Post by alf on Sept 23, 2024 15:16:28 GMT
This is what it all comes down to in life isn't it: balance. Time and money especially are limited resources... My wobbles came from feeling there is too much capital and ongoing investment in this car, for the use it gets (and for how much I use what its really good for). It was not helpful that I bought just before a crash in prices in Q4 last year either, though QF's seem to be coming back up now if anything.
As a very emotive buyer, I continue to not be able to get excited about the alternatives. And though I still favour the Veloce over some more powerful BMW's and so on, people really struggle to sell them as far as I can work out - QF's are always in demand as there was such massive interest and positive hype about them.
It annoys me that so many insurance companies take such a hard line on ECU mods as well, as the things that bug me about the drive of the car could easily be resolved. The remap I would go for:
squadra-tuning.com/chiptuning/alfa-romeo/giulia-alfa-romeo/quadrafoglio-8at/
Just tinkers with driving modes and disables cylinder deactivation). "Normal" mode is just far too normal for me, Dynamic and Race have too jumpy a throttle for some driving (anything in traffic or town), and Dynamic still has a lot of torque reduction in gears 1-4 (the article above is the best description of the driving modes) I'd like Dynamic mode with full torque, and control over the exhaust valves fully on or off. And defintely cylinder deactivation disabled for good in either all modes, or all bar eco. I felt the car without it on a long drive with the engine light on back from Glasgow and it was miles better - and still returned over 35MPG. Ironic that a "restricted" mode would feel better on the motorway than stock! In Normal mode on a main road and light throttle, it drops into deactivation far too easily and then you are driving a turbocharged 1.5litre 3 cylinder engine - laggy, slow, rough and drony. Thats been my biggest issue with the car. I'm now resolving to drive it in Dynamic more, even if it means more revs on main roads - it still can use deactivation but uses it a lot less. I've had to put my seat back a bit to allow my foot more sensitivity as the throttle is so damned responsive in this mode though! And in Race its more so, only with all the aids switched off and full torque. Focuses the mind (to be fair to it, its not snapped on me once like the Jags did endless times, it steps out in a lovely way).
Meanwhile, pondering having more money in the second car next time (991?) and a cheaper main car, I've come across experienced Porsche buyers who have spent £12k in year 1 on them. When they thought they knew what they were doing when buying them............. Not a cheap game this car lark is it? If you look at parts prices, Veloce parts like brake discs and shocks are a third to a fifth the Quad ones, which seems like price gouging from Alfa...
As a very emotive buyer, I continue to not be able to get excited about the alternatives. And though I still favour the Veloce over some more powerful BMW's and so on, people really struggle to sell them as far as I can work out - QF's are always in demand as there was such massive interest and positive hype about them.
It annoys me that so many insurance companies take such a hard line on ECU mods as well, as the things that bug me about the drive of the car could easily be resolved. The remap I would go for:
squadra-tuning.com/chiptuning/alfa-romeo/giulia-alfa-romeo/quadrafoglio-8at/
Just tinkers with driving modes and disables cylinder deactivation). "Normal" mode is just far too normal for me, Dynamic and Race have too jumpy a throttle for some driving (anything in traffic or town), and Dynamic still has a lot of torque reduction in gears 1-4 (the article above is the best description of the driving modes) I'd like Dynamic mode with full torque, and control over the exhaust valves fully on or off. And defintely cylinder deactivation disabled for good in either all modes, or all bar eco. I felt the car without it on a long drive with the engine light on back from Glasgow and it was miles better - and still returned over 35MPG. Ironic that a "restricted" mode would feel better on the motorway than stock! In Normal mode on a main road and light throttle, it drops into deactivation far too easily and then you are driving a turbocharged 1.5litre 3 cylinder engine - laggy, slow, rough and drony. Thats been my biggest issue with the car. I'm now resolving to drive it in Dynamic more, even if it means more revs on main roads - it still can use deactivation but uses it a lot less. I've had to put my seat back a bit to allow my foot more sensitivity as the throttle is so damned responsive in this mode though! And in Race its more so, only with all the aids switched off and full torque. Focuses the mind (to be fair to it, its not snapped on me once like the Jags did endless times, it steps out in a lovely way).
Meanwhile, pondering having more money in the second car next time (991?) and a cheaper main car, I've come across experienced Porsche buyers who have spent £12k in year 1 on them. When they thought they knew what they were doing when buying them............. Not a cheap game this car lark is it? If you look at parts prices, Veloce parts like brake discs and shocks are a third to a fifth the Quad ones, which seems like price gouging from Alfa...
