Rapier

[PJ]

What are the pro's & cons regarding the 'Rapier' versions.

Is it just a name tag or are there any extras not available in the others, I've noticed an increasing number available 2[sup]nd[/sup] hand.

[=|[PsychoPoet406]|=]

Special edition blue colour which IMO is the best colour in the range after black. It's halfway between an LX and an Executive with a single disc CD player and a half-leather interior if I remember rightly. The only reason I'd want to buy one is the colour!

[Blue406]

Most, but not all seem to come with that fetching blakc patchwork trim on ther seats and silver speedo dial surrounds.

The Rapier seems to be an oddball edition. From what I gather, it was a highly customizable model. I think it was a no holds barred pick and choose thing.
So no two Rapiers are the exact same, unless one customer bought two if em

[Blue406]

Special edition blue colour which IMO is the best colour in the range after black. It's halfway between an LX and an Executive with a single disc CD player and a half-leather interior if I remember rightly. The only reason I'd want to buy one is the colour!

I've seen that blue on LX's and GLXs too. Its lighter than China Blue. Sort between China Blue and Electric Blue.

[turbolag]

I've seen the blue on a couple of 'S's too.

[PJ]

Ouch !!!

I guess if I do decide to move on it will not be a 'Rapier'.
The old girl has only done 93k and I'd be loathe to part with her at the mo , but no harm in keeping an eye on the market.

[Davva2004]

Gotta agree with Supa on the poverty spec...

Mine's a '99 V reg D9 rapier 1.8 16v petrol, in Samarkand Blue, and for toys I get... air con, electric front windows, a Phillips radio cassette, erm.............. that's it.

Seats are as per Supa says in a charcoal fabric, not velour... it has a fake walnut strip on the passenger side of the dashboard but not on any of the door trims, no fancy computer, no CD, no satnav.

But what is does have is the ability to munch up motorway miles at naughty speeds in complete comfort, handling that does make me smile and sometimes makes my sphincter clench when the back end steps round sharpish in the wet, it's roomy, refined, and is basically bloody good transport.

It's also a lot more fun to be in once I fitted a good quality MP3 head unit and a large sub in the boot too!!!

[turbolag]

Put your hands up and step away from the rapier....

NOW.

Don't do it!!!

For starters I was told that the rapier only comes in a 90bhp version. (But I think it depends on what you ordered when it was bought new)

Depends what you want - the 90 is a far tougher unit than the 110, having a slightly different injection system and a 1 piece solid flywheel, so no expensive DMF failures. The rear drums are perfectly effective but don't suffer with 406 sticking caliper syndrome. If a 110 is what you desire then less than £200 on a tuning box will deliver this without the 110 models potential reliability issues.

The LX standard cloth seats are a bit grim, depending on the pattern. In my LX they look ok, but the material isn't as nice as in the higher spec cars or even the cloth used older D8s (there is no doubt in my mind the D8 was a better assembled machine with higher quality materials throughout), though I think the Rapier had a massive options list as my old next door neighbour but one had a Rapier with leather

[turbolag]

The 136 suffers all the problems inherent in the 110, with the added bonus of a flaky camtrain, a strange chain/belt/combo/lashup arrangement.

[Playtime_Fontayne]

If you want somthing good, I'd reccommend an SE, like mine or Exec. Not keen on the rapier.