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

Excellent purchase!

A diff would be nice but not really necessary unless you're going to a big open track regularly where you can do some big skids. A car like that needs to do long, fast, and big angle skids rather than little ones.

A car like that needs to do long, fast, and big angle skids rather than little ones.

Or have 4WD. Like, say, an RS6...

E-Class estate, tweed jacket, corduroy trousers, 500 metre skid?

Red corduroy trousers? If so, bingpot.

No, I couldn't possibly steal BlueQuinns signature look, blue cords for me.

Plus I have a Porsche and a Mercedes - you need an Aston to wear red trousers.

Not used to Citroen hydraulics.

I’d say the 996 did that. (Or the 986). For me it was the point at which Porsche gave up on the still-futuristic 928 and accepted that they had become typecast and had to finally do a proper new, but very evolutionary, 911.

Although the 987 did return to round headlamps, which was them finally giving in.

I think I'll get the OEM reversing camera fitted (which will update the build sheet that Merc hold to show it as factory fit) and call it a day on the mods, and continue modifying the fuck out of the 911.

Quoted for this time next year.

Have to say I think the quad lights on the current range do look incedibly shit.

So much so that Kia had to copy that detail also.

I’ll have you know the only red clothing I own are Sparco driving trainers.
They are just the thing for the 1.6 Focus diesel.

Also, I have never worn corduroy.

Bullshit

Also, I have never worn corduroy.

You've never lived. Cords rock. Just not in red.

Because I’m an idiot I have bought a full set of OEM E63 wheels with winter tyres on, before I have bought the car.

This can’t possibly go wrong.

I have two pairs of cords, one blue and one a sort
Of pleasant sand colour- I wore them on the first ride that Jacqui and Ted organised, that I can’t remember the name of now.

I have bought a full set of OEM E63 wheels with winter tyres on

Was thinking the same thing this morning... first winter with a nice car... is this the done thing? To own a full set of wheels with winter tyres?

Not really.

Assuming the E63 comes with summer-specific / more slick tyres so it would be a good idea to have winter tyres.

Yours will definitely have come with 'all-season' tyres which work across the year.

There are really only two reasons to get winter tyres:

1. You live in Russia / Canada / etc and winter genuinely requires snow chains etc
   
2. You have summer-specific semi-slick/increased contact patch tyres
   

https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/pirelli/pzero/245-35-r20-95w-953627

I mean... it's got tread, should be fine.

Apparently, they're summer tyres. Wet performance is 10 (out of 10) though on Pirelli's site so I would say avoid snow but you're good. You've got awd right?

I’m planning on driving to the Alps in the winter, seemed sensible.

I've got a button for AWD yes.

The car's only gone sideways a few times, so I have a lot of faith in it.

Accidental sideways, or drifting roundabouts?

I like to think the latter

Yet winter tyres are mandatory in Denmark, where there's no need for studded tyres or chains?

There's no legal requirement for winter tyres in the UK. Snow chains are legal but not required. Studded tyres are illegal.

Winters are super mild in general and we salt the roads so there's really no need to use winter tyres in most parts of the UK.

Accidental drifting.

It's a bit like how when I cycle I occasionally do unintentional endos.

These aren't things I can plan to do, they just happen.

Remember when we had all that snow years ago? I was driving the Volvo at that point, on summer tyres. This was in London, and I had to park a couple of miles from home and walk back the rest of the way, which was quite fun in a way, but I parked because it wasn't safe to continue driving.

Same day, walking up the hill I live on, just where it gets steeper there were 3-4 abandoned cars that had got that far and no further.

Given the minimal outlay, and that a proper set of winters enables you to drive in countries where they are a legal requirement, and that they are going to perform better than summer tyres when it's juts a bit cold and wet then why not use them?

I'll have snow chains in the boot, also. Again - no real penalty to carrying them, potentially a lot of benefit. And 550 bhp probably needs some help to find traction.