The Car Thread ... !

[avro707]

Nice, I remember the final supercharged V8 was quite a good dependable engine as well.

But the racing V12s were something special. Great engines, a very clever engine designer from NZ (Alan Scott) and a great team - Tom Walkinshaw Racing. Some of the best engines in the most sophisticated car (best aero and chassis), great team members and excellent drivers who were fast but knew how to look after the car.

That doesn’t happen very often. Tom Walkinshaw got the right people together to make it happen.

If only he was still with us.

Andy Wallace had some great comments on the XJR9 and how fast it was “it just kept accelerating faster and faster”. Tony Southgate aerodynamic wizardry and a V12 with big top end power.

It was said that if anything else gave them trouble through the twisty parts at Le Mans then they’d just wait for the straights and drive straight past again.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Our Q4 has gone into Audi this morning for its first service at 2 years and we've got a brand new Q3 until tomorrow with only 650 miles on the clock. Not quite a bottom spec but I have to say I can see why Audi are getting a lot of criticism about obvious cost saving and scrimping on interior materials. A very plasticy and creaky cabin to be honest, full of hard cheap feeling plastics. Nice to drive, but my wife is now so used to the power of electric, going back to an ICE automatic is hard for her as they are sluggish by comparison. She has a lead foot anyway.

I drove an MG ZS a few weeks ago as a hire car, which was a mild hybrid and I have to say I was more impressed than I wanted to be. The interior quality was far superior to this Q3 and had a much more modern infotainment system and intuitive interface. I really don't know what Audi are playing at to be honest. The Chinese makers are raising the standard at undercutting the Germans massively!

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Nice, I remember the final supercharged V8 was quite a good dependable engine as well.

But the racing V12s were something special. Great engines, a very clever engine designer from NZ (Alan Scott) and a great team - Tom Walkinshaw Racing. Some of the best engines in the most sophisticated car (best aero and chassis), great team members and excellent drivers who were fast but knew how to look after the car.

That doesn’t happen very often. Tom Walkinshaw got the right people together to make it happen.

If only he was still with us.

Andy Wallace had some great comments on the XJR9 and how fast it was “it just kept accelerating faster and faster”. Tony Southgate aerodynamic wizardry and a V12 with big top end power.

It was said that if anything else gave them trouble through the twisty parts at Le Mans then they’d just wait for the straights and drive straight past again.

I worked for Tom Walkinshaw briefly on a placement through my school at TWR Arrows in Leafield. Scary guy and only really spoke to him once. Very cool outfit though at the time, but a tiny facility by modern F1 standards. I think the old factory was Super Aguri after that and then Caterham. Site is completely derelict now sadly. They had a Volvo touring car in the reception, which at the time, was a current project with Prodrive I believe. I also have a connection to the XJR9 through one of my best friends too, his father was one of the test drivers on the Le Mans project in the 80's under Ross Brawn. He has one of Jan Lammers helmets and Silk Cut race suits from the period which I tried on whilst drunk once at a party, I do have the photo somewhere lol.

 

[avro707]

Scary guy and only really spoke to him once.

I remember at Bathurst in the XJ-S V12 he had an oil leak. He waited in the pitlane for the mechanics to try and sort it. After a long wait eventually the tensions simmered and he then unleashed. His cars were so well done.

Great team.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

And with all the good also comes the bad, not been a good week for the little toy. First on my way to the Netherlands from the UK, in Belgium on the motorway the battery light started flashing. And yes the alternator was on its way out and failed in its entirety. Then the air oil separator gave up, initial indicator was a rougher idle, and then in the morning there was 2L coolant dumped in my parking. And damn, that part that is worth 80 euros but is actually an engine out job.

The joys of 26-year-old toys…

 

[avro707]

I saw a Ferrari Purosangue today, in a lovely dark red.

I like the shape - it’s different, has a lot of presence.

Poor 911 above. Hopefully it gets back to health soon.