The Motor Forum

Gurney · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:24 am Post subject: Performance Car (Nov issue)

Stonking issue of Performance Car this month. Gonna be stuck in a tent in Builth Wells over the weekend whilst the wife runs the OMM so just bankrupted myself by buying CAR, Performance Car and Auto Express. Autocar has failed to turn up – thankyou Postman Twat.

Anyway a brief skim of Performance Car left me pleased indeed.

A lowdown on handling by Prodrive.

VXR est V R36 Passat

And (a type of test I relish) £16,000 to spend on something interesting, so a group test with all the financial pitfalls of the following.

Maserati 4200 Spyder
Mini JCW convertible
Punto Abarth
TVR T350
Porsche 993
Seat Ibiza Cupra (latest version).

And for whilst I am bemoaning spending £50 on motion lotion just to get from Manchester to Builth Wells (presumably to be pronounced whilst gargling a bucket of phlegm) a test of the Octavia vRS v Golf GTD v Seat Leon FR.

To cap it all articles on Ford galaxies (the old huge V8 bruiser) and how to buy a Pug 205 GTi.

That should keep me occupied whilst I fester in my tent in torrential rain.

Oh and the GTA will probably need a tractor pull to get it out of the mire yet again.

BTW CAR has a performance car of the year feature but other than that it pales into insignificance compared to the delights within Performance Car.

I won’t comment on Auto Express, mind you with 2,000 worried runners and limited toilet facilities I am sure I can find a use for it….
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Turbonutter · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:41 am Post subject: Re: Performance Car (Nov issue)

Gurney · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:54 am Post subject:

I Googled 'things to do in Builth Wells' didn't get many hits!

Now I hadn't thought of going for a drive, might well do that - providing I don't get stuck on the campsite

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A Gentleman: Def: A male of the species who can play the Trombone.

But refrains from doing so.

Dr. Hfuhruhurr · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:04 am Post subject:

Why are you camping in late October anyway? Get yourself to a hotel.

Gurney · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:18 am Post subject:

A hotel would be civilised.

The OMM is anything but, the organisers arrange a tent city around race control. A short swim through the glutinous mud and I will be able to see how Steph & Ange are doing because they have to register using dibbers at numerous points they have to navigate to.

So far I have sat in a tent for 2 days on the Isle of Mull during continuous day and night torrential rain whilst Steph and her partner did the Loewe Alpine Mountain Marathon, the Original Mountain Marathon 2 years ago, slept in the Colt two nights in the lakes - again torrential rain two days solid.

Jinxed I am.

Still, Steph missed the fateful OMM last year as she had some other nutty race and everyone drowned on that one according to the BBC. Indeed Angela, Steph's partner this weekend had her car written off as it ended up under water in a field.
_________________
A Gentleman: Def: A male of the species who can play the Trombone.

But refrains from doing so.

Turbonutter · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:32 am Post subject:

Gurney · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:51 am Post subject:

Thanks Turbonutter, think I might just give that a try. Saturday afternoon and Sunday now looking reasonable weather wise.
_________________
A Gentleman: Def: A male of the species who can play the Trombone.

But refrains from doing so.

Dr. Hfuhruhurr · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:16 am Post subject:

If you go Brecon-wards, I'd recommend the following for a sprited drive, especially if the weather's OK.

Head south from Brecon on the A470 towards Methyr, then turn right onto the A4059 towards Hirwaun. This is a great fast moorland road with good visibility for overtaking, and not a lot of traffic.

When you reach Hirwaun, you'll come to a roundabout with the A465 "Heads of the Valleys". Go straight over the roundabout onto the A4061, which will probably be signposted to Treorchy, among other places. The road runs parallel to the A465 for a while, then turns sharp left (at a roundabout, IIRC), with a long straight rising uphill, culminating in a superb series of hairpins. There's a layby on the right at the top with breathtaking views back towards the Brecon Beacons.

If you have time, continue along the A4061 - note that it turns right in Treorchy itself. You'll climb out of the town, then shortly afterwards, turn right onto the A4107. The first stretch of this road is quite high and again with some superb views, especially a layby on the left after a quite sharp right hander.

You can follow this road all the way down to Port Talbot, then go west on M4 to J43, then take the A465 back up the Neath Valley. It's a dual carriageway, but a good fast driving road with some great views. When you reach the roundabout at Hirwaun, turn left on the A4059 and go back over the moorland road until you join the A470 and head back to Brecon.

I did this several times in the M3, and imagine it would be superb in the GTA.

Gurney · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:48 am Post subject:

Thanks Nick, just printed that out.

I keep reading snippets of PC and CAR, will have read them by the time I need them on Saturday.

GTA in fine form at the moment, got it back yesterday after it's replacement Pillar airbag. Bauer Millett showed me the offending article, how the devil this thing went in a pillar I have no idea. Took them 6 hours to sort - glad I wasn't paying.

They also bent back the heatshield on my front offside Brembo, a run at qualifying speed over the Woodhead last week resulted in a stone getting jammed in it, the noise was horrendous whenever I turned right.
_________________
A Gentleman: Def: A male of the species who can play the Trombone.

But refrains from doing so.

Matt · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:21 pm Post subject:

I'll buy it for the Insignia test alone; the rest (993, 205) is icing on the cake.
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Small car, big heart.

Turbonutter · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:38 pm Post subject:

Nice Guy Eddie · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:21 pm Post subject:

As soon as I'm back in full employment I have promised myself a 993. I shall be down the newsagents first thing.
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PhilD · Running In Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 406

Thanks Gurney, that £16k test is right up my street. Will be (hopefully) in a similar position next year and a few of those (or versions of) are on my list!

Gurney · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:51 am Post subject:

TimR · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:03 pm Post subject:

I love these articles as well although didn't we have a discussion about affordability after Autocar did one a few years back.

For the price of a used hot hatch you could get something with 400BHP (that beats the article by 50BHP).

It's not really a supercar though but you could scare more of your mates at once

Dr. Hfuhruhurr · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:20 pm Post subject:

PhilD · Running In Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 406

Turbonutter · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:38 pm Post subject:

scamper · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:48 pm Post subject: