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Post by johnc on Jul 31, 2019 10:51:42 GMT
I have an acquaintance who has always had fast cars. Before I bought my car he was considering buying an M5 but decided instead to buy a new 911 (which cost about £55K more than my car did). Before he got his car and just after I got mine, he called in to see me and in his normal tactless manner, looked around mine, sat in it and then announced "No I'm really glad I ordered the 911 instead". I never saw him as a 911 man.
He has had his new 911 (a fully loaded Carrera S) for about a month now and called in yesterday to drop some stuff off. He is tall (6'4"), has always had bad knees and is of an age when he is looking forward to his State pension starting. His first words about the car were "It's killing me getting in an out of this. I don't know how long the knees will take it. I don't think the car I tried was as low as this one". I just had to tell him that he should have bought an M5 instead. He says he might trade it for a Macan Turbo if he can't find a way to get in and out easily.
I think the 911 purchase was just him giving his ego a boost but I am amazed that he didn't consider the practicalities a bit more before parting with so much money. I don't have much sympathy though because of his long term lack of consideration for others and his complete lack of tact. He has probably only survived because of the size he is - I have never asked what happened to his knees - maybe that's where pissed off people kick him!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2019 11:52:25 GMT
Doesn't sound like a charmer, does he?
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Post by ChrisM on Jul 31, 2019 12:24:17 GMT
.... His first words about the car were "It's killing me getting in an out of this. I don't know how long the knees will take it. I don't think the car I tried was as low as this one"........ ..... but I am amazed that he didn't consider the practicalities a bit more before parting with so much money. This is why some of us like MPVs and SUVs. Despite others saying that they don't understand the popularity of SUVs, to those of us who get old not-so gracefully they are almost an essential health need ! Despite wanting a 911, even if I were in the position to afford to buy and run one, I wouldn't. It's too late in life for something like that and it's just another dream that will never get fulfilled
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Post by Tim on Jul 31, 2019 14:45:09 GMT
There is a halfway house Chris, it's a saloon/estate car.
If you're buying at the 911 price point then its going to be a full-size SUV and speaking as a 5' 7" tall man I find those as difficult to get into as a low slung sportscar and surely that's going to be exacerbated by someone older as they inevitably have to twist round as they're getting into the SUV - most of which have some form of side step that's main aim appears to be to cause ankle injuries as you get your foot stuck between it and the sill.
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Post by PetrolEd on Jul 31, 2019 14:46:37 GMT
I'm a middle aged fat knacker and get in and out of the Cayman easy enough.
Still, probably just as well he went for the 911 as they're pretty much fetching list and a new M5 would have done him 30k if he wanted out of that into an SUV.
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Post by johnc on Jul 31, 2019 14:48:34 GMT
Doesn't sound like a charmer, does he? No, he always wants something for nothing but if you are buying from him it is full price+ regardless of who you are or the favours you might have done him.
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Post by michael on Jul 31, 2019 14:51:09 GMT
Let him know that Arial Atoms are unusually good for a bad back but suggest they might be out of his price range. Such a tactic will guarantee this insecure tosser will never darken your door again as his feeble spine should be soon completely shot rendering him crippled and house-bound.
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Post by Martin on Jul 31, 2019 15:48:34 GMT
There is a halfway house Chris, it's a saloon/estate car. If you're buying at the 911 price point then its going to be a full-size SUV and speaking as a 5' 7" tall man I find those as difficult to get into as a low slung sportscar Yes, not difficult to get out of a big saloon/estate and if he’d bought a decent spec M5 he could have had a nice massage to help with his aching bones. Lindsay is a lot shorter than me and found it difficult to get in/out of the X5 than the 7, even when it was in access mode. Back to the OP...sounds like a lovely guy.
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Post by ChrisM on Jul 31, 2019 17:07:52 GMT
There is a halfway house Chris, it's a saloon/estate car. Sorry but I find it painful and awkward to get into mum/elder daughter's V70 now. "Traditional" cars hurt for the wrong reasons.... it's called age !
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Post by racingteatray on Jul 31, 2019 17:39:50 GMT
There is a halfway house Chris, it's a saloon/estate car. Sorry but I find it painful and awkward to get into mum/elder daughter's V70 now. "Traditional" cars hurt for the wrong reasons.... it's called age ! How old are you?
Both my parents swapped from normal cars to SUVs (A3 to Countryman and A7 to SQ5) last time they changed car but they were both in their early 70s at that point.
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Post by Martin on Jul 31, 2019 17:44:49 GMT
There is a halfway house Chris, it's a saloon/estate car. Sorry but I find it painful and awkward to get into mum/elder daughter's V70 now. "Traditional" cars hurt for the wrong reasons.... it's called age ! How on earth do you get in and out of the little Fiesta if a V70 is a struggle? My parents are heading into their mid 70s and have an Up for local trips and 6GT for longer journeys. To be fair they do like the slightly higher seating position in the 6 (vs his F11 5), but they've strongly resisted an SUV because they don’t like them. Apart from the Bentayga weirdly..... anyway, my mum has had 2 x hip operations and can still get in and out of a normal car without issues. edit: I can’t think how it would be difficult to get in and out of mine. As well as the steering wheel moving up and out of the way when the ignition is stunned off, the side bolsters even ease right off so, you could slide right into the seat. You don’t have to climb up or lower yourself down much or all.
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Post by Stuntman on Jul 31, 2019 19:51:20 GMT
John, tell your acquaintance that he needs to consider a Radical solution...
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Post by ChrisM on Jul 31, 2019 21:00:16 GMT
Strangely enough the Fiesta is tall for a small car, and the V70 is particularly low, so much so that even my dad struggled in the last few months of his active life to get into it as a front-seat passenger.
I like the thought of stunning the ignition off in a 7-series, sadly I'll never be able to afford such a decent car
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Post by Martin on Jul 31, 2019 21:13:30 GMT
Strangely enough the Fiesta is tall for a small car, and the V70 is particularly low, so much so that even my dad struggled in the last few months of his active life to get into it as a front-seat passenger. I like the thought of stunning the ignition off in a 7-series, sadly I'll never be able to afford such a decent car Turning rather than stunning! Current (pre horrendous grille) shape 7 series start from around £25k, £27k for a lower mileage one from a main dealer. That’s a lot of car for the money and must be around the post discount price of a new Kuga? No spare wheel or wardrobe carrying capacity though....
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Post by Roadsterstu on Jul 31, 2019 21:33:42 GMT
Ffs Chris...
And John, your bloke sounds like a right penis.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2019 22:43:31 GMT
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Post by Roadsterstu on Aug 1, 2019 7:49:53 GMT
The desperate need to something, anything in the paper, just to fill a space.
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Post by Blarno on Aug 1, 2019 10:43:33 GMT
John, send him our way to buy a Mono.
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Post by Ben on Aug 1, 2019 10:57:22 GMT
Sigh.
This is what I always tell people, always try before you buy. Lots of people spunk significant amounts of money on a car that they later end up finding unsuitable. What a waste.
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Post by racingteatray on Aug 1, 2019 13:03:58 GMT
Sigh. This is what I always tell people, always try before you buy. Lots of people spunk significant amounts of money on a car that they later end up finding unsuitable. What a waste. I think it happens more frequently with Porsches than other cars, because they're one of those cars many people have always promised themselves.
Not long ago, a London-dwelling friend of ours (early-40s) decided he wanted a toy to go with their X5 M50d family wagon, and went out and bought £20k's worth of early 997 Carrera (non-S coupe) with a man-box. Did all the things I told him not to, including buying the very first one he saw.
I think he kept it at most six months before selling it admitting that he found it desperately uncomfortable and a pain to drive in traffic - gave him back and leg ache. Instead he now has a very raffish and presumably much more comfortable early 1970s chrome-bumper RR Corniche coupe, which he seems much happier with.
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Post by Stuntman on Aug 4, 2019 9:10:49 GMT
^^ Shame in some ways, I'm sure many of us would covet an early 997 Carrera with a manual box. I test drove one back in 2005 and liked it. But yes, fully agree with the general sentiment that quite often people think they want 'x', but in reality 'x' doesn't really suit them.
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Post by alf on Aug 9, 2019 13:43:45 GMT
He sounds like my replacement with Mrs ALF physically
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Post by racingteatray on Aug 12, 2019 11:36:31 GMT
He sounds like my replacement with Mrs ALF physically Has he ditched her for Joanna Lumley then?!
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Post by johnc on Oct 11, 2019 7:28:58 GMT
Part 2 of this - he called a couple of days a go and asked if I had time for lunch on Thursday because he wanted to ask me a few things. I didn't really have the time but said I could manage something if it was close by. He turned up and I fully expected him to take me in his (now run in) C2S. The first thing he asked was could I take my car which wasn't really a problem. It would appear that the main purpose of his visit was to have a really good poke around the M5 and ask me about all the extras and packs etc. He really liked the interior this time despite his previous comments and thought it was very comfortable and very quick. He then asked me if I thought he was mad if he got an M5 and kept the 911. If you can afford it and it's what you want, who am I to tell you it's a daft idea I said.
I got the feeling that the 911 really wasn't what he needed day to day and getting in and out was now a serious issue for him so instead of selling it and buying what suited him better, he can't lose face and "has" to keep it for a couple of years at least.
It did cross my mind that i should offer him a swop but then I remembered that he would want mine for trade price and would want full retail for his so the words didn't leave my mouth.
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Post by bryan on Oct 11, 2019 11:17:47 GMT
But the 911 could fill some new found garage space in a couple of years😀
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Post by ChrisM on Oct 11, 2019 11:44:09 GMT
^ SO that'll be 2 of you with an M5 and a 911 each, then ??
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Post by johnc on Oct 11, 2019 12:16:22 GMT
^ SO that'll be 2 of you with an M5 and a 911 each, then ?? I really don't see the budget stretching that far.
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Post by johnc on Oct 11, 2019 12:33:55 GMT
But the 911 could fill some new found garage space in a couple of years😀 I'm not convinced. The engine note on the new 911 sounds a bit hollow or weak at tickover (although it pulls really strongly) and the interior, whilst nice, looks a bit cheap plastic to me. Some of it is black anodised aluminium I think but it looks like plastic until you touch it. I reckon the 997 looked more luxurious and less black plastic. I dare say I could look at the configurator and find a way to spec it up with things that improve it to my eyes but this car was over £130K! and really shouldn't need more money thrown at it to make it right. It is also white with all black interior which doesn't do it any favours in my eyes. The panoramic roof is nice though.
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Post by bryan on Oct 11, 2019 12:46:41 GMT
I'm with you on older cars being more characterful.not much new floats my boat any more.
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Post by racingteatray on Oct 11, 2019 13:47:09 GMT
White Porsche 911?
Ewwww...each to their own but....
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