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Post by Eff One on Jun 15, 2022 22:08:35 GMT
An indicated 140mph in a Noble M12 GTO at Bedford Autodrome. It was quite boosty and you had to pay attention when the turbos spooled up, but otherwise it was a wonderful and surprisingly unintimidating car to drive.
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Post by Eff One on Jun 15, 2022 21:50:44 GMT
GR86 if you can actually get one. You can't, and I'm still annoyed about it. To stand any chance I would have had to be online at 10am on launch day, finger hovering over the buy button as if I were buying Glastonbury tickets rather than a £30,000 car. Ridiculous. There'll be flipped cars for £40k on Autotrader by August. I think the Supra looks great and would be a lovely thing to own, especially with a manual box.
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Post by Eff One on May 21, 2022 8:47:26 GMT
Toyota’s decision to only sell the GT86 for two years in Europe is another case in point – they find upgrading it to Euro 7 too costly. The 2024 cutoff for the GR86 is actually because of safety legislation that would require a redesign of the roof, which Toyota deemed too expensive. And after the clusterfuck that was its UK launch I can see why. After all the hype, the total allocation turned out to be a measly 400 cars which could only be bought online. 'On sale for two years' turned into 'on sale for 90 minutes' and left rather a lot of people, including me and all the dealers, royally pissed off. Biggest automotive anti-climax of the decade IMO.
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Post by Eff One on May 7, 2022 14:17:16 GMT
I agree that spending £20k on a 5 year old GT86 is daft, much better to buy a new one (£30k?) Agreed, except you can't. For whatever reason, the UK allocation was only 400 cars. They sold within 90 minutes of going on sale last month. No word at the moment on any more.
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Post by Eff One on May 7, 2022 9:58:01 GMT
At the other end of the spectrum, I realised recently that our 2013 Focus is probably worth as much now as we paid for it in 2018. And that dropping the best part of £20k on a five year old GT86 that cost £27k new is just silly.
Now seriously considering spending the £1500 or so needed to bring my Mk2 Focus up to scratch, and keeping it.
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Random
Apr 26, 2022 21:14:33 GMT
via mobile
Post by Eff One on Apr 26, 2022 21:14:33 GMT
We're just back from Gran Canaria as well. First post pandemic flight. We flew easyJet as usual and as usual, they were very good. Both flights on time, aircraft fairly new (5 year old A320s with the slim Recaro seats) and still reasonably clean on their second or third flight of the day. The crews in both directions were great - cheerful and efficient, and went out of their way to make a fuss of Mini Eff.
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Post by Eff One on Apr 8, 2022 9:34:26 GMT
Have you had a go in the i20N yet ? No, if I went that route again (unlikely) I'd spend a lot less and get a used Fiesta. Buzz on various forums suggesting that the GR86 allocation for 2022 will be gone by the end of next week. Mind you, half of them are probably dealers trolling.
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Post by Eff One on Apr 5, 2022 9:51:09 GMT
The interest rate is 4.9% apr which in todays inflation fuelled world is a pretty good deal in my opinion. I know it's not 0% but then it's "only" £29,995 and it could easily have been £3K more than that. If you consider you pay VAT on the price of a new car but you don't pay VAT on the PCP interest it doesn't seem so bad! That's a good point about inflation, I hadn't considered that. They've also set the GFV very high - £16,470 - driven by the current used car market no doubt but there must be some risk there. I was comparing the APR to other Toyota models and to an equivalent bank loan, both of which would be cheaper. The list price is really very good.
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Post by Eff One on Apr 4, 2022 19:39:03 GMT
GT86 is £29995 which seems like an extreme bargain. Something like £4700 down, £299 a month on a pcp. Yes - just the one model here, badged Premium in other markets, which means 18" lightweight alloys, Michelin PS4s, half leather and some other gubbins. Better than expected. The PCP offer is very expensive as it's over 42 months instead of 36 which equates to 14% interest over the loan period. A far cry from the 0% offered on the GR Yaris. Orders open next week. My local dealer got in touch over the weekend to ask if I wanted an early build slot - lots of speculation on various forums that the 2022 allocation will sell out quickly. But I'm waiting for a test drive.
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Post by Eff One on Mar 15, 2022 12:26:54 GMT
It will be interesting to see if Merc are in as much trouble as they're making out. We've been here before - nowhere in testing then winning the season opener - but apparently the car looks horrible on track.
Ferrari look to be in a happy place but I suspect Red Bull will start with a significant advantage.
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Post by Eff One on Mar 9, 2022 18:24:29 GMT
Magnussen is back.
I think most people were expecting it to be Giovanazzi, but that's a sensible choice IMO.
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Post by Eff One on Mar 5, 2022 14:12:19 GMT
It would be good to see Hulk back but he's Aston Martin's reserve which complicates matters. Steiner has already said that Fittipaldi would be their first choice. He did a decent job as Grosjean's stand-in back in 2020.
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Post by Eff One on Feb 20, 2022 8:43:14 GMT
We're quite sheltered here and missed the worst of it. Nevertheless, our fence took a battering and is hanging by a thread, and I'm glad we dismantled the side netting on Mini Eff's trampoline.
There was a lot of disruption in the area - major roads, including the A34, shut. More annoying for us was the school closure and a power cut from midday until 8.30pm. With no phone signal either I had to down tools, which has meant working over the weekend.
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Post by Eff One on Feb 15, 2022 19:38:10 GMT
Urgh. Not another one.
The MC20 is lovely though.
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Toenail
Feb 8, 2022 20:40:58 GMT
via mobile
Post by Eff One on Feb 8, 2022 20:40:58 GMT
...am no knee-jerk SUV hater. Nor am I. My loathing of SUVs is as considered as it is absolute. I hate them because they are bloated and ungainly, and any stuck-on trinketry or transplanted styling (a la DBX) only highlights the essential wrongness of their proportions. I hate them because they are a grossly inefficient way of conveying people, and because they are dynamically compromised for no functional reason. And I hate that I don't understand why people find them so desirable.
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Omicron
Feb 2, 2022 16:58:09 GMT
via mobile
Post by Eff One on Feb 2, 2022 16:58:09 GMT
I went for a PCR test yesterday - my second in a week - and finally tested positive this morning. Symptoms have worsened considerably overnight - shivers, aches, wracking cough, zero energy.
Mrs Eff is in slightly better shape, while Mini Eff is on the mend and bouncing off the walls with at least a couple of days of isolation still to come.
So that's fun.
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Post by Eff One on Feb 1, 2022 11:49:49 GMT
I'm back in Winchester (Weeke) from this week ... if you want to drive the Boxster some time you are welcome. Whether to see what the Cayman option might be like or just for the hell of it! Thanks. Ha! That would be dangerous! I had reluctantly discounted the Cayman, despite having coveted one for 15 years, on the basis that 2 seats is a compromise too far. Running costs would worry me as well. But man maths and man logic are powerful forces...
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Omicron
Feb 1, 2022 10:26:59 GMT
via mobile
Post by Eff One on Feb 1, 2022 10:26:59 GMT
My wife has now tested positive as well, with mild symptoms. I've had identical symptoms to my daughter for over a week now - headache, cough, intermittent shivers etc - but despite daily LFTs and a PCR, still nothing.
I'm beginning to wonder if I'm doing the tests wrong - the swab goes in your armpit, right?
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Post by Eff One on Jan 31, 2022 12:41:49 GMT
Did you decide against the Macan in the end, or have I missed something?
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Omicron
Jan 30, 2022 9:32:08 GMT
via mobile
Post by Eff One on Jan 30, 2022 9:32:08 GMT
Having somehow avoided it for weeks while her school friends were falling like nine pins, Mini Eff has finally tested positive. I have mild symptoms but persist in testing negative.
Five fun days of home schooling to look forward to, assuming she's well enough 😐
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Post by Eff One on Jan 29, 2022 14:17:10 GMT
As detailed elsewhere I've been keeping an eye on GT86 and BRZ prices for some months now, and there are signs of softening. 2020 cars that were advertised at £30k+ (list was around £29k) are down to around £28k, and there are a few early facelift (November 2016 onwards) cars in the £17k bracket. Still high, but going the right way.
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Omicron
Jan 20, 2022 12:31:17 GMT
via mobile
Post by Eff One on Jan 20, 2022 12:31:17 GMT
Major outbreak in Mini Eff's school, with more than half of her year group isolating. I'm 99% sure it will be our turn in the next 72 hours.
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Post by Eff One on Jan 20, 2022 11:29:20 GMT
In Japan, the GR86 Premium is priced at 3,349,000 yen (£22,600) while the circuit pack GR Yaris is 3,960,000 yen (£26,700). So for Toyota UK to charge GR Yaris prices feels like a rip off. If true.
The choice lies between a 2017-2019 GT86 Pro with leather and some other goodies for £20-23k (compared to a new list price of £29k) and a base GR86 without leather and associated goodies for £30k.
Assuming a good (0%) PCP offer, £30k is my absolute limit. Spousal sign off is also a major issue.
Mrs Eff views cars as a necessary annoyance. For her, spending any more than the barest minimum in order to get from A to B is akin to flushing cash down the toilet.
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Post by Eff One on Jan 18, 2022 19:46:18 GMT
I've been told that the base GR86 will start at a fiver under £30k and the Premium version will be around £34k. In other words, more less the same as the GR Yaris. That doesn't make sense to me given that it's the junior model and is significantly cheaper than the Yaris in other markets. With nothing official from Toyota UK, it may well be pure speculation on the part of the dealer.
But if it is true, it will remove the dilemma. I'm not paying £34k.
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Post by Eff One on Jan 16, 2022 11:09:35 GMT
Thanks for doing that, much appreciated and very helpful 👍.
This is my favourite of the cars currently on sale - favoured colour, facelift, slightly posher version with half leather and heated seats, no spoiler (they look so much better without them IMO), 1 owner, lightly used, not completely ridiculously priced and not at the other end of the country.
The dilemma lies in whether to bite the bullet now or wait up to 8 months for the new one.
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Omicron
Jan 16, 2022 9:28:20 GMT
via mobile
Post by Eff One on Jan 16, 2022 9:28:20 GMT
Five kids positive in Mini Eff's class in the last five days. Waiting for the axe to fall now 🙁
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Post by Eff One on Jan 11, 2022 18:47:03 GMT
I got in touch with my local Toyota dealer this week to register my interest and see if there was any update. They're expecting prices and specs imminently but first deliveries could be as late as September. I'm going to go and look at a used GT86 next time they have one in, just to tick the basic boxes - I still haven't driven one. The salesman mentioned - with surprising candour I thought - that they were paying more for '86s in part exchange than the customers themselves would have paid 3-4 years ago. Which was timely, because I'd been keeping an eye on this one: www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109157401793?atmobcid=soc3It's been there for a month or so and has come down by a grand in that time; I'd almost begun to think of it as good value.
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Omicron
Jan 10, 2022 10:29:01 GMT
via mobile
Post by Eff One on Jan 10, 2022 10:29:01 GMT
I was sure I had it yesterday. Woke up feeling tired and shivery but put it down to an excess of wine, and went running. By the time I'd got back and showered, I was dead on my feet and unable to get warm.
My LFT initially appeared negative but on closer inspection I could see the faintest of lines beside the T (didn't that happen to someone else on here?). I locked myself away, slept for 3 hours and did a second test. Clearly negative this time.
On reflection I think I left the first test for too long - I dozed off after taking it. So God knows what it is, if anything. No fever, yet constantly cold and exhausted enough that walking upstairs hurts.
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Post by Eff One on Dec 16, 2021 21:34:34 GMT
Personally I am pleased that both Mercedes and Lewis have elected to give the prizegiving a miss. They also need to make their own comment on the fairness and legitimacy of the result. If they do get penalised by the FIA then so be it. Taking this pointed stance is much more important to them. I'd do the same, and then work my utmost to absolutely smash my rivals next year. It seems petulant and disrespectful to me. I can only imagine their anger but would have hoped for more courtesy shown towards their rivals, colleagues and friends across motorsport.
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Post by Eff One on Dec 16, 2021 18:27:43 GMT
It’s the right thing to do to drop it and move on. Both Lewis and Toto are avoiding the FIA event and Mercedes haven’t sent their championship winning F1 and Formula E cars their either. Definitely the right call from Mercedes, though I'm a little disappointed at the boycotting of the FIA gala.
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