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

Think I'd be after one of 1.4s that aren't reliant on e5 . Thanks though, looks bang on otherwise

Ariel perhaps use it as their test track too?
Pretty certain this is Smeatharpe, anyways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS2XwsIFVs0

Happy days! Shouldn’t lose money on it either.

They do, that is my friends land...

Incredible.

Christ, full send. https://youtu.be/WHi2DF8eodI

I want something silly with a big V8.

E39 m5?

£!

But yes, that would fit the big.

I should add, cheap to the "silly with a big V8" description.

"Affordable V8 Alert"
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209099603844
Although Capitalising Every Word In The Description Seems Like A Big Red Flag.

V8? Pah.

Listen to this alchemy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am68lQsoNaI

That is amazing.

I'm considering buying a short wheel base Ford Transit, with a 2.0/2.2 turbo diseasel engine. Would it be economical if it was mainly used for short/local trips as opposed to say driving the length of the country every week? Never owned anything diesel so slightly clueless.

Boring car question time but I’m hoping someone might have a tip I can try:

Mk5 Golf has one door not locking. Historically it has been unreliable at unlocking, so I guess it’s just that the motor is freaking out. Annoyingly it’s the front passenger so I can’t use the key to override it.

Is opening the door up my only course of action?

It largely depends on a given value of 'economical'. I am currently practicing driving in the most tedious manner possible in a 2.5tdi pickup and getting 40+mpg, a transit should do better, but won't if you so much as glance at the 'go' pedal.

You'll probably get mpg in the 30s not the 40s dependent on stop/start, speed, hills and load so it's a difficult question to answer.

Exactly, I managed a hilly half urban 15 miles with about 600kg of stone in the load bay today, treating fuel as liquid platinum and managed 35 mpg.

I get about 38 mpg out of an 06 1.9tdi, i don’t drive particularly carefully but am not ragging it either.

Maybe be aware of the DPF issue if you'll only do local miles - you need an occasional 30-60 mins at sustained motorway speed for the DPF to clear itself (and therefore not clog up)

@ColinTheBald @Constable_Savage thanks for the replies. For context I'm coming from a flat 6 auto Subaru 4x4, so have a feeling it won't be any worse. The van will really only be used at weekends, but potentially our sole transport, so just trying understand if I can still use it for 'normal' duties.

not clog up

Knew there was a reason I've avoided diesels until now. Thanks for this and also the insight into mpg, impressive how close the guesstimates were. Ta!

Hmm, I easily get 55+ from my 05 tdi, but we all know VW are like with their figures....🤔

Short journeys in diesels tend to be bad. If it’s modern and has a diesel particulate filter, lots of short journeys will block said filter and cause problems. It’s generally bad for diesels to not get to temperature (which is what happens when you’re just doing short journeys) - they won’t run efficiently (poor MPG), and it will increase engine wear. Then there’s EGR valves and other parts of the system that rely on hotter temperatures to burn off material that will build up inside otherwise.
Here’s the EGR valve from my diesel bmw that likely spent a lot of time doing short journeys.

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Lol aye mine's a vw. I calculate it on an app and I've never been above 45 on a motorways

It would be possible to get 45 on a clearish motorway in 2 3/4 tons of pickup, but I would be forced to commit Seppuku or at the very least drive with a bag over my head. I could probably coax similar mpg out of 3.0 of Z4, but any driver lynching me would have my full support.