So I *just* manage to get its aircon working before heading off to Germany, where it drives like a dream... until I get to German autobahn roadworks. These, for those that don't know, involve a 45mph drive through VERY narrow lanes with trucks to one side and a big concrete barrier to the left. So I put my seat in an upright position and raise it - or try to. The raising mechanism's stopped working!
Then once the traffic cleared I did a bit of a speed run. Maximum speed I could reach was 155mph on the GPS. My saloon was faster
But then I took it to the Nürburgring for a couple of laps in a thunderstorm (damn) and it was GOOD!!! It handled like a dream and I found I could easily get it oversteering and in perfectly controlled four wheel drifts round some of the slower corners, and the V6 got a chance to sing its heart out
Until I crashed it
On my last lap I hit some oil on the last corner. I was only doing about 80-90mph at lowish revs which was completely within mine and my cars limits on that corner, but I couldn't miss the huge pretty coloured patch on the tarmac which started a nice slow oversteer. Despite me planting my foot and steering into it I just couldn't stop the back end from overtaking me and went into a spin. Managed to catch it on the first rotation, but as I was about to nurse it closer to the line I hit the grass and the back end went straight into the armco and bounced the car around putting me into another spin in the opposite direction, which again I managed to catch on the first rotation. Drove onto the grass somewhere safe, booted the missus out with a high-vis and instructions to get over the barrier, and waited for the safety car to come round.
No damage to the armco, and I've just suffered a large crack in the bumper, chipped light cluster and some nasty denting to the side panel. Could have been worse! Want to get a permanent marker and write something witty next to it...
"I drove the Nürburgring and all I got was this lousy crack"
or
"Imagine how expensive this would be if this were a German car"
But it's not over yet! Oh no. While driving home from Frankfurt a few days later, the throttle jams open
Got it to the side of the road, had a VERY cautious look as this was an unrestricted section of autobahn, and couldn't see what was happening. It just jammed when the throttle was open more than a few percent! I'd detached the cruise control arm with no effect so I decided to just let the accelerator cable adjuster out to the point where the pedal would barely tickle the throttle and limped to the next servicesThere I took the inlet pipe off so I could have a look at the inside and what did I find? A huge oval band of metal
Obviously come from the air filter box. Imagine if that had made it to one of the cylinder heads!Still, it made us miss our ferry by about 90 seconds despite some rather aggressive driving, so we had to sit around Dunkirk for a couple of hours waiting for the next one
Love/hate sums up my relationship with this car I think
*hugs and oak tree*
although half an hours work would have it back working again so I can't be too annoyed at it.
), I tried moving the wheel from side to side, just gently and at about 20mph but it was panic mode all over again. I think the only way I could get the mrs into a car on the 'ring would be unconscious.