Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

It's not...

Just buy a transit, it'll do hundreds of thousands of miles if looked after properly, won't cost too much to fix when it does break and any garage anywhere in Europe will have parts for it. A van is basically just a tool for lugging stuff about, I wouldn't overthink it!

I wouldn't overthink it!

Welcome to lfgss.com

Also 20yrs ago a Transit was a decent place to be. The last one I rented, which obviously wasn't brand new, was really nice.

Can only imagine what a brand/nearly new one with a couple of options is like.

My 911 is 23 years old, I can still buy every part for it, from Porsche. This would be true if it were a 30 year old 964.

My C55 is 13 years old, Mercedes have stopped making the sub-frame for it, which is a vital part of the car without which it must be scrapped.

My (100% anecdotal) experience here tells me that this drives more value into the 911 as you won’t suddenly discover that Porsche is telling you to scrap it, which supports second hand values, brand perception etc etc.

Mercedes on the other hand have just removed the value of every single C55 and CLK55, globally. Unless you take them to a fabricator, as I am going to do.

Boo hoo, so sad, you might well say. And of course it’s up to the manufacturer what they continue to make, but it’s also up to me what my reaction to their decisions is, and in this case my opinion of Mercedes has taken something of a dive.

I’d also point out that if their customer service wasn’t catastrophically shit, I’d get my C55 serviced by them (3km away) rather than DDR (50km away).

If someone is undertaking at 120mph on the M3 , it’s always in an Audi.

I both wholeheartedly agree and disagree at the same time.

Brands that define themselves as premium through quality - i.e. Apple vs Gucci - should make quality products and provide quality service (upfront and aftermarket).

But lets be honest, in the majority of scenarios that is a poor business strategy. Even more so when you already have an established brand.

The fact that Mercedes have a department for creating the illusion of quality through driver contact points - weights of doors, etc. tells you everything you need to know about the company's approach to building cars.

#csb incoming: A good friend of mine was going into product design and did a placement at a car manufacturer. They scrapped that as a future career when they saw that everything was geared toward adding features to drive sales and not improving design (they are a lefty design purest sort of person).

True, but they do manage to say within the white lines of their own lane ;)

As a driver of an A4 Avant I would jump at the chance to switch to something else! An M3 touring is amazing, but personally wouldn't buy, even if funds allowed. An 340i would be plenty.

Really thinking about though, I don't want a BMW. But I do want a small to medium wagon, light weight, supple suspension. Rear drive and manual. Obviously, that kind of car is never ever going to be back on the market.

The M3 Touring rumor mill is turning again.

You probably won't ever get light weight with a modern car again unless you go for the very smallest. But the answer to the rest of it is surely just a 3 series estate with different suspension and smaller wheels? Or am I missing something?

The wheels would be free as you should easily be able to sell them for the price of the new ones.

What about a Lexus? Pretty sure the IS200 was RWD, although could be wrong.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202008112362026

Progressive driving? And the person being undertaken, should they be in their lane if someone can undertake?
Audi driver here. Lol

On other things, no chance you could get a sub-frame from a breakers? Frontal collision may leave the rear in good condition.

All the UK cars have the same corrosion issue, and getting one from a hot country is not proving easy.

Love this

1 Attachment

By rumour mill, I assume you mean announcement...

https://www.bmw-m.com/en/topics/magazine-article-pool/the-first-bmw-m3-touring.html

@Dammit time to put your name on the list...

M TYPICAL APPEARANCE.

bla...bla...bla...disappointingly light on details

They still haven't confirmed the front will be the same as the current m3 saloon and not some fucking god awful monstrosity like the rest of their new models.

Maybe it's because they want to fill up the order book first.

It's definitely the new grill style - it's not being released for two years.

Only way it won't be is if sales are so catastrophically shit on the upcoming 3 / 4 series that they have a massive u-turn which is near impossible considering how far out car manufacturers plan models.

Excellent.

Perfect parking setting too.

Every time I see a new 5 series I wonder how they have managed to go so wrong since?

It's got to be the best looking one they've ever made, and dare I say it, the best looking modern BMW.

The other thing is the over all design isn't some radical departure like the whatyoumacallit designed cars from the '00s. They've just made one bit a stupid size.

Agreed though i don't like the LCI 5 series - they've now got golf lights!

That is a pure nightmare. I’d not be happy at all.

We don't get the Lexus estate here, just the saloon. Which there's millions of.

Re. your 3 series comment, yeah, I drove an f31 330i touring. It was great, much better that the Audi to drive but I couldn't justify the price premium that used BMW's seem to have here in Aus.

Not sure that I could commit money to a Peugeot 308 estate (nice and light, 1200kg) or a focus estate. Even though they are front drive they are the only options on the market here for small wagons. Did I mention I don't want another DSG... So many criteria.

These aren't my words but I 100% agree with them:

New M3 touring is going to be fucking gash, it's the wrong platform
to make a touring. Press and s******* will lose their mind over it;
but its not needed.

Fast estates should be estates first with performance added, not
performance cars with a wanky boot lopped on the back with vents and
all that nonsense. Its the same with the new RS6, it's trying SO hard
not to be an estate it's lost in its own sauce. Doesn't even ride that
well 'cus its on dickhead wheels and tyres as standard.

They also used to ride mad comfy, have shit loads of space and
fundamentally be a 'normal' car with a spicy engine. Get in a new RS6
or AMG and the performance side is rammed right down your throat;
trinkets, logos, lights, modes, all that nonsense. Outside is the
same. Even the new Alpina; literally mash as many logos as possible to
show people 'its a spicy one'.

Totally lost the plot tbh, especially when a specc'd RS6 is over £130k
now.

that's a beauty

The mid 2000 stuff is a lot more subtle, the modern stuff is very Max Power