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

Spent yesterday razzing around Silverstone, fair play to the lads in our garage putting some miles on their Cayman GT4. Think of the residuals!

Have had difficulties getting a hire car/van from the UK to go to the EU from the major rentals companies, on either a UK or Eu licence.

If you do the rental from Calais, do not cross as a ferry foot passenger as it is a real difficult as only P&O do foot passengers and no public transport from Dover Priory to Dover Port. You will have customs go through your stuff twice either side. UK side is XRay but Calais side is open and search.

Yeah, thought that would be the case. No ferry operators are currently accepting foot passengers apparently. Weird.

I'm afraid I've not travelled since Covid, so I don't know how practical this is, but I'd try to get the train to as close to your destination as possible, then pick up a hire car - just less hassle, and you can read a book/sleep/whatever. Then it's a short(er) drive to where you're staying, shorter hire period, less risk of pranging it etc.

Take the family car and hire a UK car for the Mrs?

Could your partner drive the rental and yo take your own car for thr trip? Seems simpler.

Also don't forget that if you have a 'new' licence that you have to get a code or something so the hire company can contact DVLA for points and stuff.

We rented a car to go to France from EuropCar a couple of christmases ago. The taking it abroad option adds a metric fuckload to the price, but they will do it.
As everyone else has said, it's much cheaper to go to France and rent one at a big Leclerc or other supermarket. They literally don't give a crap if you take it out of the country. No extra cost.

However it seems to me that you're missing the most obvious answer. You drive your car, and your wife rents one in the UK to drive in the UK while you're gone. Just get something from Sixt or join Zipcar. Far less hassle all round.

^yep. Thanks thanks dudes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjDEkCFa69Q

E63 has failed its MOT due to blown shocks- which are a) expensive and b) on back order from Germany. And it needs four new tyres.

Looks like it’s staying at the dealer for some time. Which is annoying.

Can you get some aftermarket coilovers?

Blown shocks? How many miles on it?

52,000

The shocks are electronically controlled, with a number of different damper settings, and the rears are also air-sprung to give adjustable ride height.

Coil overs would work, but would remove a lot of expected capability.

Looks like I am driving home in a GLA 200d sport. I expect that’s almost the same as an E63 estate.

It’s not quite the same.

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For example people pull out on you on the motorway in a way that they don't when in the E63.

because SUV wanker

It's an SUV, but it's tiny. It's also got a really weird driving position - I think for it to work the seat needs to be really high up, which is not where I instinctively want to put it.

it looks awful. surely you need to greenlight that Volvo 145 now?

Hah. Volvo money will now be spent fixing the Mercedes.

Black Circles seem keen that I buy four Hankook Winter I'cept Evo 3 W330 in 255/35/19. Anyone used these?

I did this in the summer - took the brompton on the Ferry and hired from somewhere 5k from the ferry. Nice trundle down the beach to Auchan. Wasn't unpleasant. Originally turned up without the bike due to puncture, but got turned away. Actually, cycling through the loading area full of HGV's in Dover was quite unpleasant.

Yeah DFDS do cycle and passenger but on the DFDS website it isn't clear that the bike is needed. As someone found out when I did the foot passenger thing.