Well after 53 years of unblemished motoring history, my card has finally been marked. Caught by a "plain clothed" BMW doing 53 in a 40 zone at 4.30am, on the way to Manchester airport.

No complaints he caught me bang to rights, but I always said that when I got caught for speeding, I would quit the boy racer scene & drive something a tad more gentile.

So the vRS is up for sale & I think I will join the Prius club, or maybe some other hybrid.

Lots of goodies will be up for sale, including, Bluespark tuning box, TMC tuning box, ITG Maxogen, H&R RARB.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed my 3 years as a vRS driver teararsing all over the place, but now time to join the Sunday motoring club.

Making a big mistake? Of course I am, but time to grow old graciously.

Ahh well that is how it goes.  You have had plenty fun over the years.....

Drawer full of T-Shirts for the same and now i just observe speed limits closely.

No choice really as cameras are everywhere these days.

 

Yesterday a Penalty Notice dropped through the letterbox and i was dreading reading, 

but it was a Glasgow Bus Lane violation. (Hope St.)  £60 reduced if paid in 28 days, and a very nice picture, 

as it is not me driving the car, but i still paid up until i am sure who was.

The bus gates at Hope Street and Nelson Mandela place catch out many drivers - a nice little earner for GCC 

I was hoping for a speed awareness course but the "gentleman" who stopped me doubted I would be eligible as I was outside of the guidelines. Have to wait & see.

4.30 in the morning & nothing better to do. It must have annoyed him when he pulled up alongside me at the traffic lights & I beat him away when they changed. 

My fault entirely trying to see off a beemer.

Someone in my car had a race with a white one that came up on them. 

Court appearance and £450 fine and 6 points.

Someone in my car had a race with a white one that came up on them. 

Court appearance and £450 fine and 6 points.

Wow! That will be an expensive mistake, if the same applies to me.

LOL, no i do not think so.

To get that fine it was given as 86 in a 60 on the A9, and 86 meant a court appearance.

Ah dear!

You can do 53 in a 40 in pretty much anything though? So why not keep the VRS and drive conscious of the limits more?

You can still enjoy the acceleration and overtaking without speeding too much.

That's only about, what, 20kph over. Naughty, but hardly crime of the century, especially at 4.30 in the morning. You need to be 40kph over here to get your car impounded, so I imagine it's a fine and points (do you have demerit points over there?)

 

It will cost you more in the changeover of cars then a few such fines.

That's only about, what, 20kph over. Naughty, but hardly crime of the century, especially at 4.30 in the morning. You need to be 40kph over here to get your car impounded, so I imagine it's a fine and points (do you have demerit points over there?)

It will cost you more in the changeover of cars then a few such fines.

Yeah itll likely be point and a fine.

Probably 3 points and he'll have 12 points to play with. So its not life changing at this point

 

To get that fine it was given as 86 in a 60 on the A9, and 86 meant a court appearance.

 

Is that only in Scotland George, Many moons a go I was stopped for doing just a tad under the ton on the M62 (70 speed limit) and received 3 points and £60 ( as the fine was then )

Is that only in Scotland George, Many moons a go I was stopped for doing just a tad under the ton on the M62 (70 speed limit) and received 3 points and £60 ( as the fine was then )

Pretty sure 86 in a 60 would be a court appearance here too now, wouldn't it?

Pretty sure 86 in a 60 would be a court appearance here too now, wouldn't it?

 

Don't know to be honest, 26 mph over might be a court case but I was doing a bit more then that.

 

30mph over could be a ban I believe.  Depends on the circumstance I suppose.

Don't know to be honest, 26 mph over might be a court case but I was doing a bit more then that.

30mph over could be a ban I believe. Depends on the circumstance I suppose.

Yeah. Probably depends on the bobby you get too.

When we were 17/18 (23 now) a friend of mine (I was in the car with him at the time) was caught at around midnight doing 52 in a 30 in the rain. And the policeman LET HIM OFF.

He got an absolute earful from the policeman but I'm still amazed the copper let him off. Admittedly the police car was following us and neither of us had even noticed him.

When we were 17/18 (23 now) a friend of mine (I was in the car with him at the time) was caught at around midnight doing 52 in a 30 in the rain. And the policeman LET HIM OFF.

He got an absolute earful from the policeman but I'm still amazed the copper let him off. Admittedly the police car was following us and neither of us had even noticed him.

That was fortunate - might have been coming off his shift and didn't fancy the paperwork involved in booking someone.

http://ukmotorists.com/speeding%20fines2.asp

http://scottishdrivinglaw.co.uk/legal-advice/speeding-offences-in-scotland

I never got caught at 86 in a 60, or went to court, just someone driving a car registered to me.

My recent years fines and points have been from going through fixed cameras. Fair cops.

Many years ago from being  being pulled in by officers with hand held guns, first day or week of Christmas Drink Driving Campaigns & only once was a dodgy incident & i was not speeding, that was one done by 2 dodgy officers later caught out for being less than honest in how they spent their working days.

Early retirement obviously, keep their pension, get good references. Work in security....

Edited 12 June, 201610 yr by GoneOffSKi

PS.

Lots of people never notice the Speedo that has 80 then 100, but no 90.

(maybe not something to ever mention as mitigation...)

Ah dear!

You can do 53 in a 40 in pretty much anything though? So why not keep the VRS and drive conscious of the limits more?

You can still enjoy the acceleration and overtaking without speeding too much.

 

I've thought about it long & hard, & this is what I reckon.

 

1)I know it's easy to break speed limits in most cars; it's just so much easier in a vRS.  I can't resist a challenge - like the beemer that pulled up alongside me at the lights (didn't know it was the fuzz though)

2)I'm 71 & I really should be thinking more about comfort than speed. I don't need to impress anyone any more, SWMBO gets panic attacks if I go more than 50 mph.

3) I travel to Spain & back 3 times a year at a round trip cost in excess of £500. I reckon I could cut that in half with a hybrid.

4) Warranty on the vRS is up. Things are bound to start going wrong. Don't relish the thought of a new gearbox or engine.

5) I still get my thrills from my microlight, now based in Spain.  300 days of soaring over the Sierra Espuna is hard to beat.

6) Zero road tax & fuel economy was the clincher.

 

So that's all folks, it's goodbye from me.

I've thought about it long & hard, & this is what I reckon.

 

1)I know it's easy to break speed limits in most cars; it's just so much easier in a vRS.  I can't resist a challenge - like the beemer that pulled up alongside me at the lights (didn't know it was the fuzz though)

2)I'm 71 & I really should be thinking more about comfort than speed. I don't need to impress anyone any more, SWMBO gets panic attacks if I go more than 50 mph.

3) I travel to Spain & back 3 times a year at a round trip cost in excess of £500. I reckon I could cut that in half with a hybrid.

4) Warranty on the vRS is up. Things are bound to start going wrong. Don't relish the thought of a new gearbox or engine.

5) I still get my thrills from my microlight, now based in Spain.  300 days of soaring over the Sierra Espuna is hard to beat.

6) Zero road tax & fuel economy was the clincher.

 

So that's all folks, it's goodbye from me.

 

 

Each to their own isnt it, and what ever is right for you. 

 

'The throttle works both ways' though as they say in motorcycling. 

 

If you're doing that kind of mileage over to Spain, then yeah, i wouldn't really own any Fabia tbh and certainly not a VRS. Not that they cant do it, just that theirs many better cars out there for the job. 

 

Fair shout not wanting to keep it out of warranty too. Although extended warranties could be an option if you were to think about keeping. 

 

Sounds like your minds made up anyway matey. Which Hybrid is it you're looking at? 

 

 

Sounds like your minds made up anyway matey. Which Hybrid is it you're looking at? 

 

Either a Toyota Prius or Peugeot 3008. I have road tested the Prius & it does every thing I need. Quite nippy too. Have yet to road test the Peugeot.

I think the PX offer on the Fabia will decide things. They range from £6500(Arnold Clark) to £8000 (Evans Halshaw)

Maybe if not done so check out the Honda Insight.

 

Often when trading in a Twincharger 'Not touch with a barge pole' comes to mind, 

but if a Dealer has a Honda Insight sitting and not selling because of people thinking 'Do not touch with a barge pole', 

a deal might work your way.

Reading this confirms to me I made the right choice getting shot of my Golf R.

I just so struggled to have self control at all times and one small lapse throws you into bans and big fine territory.

Hope it's not too painful for the 53 in a 40 :(

Reading this confirms to me I made the right choice getting shot of my Golf R.

I just so struggled to have self control at all times and one small lapse throws you into bans and big fine territory.

Hope it's not too painful for the 53 in a 40 :(

 

Each to their own isnt it 

 

Seems daft to me. Theres loads of stuff loads faster than an R or a VRS about and not everybody has been banned or died. 

 

Just gotta choose the places to open up, have fun when safe to do so, but have self control the rest of the time. 

 

Anything fast can go normal speed. 

By today's standards the vRS isn't even particularly fast - it's nippy-ish and you can keep up with the traffic in it - just the job for me.