dazzab69

They are going to be very expensive though aren't they? Yes but then last time I checked so was the LS, ;) .

Blimey Are you a Junior House Doctor ?

Loz The 3-ohh wasn't so bad in the end, mainly due to the 29 crisis. I was 29 in 1998. I had just finished a part-time PhD in Engineering Management which had taken 4 years and a lot of tears and effort. Sadly it didn't really get me anywhere. I was a Civil Engineer from graduation in 1993 to 1999, although it became a bit part-time from 1997 because I had taken on the role of IT administrator for my company. By November 1998 (my birthday) I was starting to panic a bit after it had become obvious that, despite a bit of interest from some of the Management Consultancies, the PhD hadn't helped. Then one night at an Institution of Civil Engineers meeting where they were setting out the new plans for getting Chartered, I realised that I'd never get Chartered and that Civil Engineering wasn't for me (Only ten years too late !). The other thing I realised was that I was good at IT and that I enjoyed it. So I began doing the study work for the Microsoft MCSE, reading up in my own time and practising what I learnt at work. I secretly completed the MCSE by August 1999 and jumped ship from the Civil Engineers to an IT Consultancy. Not too long afterwards, and opportunity presented itself to move to one of the Big 5's Secure eBusiness teams. Then this year I moved from the Big5 Co to a firm of Brokers in the City to be Information Security Manager. Between 1999 and 2002 I have studied for 17 IT Certifications and basically worked my balls off to be Mr-Know-IT-all, culminating in passing the CISSP Certification (the most prestigious IT Security Cert). As I said during that time my salary increased massively by making the right (lucky ?) moves. I wouldn't like to try and repeat the feat, especially in the current climate in IT and the City. We also got very lucky on the house, we had a mental new neighbor move in next door at our old house, who basically forced us to move. I could actually kiss her now though because we moved up just before prices went off the scale and as a result have made alot of paper money (equity). I find myself in a wierd position now, having rapidly achieved everything I wanted to do for the last ten years. New aims ? I'd like to build my own house, learn to sail and buy a boat, and get a novel published. So what's the conclusion. I guess the answer if that sometimes you have to concentrate on one thing for a while to succeed, but there was an awful amount of luck involved in my story and in reality some of the things I'd done before 1999 paid off (i.e. the PhD was of use for blagging my way in to the Big5 Co.). I think the word balance has been used, but most importantly I'd say do what makes you happy, you only get one shot at all this (as far as we know), so make sure you enjoy it and don't get to the age of 80 thinking "what if". Good thing I'm a Doctor of Philosophy ehh ?, providing all that homespun wisdom. ;)

I used to drive a 306 DTurbo. It was great fun, bit slow off the line, but the overtaking punch was great and I used to love watching disappointed 318 drivers diminishing in the rear view mirror on the motorway. If Lexus can match the BMW 3 Litre Diesel then I'd be interested, even better if they made matched the V10 Turbo Diesel AUDI/VW are going to be using in their big beasts.

Playa How well do you know London ? I know London really well and I think that helps the reality thing. Hammering down a road you used to walk down every day like Fleet Street is soooo much fun. One slight unrealism is that nobody gets too worked up about you diving around in the traffic. If you really did that in London everyone would go mental. Will be trying New Vice City next, if only for the soundtrack.

Ahh, now we cut to the chase, the big 3-ohh. Men begin to wonder why they haven't made their fortune yet and realise that they will never play for England/be an F1 Driver/Astronaut/ become Prime Minister etc . Women wonder why they aren't married yet, haven't had kids, aren't getting anywhere with their careers, become World Tennis Champion etc . I managed to get to my 30 crisis a year early (actually alot of people have a 29 thing (see song by Lloyd Cole)) in 1998. I actually used it as a driver to change careers and life direction. Through a lot of luck and some good decisions at the right moments, I now make three times as much money, live in a much bigger house, drive a Lexus B) , and have become a father. The only piece of advice I can give is that it is all luck, (or maybe fate if my dear departed Grandma-in-law is to be believed) and that you can only do your best and hope the gods are smiling on you. Remember life is what happens all around you while you are making plans.

I don't believe it sir, you were chiding me at 4car for having my head turned by the Volvo S60R and all the time you are coverting a Saab ! I'm shocked ;) .

Oh yes, the badges are very prominent. You can even make out model numbers on some cars.

Work is overated anyway. My wife told her boss yesterday that she wants going down to three days per week after Easter this year. Surprisingly he took it very well (Local Authority). I must admit being a father has changed my perspective, whereas a crying baby would have pi$$ed me off on the train, I now wonder what's up with the little one. Also my reactions are fantastic now, I can catch a diving toddler from six feet in microseconds !!!

It is frighteningly addictive. Would be better with a speedo, I want to actually know I was doing over a ton down Fleet Street in an LS430 ! If your husband finishes it, he'll unlock the free roaming mode and then you can do whatever you want. I'm a bit disappointed that my current and former workplaces are not shown (unless I went by too fast !!!).

Even worse than watching "About a Boy" is reading any of the books by Nick Hornby or Tony Parsons. They are all bloody midlife crisis stuff that if you are in a relationship will start you worrying and if you are not they'll just get you depressed :( . Ben Elton went the same way as well, Inconcieveable made me realise how bonkers women get about babies (sorry to our female readers if you disagree, but take it from me my wife was getting FRAUGHT ! ) and scared me into starting a family earlier than I'd planned. Take it from me don't read these books they are female propaganda, they are colonising us in the way a character in Fever Pitch claimed we colonise them !!!

Have you driven the purple IS430 yet though ? The Triads chase you in them, but if you stop then draw them away from it before shooting them, you can nick it undamaged and make off. IT IS FAST !!! Quicker than the TVR ! The breakout mission with the LS430 is cool too. Top tip, the quickest way to the Court rom Whitehall is to drive the wrong way round Trafalgar Sqaure and go up the Strand the wrong way ! Doesn't matter if the Police see you because the LS can outrun them easily. There is also supposed to be a Lexus concept car hidden somewhere which you can find at then end of the game when you have the run of London. I'm glad you bought it for your husband. I bought my copy and my wife now wants to divorcee me after 3 days of it (it will be worth it thought ;) ).

People with a Playstation 2 can now drive an IS430, apparently it appears in the game "The Getaway". I haven't found one yet, but it will be good when I do, cos the IS200 in the game is faster than mine !!!

That's what I thought, so I took it back to Mothercare and their expert sorted it, it's like a rock now.

Claire is right on the PCPs, though I have found that Lex are a bit expensive compared to Tins www.tins.co.uk. Mine was £1000 deposit and £370/month over 42 months with a kiss of £9000 at the end. Tins took an eternity to deliver mine though, I think they just waited for the Jan/Feb dealer blues and then got a good deal for themselves. They also give crap trade-in values. Try http://www.car-finance.net/default.html. I can't vouch for their integrity, but their PCP deals are cheap and it gives you two things. Flexibility to negotiate with the dealers yourself and something to beat the Lexus dealer over the head with if you want to get as good a finance deal out of them. Try watching "Right car, wrong car" for tips on beating dealers. Also try www.carpricecheck.com. We got the wife's Scenic via them and got a better deal from a UK Renault dealer than we would have got from one of the importers.

tdiplc was this post an attempt to flush Playa out from his hiding place . It worked if it was !!!! ;)

Britax Club class extra rear/forward facing car seat £90. It was the only one that Mothercare had that would fit the IS200 and suited the seat belt positions. It's a bit tough to fit yourself but our 18 month old is fairly large and it fits her fine.

Agreed Given the times we live in and the fact that the country is mostly muslim (90,000,000 of them if you are counting), if only 0.00001 % of the population were members of Al-Quida (or similar), thats nine terrorists , enough to hijack two planes by my calcs. And on that subject, who the hell does Dubbya think he is telling the EU to get on with negotiations with Turkey. Maybe you should let them join the USA, George !!! BTW Turkey are the thin end of the wedge, Tunisia and Morroco want to join too and both are probably more liberal, western and democratic than Turkey.

true. :D we need a "Soapbox" forum :D but Marks posts on government, monarchy etc have been some of the best dicussion posts we've had. you can't talk about cars all the time. my turn to get on the soapbox now! You guys should consider yourselves lucky to have such loyal posters. I was on a Volvo Forum this morning trying to read up on the S60R and it was DEAD. There was almost some tumbleweed blowing across the foreground. :D

I get a bit fed up with hearing about and being blamed for the evil committed by the English Empire around the world because I am English. I have no idea what my relatives were doing two hundred years ago, but I bet if they had any involvement in the Empire it wasn't through choice. The Empire was built and plundered by the English aristocracy, who as recently as the 1930's were quite happy to use troops against their own people. Having said all that I don't think that England ever deliberately set out to conquer the world. If you read Simon Schama's even-handed "History of Britain", it is pretty clear that our main interest was trading and that the military involvement usually occurred when other European powers threatened that trade. One thing I do know about my ancestors is that my Grandad was at the "Battle of Cable Street" when the eastenders fought Mosleys Brownshirts and the Police to protect the Jewish imigrants of the eastend of London. The people who supported the Nazis in Britain in the 1930's and 40's were mainly aristocrats who didn't like the idea of ordinary people having the vote. BTW I have a friend whose grandfathers were both shot in the leg by the British Army during demostrations in the 1930's, one in India and one in South Wales, I bet there aren't many people in the world with that lineage !

Agree, although I think the BBC should have warned us last night that any long term fantasies about Greeta Scaachi were about to be strangely disturbed by her playing Mrs T and romping naked with Archer (looked fine until you start to think about the real participants ).

Jack Kerouac and all the beatniks were cool too man. I have argued over on the 4car forum that none of the exec car makers are "cool", or even intend to be "cool". "Cool" as defined by someone on 4car was the car that made it onto kids walls on posters. To my mind there are only a few cars and manufacturers that can acheive that (Porsche, Ferrari, Paganini etc) and I'm sure the kids with big wads of bluetack were not the target customer group that Lexus had in mind. The IS200 is primarily a marketing tool for Lexus in the same why the X-type Jag is for Jaguar. They want to introduce you to the marque in a reasonably priced package and then hang on to you as a customer as your needs and wallet width change. If truth be told no car is really "cool" unless you build it yourself because there will always be someone else (potentially Mr Partridge) with the same car as you.

For anyone thinking of getting BT Broadband ADSL, my advice is don't. My ADSL connection was terminated two weeks ago because BT made a mistake in the account management. I have just had a phone call to say that they are sorry but they do not know when the connection will be re-established !!!! They are without doubt the most useless incompetant organisation on the face of this planet. They do not give a damm about the customer and seem to think that we should be gratefull for the sh1te service they do provide. SO KIDS IF BT COME KNOCKING, JUST SAY NO.

Hmm not sure on the appeasement angle Jenners. Our resale values could be at stake here. I'm convinced that this is the first known example of reverse product placement. Partridge must die !!!!

I thought it was someone from this board. Will join the fight as soon as my new registration is confirmed. I think Julz post (on 4car) on Snobbery=cool is rubbish. Bentley are a snobby brand, but they cetainly are not cool. In fact cool should have nothing to do with heritage, because the "cool" thing is usually the newest latest brand and therefore it has no track record. If you take that example all the new "cool" clothing brands of the past decade are really hopelessly uncool and Fred Perry must be the coolest brand around.