyyyyy!

 

[AllUpHere]

Heyyyyyy!

Sorry, I realised after I'd posted that you'd mentioned you have one. I guess you are a young man; it's one of those cars that's cool in your 20's, but very much not cool as you reach middle age.

The ST demonstrates my point perfectly though, it's almost too good at doing what it does. A family hatchback that's as quick as a proper sports car of only a few years ago.

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

Sorry, I realised after I'd posted that you'd mentioned you have one. I guess you are a young man; it's one of those cars that's cool in your 20's, but very much not cool as you reach middle age.

The ST demonstrates my point perfectly though, it's almost too good at doing what it does. A family hatchback that's as quick as a proper sports car of only a few years ago.

It’s ok, I know it’s hardly a grown-ups car. I’m in my 30s….I should probably grow up. Mine is an estate though which I think is more “adulty”

 

[AllUpHere]

It’s ok, I know it’s hardly a grown-ups car. I’m in my 30s….I should probably grow up. Mine is an estate though which I think is more “adulty”

Ah, yes, the estate is actually a bloody good car. What colour is it? I have a friend who has the yellow / orange colour and it's not the most tasteful of vehicles.

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

Ah, yes, the estate is actually a bloody good car. What colour is it? I have a friend who has the yellow / orange colour and it's not the most tasteful of vehicles.

Mine is Stealth Grey. Looks a bit like Nardo Grey in Audi colours, so I call it my baby RS6…

 

[UKSBD]

Sorry, I realised after I'd posted that you'd mentioned you have one. I guess you are a young man; it's one of those cars that's cool in your 20's, but very much not cool as you reach middle age.

The ST demonstrates my point perfectly though, it's almost too good at doing what it does. A family hatchback that's as quick as a proper sports car of only a few years ago.

My mate is in his 50's and has a Focus RS

He nearly bites my head of if I ask him how is ST is going

 

[AllUpHere]

Mine is Stealth Grey. Looks a bit like Nardo Grey in Audi colours, so I call it my baby RS6…

Sounds like a nice car. I wouldn't mind a Focus estate for a practical day to day car. An ST estate in grey is very much a wolf in sheep's clothing isn't it.

 

[WaveJumper]

On the 4x4 front all those I know who own or owned a Range Rover their vehicles spent more time back at the dealers being fixed than actual on the road the latter getting a refund on his new car after three months of hell. I do have have a 4x4 had a couple of G Wagons do love them but they silly money now current vehicle is the Toyota Land-Cruiser VX second one I've owned great for towing and just spent 12 hours getting back from Cornwall in it.

 

[AllUpHere]

My mate is in his 50's and has a Focus RS

He nearly bites my head of if I ask him how is ST is going

In an RS you are chav royalty.

 

[Mark T Jones]

On the 4x4 front all those I know who own or owned a Range Rover their vehicles spent more time back at the dealers being fixed than actual on the road the latter getting a refund on his new car after three months of hell. I do have have a 4x4 had a couple of G Wagons do love them but they silly money now current vehicle is the Toyota Land-Cruiser VX second one I've owned great for towing and just spent 12 hours getting back from Cornwall in it.

JLR build quality has a long history of being at best inconsistent, often just plain bad. Things improved slightly under Ford, but is now all over the place.

When I did collections & deliveries for the Guildford dealership there was one memorable case when I was returning a customer's new vehicle which had been sent back with a snagging list that would make a builder blush.

I dropped his shiny new pride & joy and set off back in the loan car 20 miles into my journey I got a call - go back and collect - complete electronic/ dash malfunction.

 

[WaveJumper]

JLR build quality has a long history of being at best inconsistent, often just plain bad. Things improved slightly under Ford, but is now all over the place.

When I did collections & deliveries for the Guildford dealership there was one memorable case when I was returning a customer's new vehicle which had been sent back with a snagging list that would make a builder blush.

I dropped his shiny new pride & joy and set off back in the loan car 20 miles into my journey I got a call - go back and collect - complete electronic/ dash malfunction.

It is mind boggling when you think we can drive vehicles around the moon and fly drones on planets but cannot stop a RR going into to limp mode because of an electronic window issue ........ and they were half way across Europe at the time

 

[Mark T Jones]

It is mind boggling when you think we can drive vehicles around the moon and fly drones on planets but cannot stop a RR going into to limp mode because of an electronic window issue ........ and they were half way across Europe at the time

And still they fly out of the showrooms. (RR, not Jaguar)

I have a lifelong live of Jaguars, despite having owned an X Type - car that Jaguar's own management later described as 'sh!t'

It's sad that that I will never own a current model, because I know it will let me down

 

[WaveJumper]

And still they fly out of the showrooms. (RR, not Jaguar)

I have a lifelong live of Jaguars, despite having owned an X Type - car that Jaguar's own management later described as 'sh!t'

It's sad that that I will never own a current model, because I know it will let me down

We noticed a huge amount of RR's on the road in Cornwall and on the trip back along with VW camper vans it became quite a talking point.

Going back a few years my Father in law had a love affair with Jags, had a Daimler Double Six at one point it went into the main dealer for a service we were out in it a few days later and he was asking me if it felt like it was "taking off" from the lights as fast as usual it certainly did not seem as quick. We dropped it back into the dealer for them to take a look, turned out they had forgotton to put the gearbox oil back in after the service. I then converted him to Mercedes