ilogikal1

Personally, I think the Lexus looks horrendous. Even it wasn't lowered beyond practical. However, looking at it pragmatically; the VED saving equates to little more than a couple of pints each month. You admit you guessed at the insurance - it could be more expensive, but given what you're paying for the Z it's never going to get considerably cheaper than that, so again if there is there any saving there it's going to be negligable. Fuel is the similar enough to make no difference. Parts for an old Lexus? Can't be cheaper than parts for an old Nissan. You're probably being optimistic with your valuation of your car, but you might be able to persuade the other guy anyway. You say yours is tidy, but the blurb for the Lexus says that is tatty (or actually, broken) and he's not got round to putting the replacement body kit of paint on it. Appreciate you're a mechanic, but it could do with some work that yours doesn't need. Do I think you're being crazy? Yes, quite frankly. It doesn't make any sense to me at all. And yet, you've clearly made up your mind and you're trying your hardest to justify it. So crack on if it's what you want.

For a wheel wax, it's certainly one of the better ones - it competes well with Poorboys so just top it up regularly and you can't go wrong.

If you squint... and look the other way. Then it’s still just you.

Who are you and what have you done with Dan?!?

The biggest energy corporations in the world are all working on truly sustainable biofuels that make as much use as possible of their current infrastructure and manufacturing processes. Even Formula 1 announced recently that they’re working on sustainable bio-race fuels for ICE (supported in large by at least two of those aforementioned corporations). EV’s will be an option, not the solution.

Agreed. On all counts.

If the oily bits, the underneath bits and the hidden bits are as tidy as what can be seen, it's not a totally outlandish price (although I agree it is top end). As has been said, it is a GT, with a couple of additional bits thrown at it too (front & rear spats, and I'm sure I spotted a tonneau cover in there too).

The flip side of that arguement is that there are more options available for your money. As you say, each to their own, which is why both cars exist; to appeal to different tastes.

Depends how pretty they are though.

I'm just going ot leave this here; VXR8.

Yup, LC Hydrotech pads, by the way. S30+ and S20 will cover all your needs on a Z. Consider getting some spot pads (same ones) and an appropriate backing plate as well as larger pads, they make all the difference on the curves.

And yet three sentences later: Awesome journalism and in no way just some thoughtless sensationalism based on absolutely nothing at all (you can't even claim that is based on supposition!).

It was the brainchild of a former Lamborghini engineer, IIRC.

Farmers with large families. Filthy b***ards.

As an auditor, I can tell you that it is not. Yes, certain industries have high HR costs, but only in a few specific industries are the HR costs the largest spend. However, as Col more eloquently demonstrated, any cost saving of automation is not typically passed onto the end user, why would taxi services be any different?

But then you will be being picked up in a brand new, cutting edge of technology vehicle, which we all knows is notoriously cheap... The cost will eventually be really cheap... just as soon as all the outlay costs are recouped, maintenance costs, wear and tear costs, cleaning costs, monitoring costs and, ultimately, the greed of businesses who want to make money suddenly disappear too then you’re onto a winner. The biggest cost of running a taxi is not the human at the wheel.

Im genuinely intrigued by this notion. You mention it yourself, the problem already exists, Uber already exists as a solution; so what exactly is it about EV’s that would mean everyone switches to using taxis instead all of sudden when they haven’t done already?

I think you'll be looking at decades before that becomes an issue, to be honest though. It may become more of a specialist area but if there's demand, there's money to be made after all. Parts will probably take even longer still as there will be countries still manufacturing and selling ICE for a while after the UK bans the sale of new ICE vehicles. Even in the unlikely event that, that does happen in 2030.

It’s just the sale of new vehicles that use petrol/diesel engines that is being banned from 2030, not the sale (or use) of petrol/diesel itself. So yes, emergency services (and everyone else) will still run petrol for years after the cut off.

Some people don't enjoy driving and do so only as a means of transport, not for fun like most people on here. Self-driving cars will appeal to those people for their commute where public transport isn't a particularly viable alternative - stick the self-drive on and spend your commute working (if you can) instead of driving, it makes more sense than volunteering your personal time to commute to and from an office each day... assuming that's ever going to be a thing again, of course - but also for those seasonal journeys such as taking the immediate family to see extended family at Christmas, for example; stick the car on auto-pilot and spend a couple of hours playing games with the kids instead of driving - I can see that in particular appealing to the masses (who don't hate their family, at least). Nail/head; this announcement is little more than vote whoring to the greenists. There's very little action to suggest that this (or the other 9 points in the 10-point Climate Change Plan) is actually being considered as a real thing.

Too many old people who just use electricity to make their tea and watch Eastenders who would complain about paying more for their leccy though. Really the only solution is to charge people who use the roads for using the roads based on how much they... well, use the roads really. Of course blanket toll roads overnight would be a similar political suicide so I maintain it won’t just happen in one day. The fast charger tax is an interesting one though.

Where can I get me some of this free electricity then?

A) Seems pretty inevitable given the push to force the entire nation to go electric sooner rather than at all. How else are you going to make up for that ~2% of the national income? However, 2) There's just so many reasons why it will never happen, that it won't happen. Not overnight at least.

I'm jealous. Awesome choice Stu.