15 miles East of Edinburgh...

You know you want a holiday....plenty malt in the garage if you get bored

15 miles East of Edinburgh...

You know you want a holiday....plenty malt in the garage if you get bored

It's a deal.....

You'll supply me with enough malt to satisfy me AND swap cars?

I don't think you've thought this through properly have you?

( We'll get told off now for going off topic, just watch...)

I’ll bring my overweight 4x4 and show you how it’s done Grumps

I’ll bring my overweight 4x4 and show you how it’s done Grumps

Ah but you only weigh 3 stones wet through, so you have an unfair advantage over a fat fecker like me ( my head weighs 7 stones, it's that full of rubbish! )

Ah but you only weigh 3 stones wet through, so you have an unfair advantage over a fat fecker like me ( my head weighs 7 stones, it's that full of rubbish! )

My emotional baggage weighs about half a ton

My emotional baggage weighs about half a ton

as it does for all women .....

I know of an occasion where a fabia vRS did try and race an atom.

The atom was being driven as normal (not racing) and the rest is obvious.

You say that, but we had no trouble keeping up with this one - and before you say about 'not trying', I don't think overtaking on double white lines and shooting red lights (as they were) is really consistent with not trying!

I reckon having an eyeline a good 18" below mine meant any straight line speed advantage (and disregard for the rules of the road) was far outweighed by actually being able to see over the long grass at the sides of the road to know what the road looked like more than about 20 yards in front!

FWIW, we took the pic, as it's an 'Emo Oil' lorry in front, which presumably is what fans of Placebo use to do their hair - shame that bit didn't come out!!!

Now where did that popcorn smiley go?

I remember trying to follow a Caterham in my Clio 16v (the original model) and while the road was very open and flowing I could just about do it, but once we got into deepest Co Durham and the road looked as twisty as my brothers handwriting, he left me for dead :(

I remember trying to follow a Caterham in my Clio 16v (the original model) and while the road was very open and flowing I could just about do it, but once we got into deepest Co Durham and the road looked as twisty as my brothers handwriting, he left me for dead :(

But again caterhams are like the mx5... not really that quick in a straight line (unless its bike-engined) but more than make up for it in the twisties...

I can happily say that my mx5 has bags more grip and poise in the corners then im used to.. so most my old "hot hatch" roads are pretty boring now.. Although maybe not in this current manchester climate which just makes driving more entertaining anyway

But again caterhams are like the mx5... not really that quick in a straight line (unless its bike-engined) but more than make up for it in the twisties...

I can happily say that my mx5 has bags more grip and poise in the corners then im used to.. so most my old "hot hatch" roads are pretty boring now.. Although maybe not in this current manchester climate which just makes driving more entertaining anyway

This ruddy weather is helping me to find out what the trick diff does!!!!! Shame the car weighs so much really :(

I am fed up with frizzy hair too (caused by rain, not anything else)

This ruddy weather is helping me to find out what the trick diff does!!!!! Shame the car weighs so much really :(

I am fed up with frizzy hair too (caused by rain, not anything else)

Oh yeah.. trick diffs are the way forward.. the MPS one was useful and my T1-TorSen is wicked.. considering how relatively easy it is to spin up both the wheels at wet junctions i can imagine a open diff mx5 would be a bit.... well gay really.. plus i dont think i could end up taking roundabouts at 45 degrees otherwise

Oh yeah.. trick diffs are the way forward.. the MPS one was useful and my T1-TorSen is wicked.. considering how relatively easy it is to spin up both the wheels at wet junctions i can imagine a open diff mx5 would be a bit.... well gay really.. plus i dont think i could end up taking roundabouts at 45 degrees otherwise

My trick diff is trickier than your trick diff, so ner

of how it works. But the scary bit is the (up to) 10% increase in the output speed of the driven wheel!!!

that tells you a little more about the bonkers system

Edited 13 September, 201015 yr by Lady Elanore

My trick diff is trickier than your trick diff, so ner

of how it works. But the scary bit is the (up to) 10% increase in the output speed of the driven wheel!!!

that tells you a little more about the bonkers system

Crikey... another set of clutches to wear out and go wrong!... would be quite fun to find an empty chunk of tarmac and just throw these cars about to see what the "actual" benifit of it is enabled and disabled.

Crikey... another set of clutches to wear out and go wrong!... would be quite fun to find an empty chunk of tarmac and just throw these cars about to see what the "actual" benifit of it is enabled and disabled.

I won’t be keeping the car after the warranty runs out for sure!!

I haven’t found a big enough bit of damp tarmac to really have ‘a go’, well it is a big lump once is starts to slide, but on fast motorway sweeping bends and slip roads the effect is very noticeable. It isn’t as subtle as RWD, in that you can feel things starting to happen, but more you just ‘give it welly’ and hang on. It really does tighten it’s line at high speed too, bit disconcerting at first. The 330D would probably feel slightly better, but I doubt it would be as composed or quick and the A4 with the full ADS options really is a decent drive. Small tight roundabouts are pretty good fun in the dry too, it’s just you come out of them with the throttle buried (yes I know the car hasn’t got any throttles, guys ) and I can see how you could easily get yourself into a lot of trouble I you aren’t paying attention. Shame all this stuff isn’t packaged into an Octy. It would be way cheaper and make a great Q car.

No doubt all the tech will filter down... like that "XDS" electronic diff/esp thing.... guess its all just a evolution of traction control, and then ESP.. (like all those old vids with cars doing the elk test and spinning/not spinning out)

It is rather worrying though with all this tech.. engines with turbo/supercharger, dsg gearbox, trick diffs, gazillions of sensors to manage it all... all has the potential (admittedly worst case) to collapse the second hand market for these cars if for example the "known" reliable lifespan of the parts is around 5-6 years... the cost of repairs or replacements could potentially write off the car way before its time..

Call me old fashioned.. but i like big cc engines, and electronics that can be properly deactivated... not a fan of boosting the ****** off a tiddly little motor..... fair enough my current circumstances help dictate my views.. and they may possibly change in future if required... the '5 is not the best choice for a motorway cruiser.

My trick diff is trickier than your trick diff, so ner

of how it works. But the scary bit is the (up to) 10% increase in the output speed of the driven wheel!!!

that tells you a little more about the bonkers system

Woo.... clever.....

Think I have to agree with Neo_VR's comments though.. not so much of sensors etc, its more of the complex mechanics.. When those go pop, it will cost alot.. complex electronics are easy to replace and imo the way forward however complex mechanics.. not so much I would be naturally biased though..

That’s why the car is on a pcp and it’s ‘not my prob guv’ in the future

I never liked EDL on my VAG cars though.

To come back more on topic . I think cars like the original Scooby and my car in basic trim should be extremely reliable. Torsen and Viscous diffs and relatively unstressed engines should be fine I think. I think the problem comes when we want our cars to be all things to all people.

FWD is great for packaging, but poor for traction and not that great for handling either if the engine is heavy. So we come up with complex and clever electronic stuff to get over this and so the FWD car has ever improving handling and traction (the Megane and Focus seem to have a great reputation in this regard)

RWD is great for handling and good for traction in the dry. So we stick them full of clever stuff and they are ever improving in the wet although I guess packaging will always be tricky unless you compromise with engine layout etc

4x4 is great for traction/grip, but poor for packaging and often not so hot for handling. So in the case of my car, they stuff just about the most exotic looking differential 9on a bog standard car) that I have seen, on the back, fit a zillion sensors which link engine response, suspension and steering weight (and gearing!) all together. The result is nice handling, but still the packaging problem.

Perhaps we should just let each type be what it is naturally and so save ourselves a lot of money?

Edited 13 September, 201015 yr by Lady Elanore

To come back more on topic . I think cars like the original Scooby and my car in basic trim should be extremely reliable. Torsen and Viscous diffs and relatively unstressed engines should be fine I think. I think the problem comes when we want our cars to be all things to all people.

FWD is great for packaging, but poor for traction and not that great for handling either if the engine is heavy. So we come up with complex and clever electronic stuff to get over this and so the FWD car has ever improving handling and traction (the Megane and Focus seem to have a great reputation in this regard)

RWD is great for handling and good for traction in the dry. So we stick them full of clever stuff and they are ever improving in the wet although I guess packaging will always be tricky unless you compromise with engine layout etc

4x4 is great for traction/grip, but poor for packaging and often not so hot for handling. So in the case of my car, they stuff just about the most exotic looking differential 9on a bog standard car) that I have seen, on the back, fit a zillion sensors which link engine response, suspension and steering weight (and gearing!) all together. The result is nice handling, but still the packaging problem.

Perhaps we should just let each type be what it is naturally and so save ourselves a lot of money?

Bottom line though, its down to marketing really.. (well it is for audi) quatrro is a marketing tool.. and no doubt its used alot for execs to wave their peen around in the board room because quattro must be xx times better than not quattro... one couple the senior managers at work is a great example... guy has had 3 audis now (2 A3's and now a TTS) and he *always* plays the quattro card.

Unfortunately RWD is slowly being phased out... now MB and BMW are starting to make the lower ends of their ranges fwd.. although allegedly bmw say the sporty 1-series will still be rwd.

RWD is great for handling and good for traction in the dry.

Have you ever driven a Smart fortwo?

A lot of RWD cars were atrocious, I'd rather have a well-balanced FWD than a poorly-balanced RWD!

Bottom line though, its down to marketing really.. (well it is for audi) quatrro is a marketing tool.. and no doubt its used alot for execs to wave their peen around in the board room because quattro must be xx times better than not quattro... one couple the senior managers at work is a great example... guy has had 3 audis now (2 A3's and now a TTS) and he *always* plays the quattro card.

Unfortunately RWD is slowly being phased out... now MB and BMW are starting to make the lower ends of their ranges fwd.. although allegedly bmw say the sporty 1-series will still be rwd.

I know what you mean, the Quattro brand is easily the best known full time 4x4 system. I bought it for the traction benefits though and find it massively better to drive than the Haldex system 4x4s in other VAG cars. Quattro is very predictable and with about 370lb/ft at only 1500rpm, it means I rarely get any scrabble when pressing on As I did mention though, the downside is you have to spend quite a bit of money if you want to get any decent handling feel back.

There is a You Tube clip of a Quattro Avant going up a ski slope in a test. It drove past several other 4x4s including some SUVs

Have you ever driven a Smart fortwo?

A lot of RWD cars were atrocious, I'd rather have a well-balanced FWD than a poorly-balanced RWD!

I have and found sleeping policemen to be quite an experience at speed

When I say 'speed' I mean just 'moving'

Edited 14 September, 201015 yr by Lady Elanore

My RWD 2.5 v6 slushdrive Omega that I bought after parting with the shopping car (skip etc) handled better than the Fabia, no, really it did!. I was low on power, losing probably most of it through the tired old auto 'box but it was so much fun on wet roundabouts. Mind you so was the fabia with lift off.

Anyhow, sorry to disappoint you all, but I'm still not driving anything. I have a mountain bike and my legs but will soon be getting a Kawasaki KLR 650 dual sport motorbike. The cars here, as awesome as they look from over there, quite frankly are ****. Truly terrible build quality, handling isn't in the local dictionary, and considering engine displacement, not really bang for buck in the power stakes either. I could of course go "import" but imported cars from europe are horrifically expensive. And jap cars make me sleepy.

The only car of any real interest is the new 5.0 Mustang GT, which has the performance of last years Shelby GT 500. Still on a live rear axle though. Fail.

So it's going to me and 2 wheels in the not too distant future. I can't think of a better way to drive coast to coast across Canada and back through the USA - next summer. Just 19000kms

PS, Ive tangled with mx5's many a time, and Ive never managed to keep up with any of them unless they were going straight.

Amanda - Ill be over for Xmas and New Year, would be delighted to see you and your new machine if you are about

My RWD 2.5 v6 slushdrive Omega that I bought after parting with the shopping car (skip etc) handled better than the Fabia, no, really it did!. I was low on power, losing probably most of it through the tired old auto 'box but it was so much fun on wet roundabouts. Mind you so was the fabia with lift off.

Anyhow, sorry to disappoint you all, but I'm still not driving anything. I have a mountain bike and my legs but will soon be getting a Kawasaki KLR 650 dual sport motorbike. The cars here, as awesome as they look from over there, quite frankly are ****. Truly terrible build quality, handling isn't in the local dictionary, and considering engine displacement, not really bang for buck in the power stakes either. I could of course go "import" but imported cars from europe are horrifically expensive. And jap cars make me sleepy.

The only car of any real interest is the new 5.0 Mustang GT, which has the performance of last years Shelby GT 500. Still on a live rear axle though. Fail.

So it's going to me and 2 wheels in the not too distant future. I can't think of a better way to drive coast to coast across Canada and back through the USA - next summer. Just 19000kms

PS, Ive tangled with mx5's many a time, and Ive never managed to keep up with any of them unless they were going straight.

Amanda - Ill be over for Xmas and New Year, would be delighted to see you and your new machine if you are about

Good to know you are still the same Dave even if you aren’t doing the best fish and chips in Blackpool I had a vision of you doing delivery drivinig in a tricked up F150 lightning (380bhp and a live axel if I remember my sales pitch right and you could buy a bigger pulley if you wanted more power). It’s also nice to see someone else who values handling over grip (if I read you right).

I hope to be about over the Chrimbo period and it would be great to see you and show you my new steed (it’s a bit quicker in a straight line than the 123D-awsome traction off the line…..at least while the clutch lasts ), but you never know in my line of work. I worked on the very first Premier league match at the Seasiders new ground and it was brilliant. Best atmosphere all season so far and the away fans were having a ball (I suspect all the away fans will). I am even not too upset you stuffed us last week, up at Newcastle.

I think when I was selling the previous model Mustang Cobra, it was renown for it’s unique (to that model) fully independent rear suspension. It had a miserably sharp clutch though.