tweaked9107

Very nice spec there... and neighbourhood by the looks of it... My guess is US bhp vs European PS and poorer quality fuel. Not sure if the US model is tuned to run on poorer quality fuel though? Looks like you've got about 15lb-ft of torque less as well.

As far as I'm aware you can pick up an extended warranty at any point, but as the car gets older the warranty goes up in cost. I'm not sure at what point they cut them off, but it'll be more like 8, 10 or 12 years old, not 5. Provided you are UK, the quickest way to check is throw the number plate and mileage in here: https://www.insurewithvolkswagen.co.uk/extended-warranty Once you put in the type of cover you want, annual mileage and excess it'll give you a price.

Anyone post this yet? HOLY SHIT... you thought the hatchback was ugly...

Yeh the R is definitely too track focused. Whatever I buy will be getting driven daily so a car with no air-con or radio isn't going to happen. Plus from what I've read the R isn't too different from the S - not noticeably for the average driver anyway. I'd rather get the newer 981 GTS which is pretty much the same car. I need to have a go in a 718 S or GTS with a sports exhaust though. I get different reports from different people. All say the flat 6 sounds better which is of course to be expected, but some do say the flat 4 actually sounds pretty good. As far as the GTR, I group that into the same category as the R8 with the exception being that I'd MUCH rather have an R8 as it has more of a supercar feel (especially the V10). As much as the GTR is considered an everyday sports car, it's just as expensive to own and run as an R8. I'd love to get a V10 R8 and I did do a potential ownership cost comparison with a C63 and Golf R. Based on Fuel, Tyres, Tax, Service, Warranty and Insurance. This is assuming you buy manufacturer extended warranties and servicing. I also based it on 7000 miles per year and a fuel price of 1.40 per litre. Insurance was based on myself with 7 years no claims and no claims or convictions. Servicing was based on an average of the major and minor + £100 worth of extras for the hell of it. Golf R - £3055 per year C63 - £5365 per year R8 - £7720 per year Fuel - £1400 more a year. I average 27mpg in the Golf (I know it CAN do MUCH better) and from what I've read a V10 will do about 15 average. Tyres - I based it on a set lasting 3 years on the Golf and 2 on the C63 and R8. All PS2 - a set on the R8 will set you back about £1000 and the C63 £800. Tax - Varies based on the age of course but assuming my budget the R8 is £570 per annum and the Golf of course is just £145. Service - So dealers only and with an extra thrown on you are looking at about £350 for the Golf vs 600 C63 and £950 R8. That is an average though with a bad year for the R8 (Major plus Haldex, brake fluid and S-Tronic transmission) setting you back £1528. You would think some of those would be included in the major but if Audi's website is anything to go apparently not. I'm sure this could be dropped by about 30% if you went to an independent instead though. Warranty - So this is the "gamble". For the R i'd say it's a no brainer at about £250 I think it was for mine, but for the Merc its £2800! and R8 £1900. It's A LOT of money but any problems on either and you could see bills much higher than that. An example with the R8 is the the magnetic dampers going which cost about £800 per corner. I think they get changed in pairs so that's £1600 in one go. I think you mentioned getting a manual, well a new clutch on one of those is over £3000. Again specialists will bring that down. Overall though the R8 doesnt seem too bad compares to Mercedes... Insurance - Not actually "that" big of a difference really. Okay it's £340 more for the R8 over the Golf but only £30 between R8 and Merc. May be cheaper for others based on age and no claims, location bla bla bla. Consumables - Other than tyres I haven't included this one as its very hard to figure out how often you'll need to change as it depends on current condition, mileage and how you use them. I don't know about the costs on the R or C63 but at Audi a set of front pads and discs is £1275 fitted. Again I'm sure a specialist could do it for 20-30% less than that but still another cost. So ignoring the consumables bit it would be an extra £2300 to own a C63 over the Golf and an extra £4670 for the R8. As much as the R8 is significantly cheaper than most other "super" cars such as Ferrari, Aston etc, its till an extra £400 a month to own it over the Golf which is A LOT to the average person. The C63 however is more reasonable at half as much more per year (others such as RS4's and F-Types also similar in price). Where it gets really interesting though is when you start to look at depreciation. So based on a roughly 50k car when bought and then 3 years ownership a 2019 C63 would go from £50,000 to about £37,000 so about £4500 per year. In comparison a 2011/2012 R8 V10 would go from £50,000 to £45,000 so only £1600 per year. Really rough estimates of course but that means potentially the C63 is actually £9865 per year vs £9320... makes it slightly more attractive then. Provided nothing breaks of course...

Yeh I agree about the 911 which is why it's highly unlikely. I've just got a bit of a fascination with them so if I had 991.2 money I'd probably get one, but unfortunately they're about £10-20k over my budget dependant on the type. I'd be quite happy with a 718 Cayman though as I think the size suites the type of car better, plus they are surprisingly practical... it's just that damn flat-4 that puts me off. As for the TT, I agree it is all very subjective. I think they look great from the front, very mean and and aggressive, but the side profile and rear just don't do it for me. It's almost like two cars stitched together. Really aggressive and angular up front but then rounded off and "bubbly" at the back like an original TT. Great to drive from what I hear though and the sound is awesome.

Looks like a few of us are in similar boats. I'll be looking in the 40-50k range hopefully 1st quarter of next year. I did look at the R8's but just don't think I'd be able to convince myself to pull the trigger on a V10 as a daily driver. The TT-RS is a great car on all counts, but I just REALLY don't like how it looks. The shortlist grows and shrinks all the time as I flip flop on what I want but it at the moment the options look like this: 2018/19 Audi RS4 Avant 2018/19 Merc C63 Wagon 2019 Jaguar F-Type P380 2018 Porsche 718 Cayman S 2015 Porsche 981 Cayman GTS 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S The top 3 are the most likely contenders after flip flopping all over the show, but the 718 and 981 Cayman's keep hanging in there as an option. Would like to get out there and see/test but 1. its probably too early and 2. Covid...

Thanks. Might start using it a bit more often. Just wish the damn car had wireless android auto.

I only use Waze when I'm on a longer journey - if i just have it on with no destination inputted does it still warn me of things?

Okay so at the moment as an example, a 530d MSport is listed as having a £10,000 discount from BMW, bringing it down to £41k. I struggle to see getting a dealer down ANOTHER 5-10k on top of that but hey ho. I would say this appears to be more of an exception as well because diesels are the devil and aren't selling right now.

I've never understood where these big discounts come from. I've tried everything people suggest to get better deals on cars but normally I can barely get 5% if that. The only one I see where people get deals is with regards to the PCP deals that are already in place from the manufacturer. Not calling you a liar, far from it, just not sure how others are managing it. As for the 340i. Great car overall although not a huge fan of the grille. It's not the size this time but the weird pattern. Might look better on a silver or white car as opposed to the blue there. I would 100% never buy a new BMW. They lose soooo much money it's ridiculous. I got my 6 month old 330d for a £13k discount on the original list price. £13k! In 6 MONTHS! By the time I sold it at 3 years old it had lost nearly 60% of its value from list. Compare that the Golf R which is about what, 40%?

I love the idea of the Alpine and from what people have said it's a great little car, but I would never get one over a Cayman. Not everyone likes how Porsche cars look, but I love the 718. If only it had been a 4.0 from the start. Unfortunately the newer 4.0 GTS would be out of my price range even at 3 years old most likely. Shame.

I hadn't heard of that one no. I suspect that one probably gets a lot of attention because of the severity but I would be very surprised if that was a "common" fault. The more common ones to the best of my knowledge after browsing various forums, reviews, buyers guides etc seem to surround things that open and close. The pop out door handles, exhaust flaps, and the rising centre air vent. All are things that should be checked during purchase. There was also an issue on earlier models with the windows and shit getting in the gap and scratching them but this was rectified in later models. I would probably be looking at either a 400 Sport AWD or R AWD price depending and likely around the 3 year old mark as said. Ideally you want to go post 2017 facelift as you get the upgraded infotainment (apparently the pre-2017 one was pretty shite) and a few other things rectified/ironed out. I also believe that all post 2017 coupe's had the pano roof as standard. The easiest way to tell if its post facelift is the bottom corner intakes on the front. If they have a horizontal bar through the middle or not bar at all its post facelift. If there is a vertical bar in the middle its pre-facelift. I also think they all got LED's as standard too after the FL. The wing back seats are very nice as well. They come standard on the 400 sport I believe. I just wish you could get the quilted SVR seats and door cards on lesser models as they look awesome.

I'm in a similar boat to you with regards to looking for an R replacement that's a bit more aggressive, although won't be doing it until next year. The F Type is actually where I've landed. I've decided that with the incoming electric cars and the gradual push to demonise the "big" polluters it's now or never for a big engine car. I've been in love with the F Type ever since that first appearance on Top Gear and although JLR don't have the best reliability rep the F Type surprisingly is actually one of their better ones with a lot less issues. Originally I was trying to get something aggressive and practical like a C63 wagon, but for the 2 or 3 times a year I actually need the hatchback/estate I figured what's the point. The only other contenders really were the 718 Cayman S or C63 coupe but I just prefer the Jag over both. The Cayman S is a superior drive and better build quality but the engine note doesn't give it much sense of occasion. The only time you'll really benefit from it is if you are really pushing it on some B roads, whereas the F Type will be a hoot even at 30-40mph. The C63 if it was AWD would be a real contender but 500bhp through the rear tyres... no thanks. So F-Type it is for now - plus the horrific depreciation means a 3 year old one will come at a hefty discount. The only question I'm struggling with at the moment is whether to go V6 RWD, V6 AWD or V8 AWD. The 400 Sport (V6) in AWD form seems to be the sweet spot I'm currently most interested in, but running costs between the V6 and V8 are minimal so when I get a chance to try them both I may be swayed toward the big boy. Edit - I did also think about the RS3, but for some reason I just can't stomach spending that kind of cash on something that ultimately is so similar to the R. Okay the sound is far superior and it's more powerful but as far as actual driving dynamics its hardly night and day between the two. Some tuning and a new exhaust would get you halfway to the same car.

Just got an email from my local saying they are open for service and MOT's. Hopefully should be contacting me soon about my service that was booked in for last saturday,

Sorry to hear of your struggles. I'm going through a redundancy process myself at the moment and it's a bit of a minefield as to what your rights are. It becomes very difficult under the 2 year period as well. I don't know enough about the subject to give you any advice really, but from memory I seem to remember that full employment rights don't kick in until after 2 years. What effect that has here I'm not sure as I don't know the difference between the 0-2 years and 2+ years rights. A lot of this will depend on the terminology that is being used as well. If he is making you redundant he is actually making your job redundant. Therefore if he hires anyone else back into the same role you may have grounds for unfair dismissal. As part of the process of redundancy he also has to prove that he is using a fair system as far as who is being selected. I'm fairly sure that they have to inform you in writing (email or letter) of your redundancy as well. Your contract with the company will be important though so hopefully you have kept a copy for your records. Again, terminology is everything. Notice of termination and redundancy are two different things. So if there isn't a section in there about redundancy specifically they might be able to only give you 1 weeks notice (the legal minimum for someone who has been somewhere for less than 2 years). Good luck with getting it sorted.