Your fleet running reports

[GG.]

911 is all fixed up, I am hoping to have a car that’s been absolutely transformed, collection tomorrow

Snap on that one - get mine back tomorrow too.

Major service, plugs and coils and switchable exhaust fixed.

I’m hoping we’ve gone from 350hp to 390+ (bypass is supposed to be worth 14 according to sharkwerks) but we’ll see.

Props to 9e as well: turns out it was just a vacuum line that had split for the exhaust rather than the actuator diaphragms but a replacement would have had to come from Germany... so in order to get it back to me for the weekend they made their own better, heat shielded version which should be much more durable

[Sundayjumper]

Viva Hc De-Luxe

For sells.

Called it.

[GG.]

I think you’d just be disappointed with the 4C, I was also tempted but every review I read said they’re shit, I thought they would do an update and sort out the steering issues but it never happened. You could get £12k off a new coupe a year ago which made them the same price as most of the used ones.

They sound utterly turd to boot.

[Matty]

Admittedly a shame about the 4C as mainly you'd have made a few quid - but the Evora will be better and you know it Too early to ask for specs and pics?

And will it top another 600 miles in the your ownership? A record surely

Congratulations mate you've been looking for ages

Hopefully this will see a few more miles. AC? Heated seats? RCL? Positively luxurious.

It's a 2010 "NA" +2 with all 3 packs (Sport/Tech/Premium) and various 2012 upgrades (gear linkage, steering wheel). Has the optional forged alloys, barge boards plus the all-important 2bular exhaust and decat. Even more critically, it's had the clutch replaced within the last few thousand miles, which is a massive plus point as it costs £2k+.

The big thing is why I didn't got for the "S" - it's not that I couldn't afford it, but it would have been more of a stretch financially as they're a good 5-6k more (spec-for-spec) plus the tax is twice as high. I'd just decided that if a decent NA came up, I'd run with it. I've never driven an S, so ignorance is bliss for now.

[Matty]

I think you’d just be disappointed with the 4C, I was also tempted but every review I read said they’re shit, I thought they would do an update and sort out the steering issues but it never happened. You could get £12k off a new coupe a year ago which made them the same price as most of the used ones.

Everyone who owns one absolutely adores them though. Yeah, it's kinda flawed dynamically and aurally, but these can be fixed somewhat by Alfaworks for about £1k.

But they are proper exotic little things, the exposed carbon tub and pedal box, stupidly wide and strange styling cues. In time they will be genuine collectors items it seems. I had a chance to buy a mint, low mileage LE car for <£35k and I turned it down as it was flat red, and I wanted TriRosso About 3-4 months ago, dealers were selling cars for as low as £32k, now the cheapest are around £38k at the bottom end.

There will be a glut of base-spec cars hitting the market from about April next year through as those cheap leases will start to end, so it'll be interesting to see how the market holds up.

[speedingfine]

Admittedly a shame about the 4C as mainly you'd have made a few quid - but the Evora will be better and you know it Too early to ask for specs and pics?

And will it top another 600 miles in the your ownership? A record surely

Congratulations mate you've been looking for ages

Hopefully this will see a few more miles. AC? Heated seats? RCL? Positively luxurious.

It's a 2010 "NA" +2 with all 3 packs (Sport/Tech/Premium) and various 2012 upgrades (gear linkage, steering wheel). Has the optional forged alloys, barge boards plus the all-important 2bular exhaust and decat. Even more critically, it's had the clutch replaced within the last few thousand miles, which is a massive plus point as it costs £2k+.

The big thing is why I didn't got for the "S" - it's not that I couldn't afford it, but it would have been more of a stretch financially as they're a good 5-6k more (spec-for-spec) plus the tax is twice as high. I'd just decided that if a decent NA came up, I'd run with it. I've never driven an S, so ignorance is bliss for now.

What colour is the other all important question?

0-60 in 5 seconds is hardly slow and not really what the car is about, I'd be very happy

[Mito Man]

I think you’d just be disappointed with the 4C, I was also tempted but every review I read said they’re shit, I thought they would do an update and sort out the steering issues but it never happened. You could get £12k off a new coupe a year ago which made them the same price as most of the used ones.

Everyone who owns one absolutely adores them though. Yeah, it's kinda flawed dynamically and aurally, but these can be fixed somewhat by Alfaworks for about £1k.

But they are proper exotic little things, the exposed carbon tub and pedal box, stupidly wide and strange styling cues. In time they will be genuine collectors items it seems. I had a chance to buy a mint, low mileage LE car for <£35k and I turned it down as it was flat red, and I wanted TriRosso About 3-4 months ago, dealers were selling cars for as low as £32k, now the cheapest are around £38k at the bottom end.

There will be a glut of base-spec cars hitting the market from about April next year through as those cheap leases will start to end, so it'll be interesting to see how the market holds up.

I can’t remember what magazine I read specifically (read a lot in all my hospital sleepovers!) where the journos were asked about their best driving experience and most disappointing, the 4C was mentioned a couple times as the most disappointing which just put any ownership proposition out of my mind. It just made me think that with the advantage of a carbon chassis how could they get it so wrong? Supposedly the CF tub cost about as much as the list price of the car so the true cost of the car must have been 2-3 times it’s competitors!

Still, it will slowly appreciate and it will always have a following as it’s a ‘proper’ Alfa built by Maserati and quite rare - and the engine will become a good characteristic as we move more towards bland electric cars.

[NotoriousREV]

You can never get a fair Alfa review because for some reason that Alfa badge comes with a whole load of baggage. From the moment I was old enough to read car magazines, Alfas have somehow always disappointed compared to the weight of expectation on them. You’d think that after at least 4 decades of this, the expectations would’ve lessened a little, but apparently we still expect them to be amazing.

[Maurice]

That’s excellent news Matty, pleased you managed to find one! Now just to get the intake and cat bypass sorted

Still need to get my finger out and get the Exige passenger door sorted. Golf still performing as a perfect daily.

[Foz]

I think you’d just be disappointed with the 4C, I was also tempted but every review I read said they’re shit, I thought they would do an update and sort out the steering issues but it never happened. You could get £12k off a new coupe a year ago which made them the same price as most of the used ones.

Everyone who owns one absolutely adores them though. Yeah, it's kinda flawed dynamically and aurally, but these can be fixed somewhat by Alfaworks for about £1k.

But they are proper exotic little things, the exposed carbon tub and pedal box, stupidly wide and strange styling cues. In time they will be genuine collectors items it seems. I had a chance to buy a mint, low mileage LE car for <£35k and I turned it down as it was flat red, and I wanted TriRosso About 3-4 months ago, dealers were selling cars for as low as £32k, now the cheapest are around £38k at the bottom end.

There will be a glut of base-spec cars hitting the market from about April next year through as those cheap leases will start to end, so it'll be interesting to see how the market holds up.

I can’t remember what magazine I read specifically (read a lot in all my hospital sleepovers!) where the journos were asked about their best driving experience and most disappointing, the 4C was mentioned a couple times as the most disappointing which just put any ownership proposition out of my mind. It just made me think that with the advantage of a carbon chassis how could they get it so wrong? Supposedly the CF tub cost about as much as the list price of the car so the true cost of the car must have been 2-3 times it’s competitors!

Still, it will slowly appreciate and it will always have a following as it’s a ‘proper’ Alfa built by Maserati and quite rare - and the engine will become a good characteristic as we move more towards bland electric cars.

I did wonder that, if the tub blew the entire budget and crap suspension etc was used elsewhere, drop the new V6 turbot in there and I bet they would sell at 100k if released today.

[Mito Man]

There is a £100k V6 turbo 911 competitor coming out in 2 years - Alfa 6C, and the car is being designed by the same ex Ferrari team who did the Giulia so it must be good.

[Foz]

I should work in the industry

[Sundayjumper]

Fitted another 996 steering wheel today, no problem. That makes three out of three. Even better than Meatloaf managed !

[JonMad]

New wipers fitted. Halfords. No messing.
And as for rain on the windscreen now - no messing.

75p (delivered) cigarette lighter battery voltage display meter works well. Don’t think I’ll leave it plugged in/showing the voltage permanently though, as that’s bound to flatten the battery.

Dropped car off at my local Merityre who said last week they’d flush my brake fluid and put the RBF600 fluid in. Frustratingly, they today changed their mind about doing it. Claimed they could do calipers but not a full fluid change. Now booked into my more helpful local garage for a couple of weeks time.

[Matty]

What colour is the other all important question?

0-60 in 5 seconds is hardly slow and not really what the car is about, I'd be very happy

It's a rather nice blue:

evora_o.jpg (199.78 KiB) Viewed 2632 times

[Matty]

That’s excellent news Matty, pleased you managed to find one! Now just to get the intake and cat bypass sorted

Still need to get my finger out and get the Exige passenger door sorted. Golf still performing as a perfect daily.

Thanks to both you and Mik for tolerating my endless questions

And the 3rd cat has been removed already, I assume that's the one you mean! I looked at CAI - fck me they're expensive, or I'm just out of the loop. Back in my day you'd buy a K&N for £80 The BOE one is about £600!

[speedingfine]

What colour is the other all important question?

0-60 in 5 seconds is hardly slow and not really what the car is about, I'd be very happy

It's a rather nice blue:

evora_o.jpg

Love it Matty

[mik]

pictured at the Glenshee ski centre car park - it’s natural habitat.

you gonna black-pack it or leave as-is?

[Maurice]

Love it Matty, looks great with those wheels and the barge boards.

That does seem expensive for the CAI. Mine was fitted when I bought the car, but I don’t recall them being that pricey. Maybe keep an eye on the TLF classifieds? I’d suspect used ones may pop up there from time to time.

Make a great racket though, so worth every penny.

[mik]

Yes - one went for £50 on the forum recently iirc