amstrange1

I'd like to know if it's possible to change that too. On lots of VAG stuff it's possible to change the body controller setup to tweak things like that - has anyone ever asked a dealer if it's possible to change?

I'm a V-Power fan, though 'til recently used Momentum 99 a bit as well being as there wasn't a Shell locally. Seems to get better economy on V-Power than anything else. Have never used 95RON in the Z.

Lucky you. I'm 30, 13 years ncb & my final 4 payments from changing mid policy are £104 odd!!! Was cheaper when I was younger & wasn't a home owner But it's so worth it! I wouldn't agree there lol. At ten payment that's £1040 to do less than 5000 miles a year which at my age sucks arse massively Ouch! Are you in a bad postcode or something? I've got much less NCB on my Zed's policy than you, but at the same age pay half your premium for double the mileage including business use.

Whoops! Stone chipped paint and the metal's rusted away underneath? Bit shocking that it's done that - could've understood it if it'd been clouted loads.

People like ekona, dblock and myself have been saying it for years. I think it was Georg Kacher in Car magazine that said the current Boxster was so good it was a real threat to the 911, at a fraction of the price. That was in the context of a road drive though - which is why it surprised me that the Bedford lap times were so close.

Nail. Head. And in some cases, they need to adopt this strategy in order to make money. Platform and component sharing is key for the OEMs in being profitable these days, something which the VW Group appear to have mastered well.

It's a shame that Nissan don't hold a central database for situations such as this! The wife's Mazda stuff is all computerised, so if it ever gets lost you can pop into any dealer with the car and they can print off all the service history for you.

Be interesting to see some times from other tracks, but that seems to suggest that a Boxster S is a bit of a performance bargain!

What were their conclusions?

Well, it's a bit different to walking into the Nissan dealer - you've no choice on part manufacturer, but at least then you know the part you get has been properly tested and validated. With the likes of ECP/GSF you're always taking a punt on what brand you'll get if you buy blind - ECP is usually easier as their site tells you what brand you're likely to get, whereas GSF is utterly pot luck in my experience. I tend to order in advance of really needing the parts so I can take them back if they end up being shonky brands/quality.

The quality of some of their stuff is shocking, but if you know it's a decent brand it's usually fine. I use GSF a lot for my other cars too, and they're the same - but I tend to only buy bits if it's a decent brand - otherwise I avoid it.

Sorry chaps, I'd typed that from memory - obviously got it wrong! The link Martyn posted is the correct one.

Think my best was 32mpg to Bournemouth and back, but I timed both journeys so that traffic was light and I could sit at a steady speed on the motorway all the way. Never bettered that since, but then it was uber-boring hardly ever touching the throttle!

Think the heavily facelifted new XK is due within the next 12 months, including a diesel variant!

I guess, though the older Jags tend to reach that big car/big bills bargain basement price quicker than some of their rivals. The early XK8s are a bargain these days I reckon, but then I'm not sure that the F-type will go the same way?

Have a thorough look (and feel) at how all the tyres are wearing too - that usually gives you an idea of whether the geometry is decent or not.

A colleague had a very similar experience with a BMW Synter franchise, parts missing promised on collection and then not fitted etc. 3 years on he's only just got the service book they promised him - though without any stamps.

It's a Jag, so depreciation will be reasonably aggressive I reckon. XFs seem to lose half their value in the first 3 years.

A lot of the journalists seem to be getting wound up about the fact that the pricing doesn't neatly pigeon-hole the car into an existing price category. Expensive Boxster rival, or cheap 911 alternative?! Going to be interesting to see how it sells. At a guess the new XK will be priced above it, making that even more expensive - which would then suggest they're gunning for Aston territory?

Their sister site seems to offer the same bits for cheaper prices - even if you've got one of the club 25% discounts! http://www.carpartsforless.co.uk

Mine has the ATE Super Blue in it too, I think it's used by Abbey Motorsport fairly often?

I'd go with the catalyst error being more likely to be a dying lambda sensor rather than the cat itself too. Someone that's able to read the live ODBII data should be able to help with that one. Misfire could be any number of things - do you know when it last had the plugs changed? What fuel are you running it on - super unleaded? I'd check the lambda sensors out before worrying too much about this one too, if the fuelling's going to **** it'll affect combustion and potentially throw misfire codes too. Clutch issue sounds like it might be worth having the clutch hydraulic bled and fluid renewed.

Yep, just a shame that for European market stuff they don't strive for the same corrosion resistance standards that the European OEMs do. I've been involved in a few corrosion tests at work, makes you cringe seeing a new car end up looking like its lived at the bottom of the sea after 2 weeks of testing.

Mine's reasonably accurate - if I reset it for a tankful, it's usually within 1-2mpg of my calculated average. The accuracy seems to vary a bit though depending on how it's been used, lots of extended idle and stop/start traffic seems to throw it.

You can get Waxoyl branded black underseal in a spray can from Halfords. Very handy for protecting vulnerable bits where there's not much protection on them from the factory. Seems to be fairly common on Japanese cars for them to be light on the seam sealed and underseal.