ganzoom

This is exactly what the previous owners had done, the bungalow had been extended at least 3 times, each time rooms were just added on with no thought for flow or light. We had 2 main door, 2 stairways etc etc. Our brief to the architect was make things work better and maximise view of the garden. We could have demolished and started again, but that would have meant we would have ‘lost’ the ‘character’ of the original building. The current design essentially still replicates the original build, but rebuilt with modern standards, and a whole lot more glazing. As an ‘investment’ the design make zero sense, but we are doing this for our enjoyment not for making ££££.

We were sold on the plot as soon as we saw the garden, the house it self was always…meew. A couple of winters ago when the snow came it was like having our own private winter wonderland, absolutely priceless. The maddest bit is despite my daughter been able to walk to school like in some kind of story book, ASDA is a 5 minute drive away. It takes us 10 minutes to get to work, and the M1 is similar distance away. We lucked out with the plot, the house is now been updated to fit :).

Thanks for the comments, we started this project as wanting to just add some upstairs space, but its clearly progressesed beyind that 🙂 We've had this thing onsite this week. The superstructure is finally taking shape, along with a preview of the view all this work has being for originally!!

I've always had found, hangover driven memories of watching Kevin McCloud quiz home owners why they have 'risked it all' in the name of design back in the 2000s, its the one ture 'bucket list' item I always thought I would never be able to do, build and live in something truly unquie. But life is a funny thing, after decades of saving, COVID made a impact on how I viewed things. Life is short, really short, so why waste it dreaming? So in 2019 we 'engaged' an architect who came up with a vision of changing our house we had only bought a few years earlier in a way we just couldn't say no to.... Fast foward many unforseen issues, planning visits, life etc etc we are now 6 months into the build and hopefully with the scariest bit (post demolition phase) done. The rebuild is now properly underway and some of the interior space is now taking shape as the steels (35tons worth) as getting installed. Plenty more work to be done, but the dream is starting to appear. Who would have thought hangover recovery TV back in the 2000s would end up have such a profound impact of on me, thanks Kevin and Channel 4 (I think) :).

Lexus was formed to produce a product that can compete with the 7 series for 5 series prices using TMS methods. Toyota did such a good job Mercedes had to reevaluate their production process to cut costs, hence the 'drop' in quality some Mercedes owners moaned about in the mid 2010s.

Sounds like going further east is the next plan. Will start having a look 🙂

Done Iceland, doesn't really stand out in the memories apart from the fact it was cold!! Also cannot drive there, EV or not.

Where? Been to Glencoe countless time now, Wales, Devon. Lake and Peak District all done numerous times too. Looking for some where more spectacular than the fjords in Norway or mountains of Switzerland:).

@Linas.PHow many times have you been to Stlevio with 6 people+luggage in your car :). It was back to normal family work this weekend. Your point of any car in the last 50 years can do great road trips is a great one, because EVs are simply like any other car these days.

6 seater car, stuffed to the brim (literally)!

Just returned home from probably one of the most memorable summer holidays for a while, as it essentially repeats an European road trip we did in my much loved BMW 335i nearly a decade ago. The difference however this time the entire extended family came along (6 people+luggage), and the car in question is 6.5 years old having done nearly 70k miles already. The route took us through Colmer region in France where we stumbled across some amazing vine yards, the next stop was Lake Como via Switzerland where we had an amazing view or the lake. We than crossed back into Switzerland via Stelvio and Furka pass, before ending up spending a few days on the shore of Lake Lucern. To do such a road trip in any car would be amazing, but to do it in the car we have owned for almost aslong as our daughter has been alive is even more amazing. The fact the car was an EV made zero difference in convince/time compared to doing the same trip in the 335i. The only question now is where next? We did Norway last year, so 2024 needs to be pretty spectacular to match......Open to suggestions 🙂

Bosche arent naive, given the history of Nikola, I suspect there will be pages of financial assurances and penalties linked with the 'All in' headlines. Unless some one has actually seen the contract I suspect its a much smaller initial financial commitment versus the sums quoted. Do lepords change their spots? Not often, but Bosche presumably can afford the 'gamble'. https://fortune.com/2020/09/10/nikola-motor-stock-hindenburg-research-allegations/

https://innovationorigins.com/en/first-shell-now-motive-hydrogen-fuel-station-closures-continue-in-the-uk/

Since random Internet posts seem to be the benchmark for 'facts' these days... https://www.hydrogeninsight.com/transport/bosch-factory-may-be-closed-after-hydrogen-fuel-cell-plan-is-suspended-due-to-lack-of-customers/2-1-1473841

So pay £500 for an oil service where the oil doesn't even get changed just topped up, and a warranty that doesn't even cover HVAC.....Seriously why are people using main dealers??

Hold on, it says 'refill Engine oil' not 'Replace Engine oil', but at the same time Replace front & rear Diff oil - which is normally a sealed unit for 80-100k??!! Does the IS300H even have a front diff? Why would you not Replace the engine oil but Replace the engine coolant? So pay £500+ to someone who doesn't seem to have a clue what they are doing??!! If that is the Lexua main dealer service schedule than there are cars going around with engine oil that's never been replaced, but new diff oil every year??!!! Utter madness, expensive and clueless it seems.

Why do people go to main dealers for servicing? What's the benefit apart from been ripped off?

Aren't we on a Lexus forum :). You guys must be swimming in money to be able to justify paying £500 for a main dealer service when any independent garage will do it for half the cost. I guess someone has to pay for the fancy show room and coffee machines :).

£580 for a service!! Are people just accepting these prices these days.....the OEM cost of the oil/filter will be less than £100.

Because its not needed and there is nothing to 'service'? The traction battery in our EV had done 65k, its never been 'serviced' and nor is there anything to 'service'. The BMS will tell you if there an error, an annual 'check' isn't going to pick or prevent errors in the traction battery.

All I asked was a very simple question. Even the crazy sub 3 second to 60mph Plaid S/X seems to achieve far better efficiency than the RZ. Normally more performance = worse efficiency. I just don't understand the reason. Lexus has been developing the RZ for years but the drivetrain efficiency is worse than what even Nissan had with the Leaf in 2011. All electric motors are pretty much 95%, battery packs should have very similar internal resistance, and aerodynamics is very well understood by everyone. So what's Lexus getting wrong?

Warm weather, slow speeds, 3.1 miles per kWh is awful efficiency!! Our soon to be 7 year old Model X will get close to 4 miles per kWh at 60mph with no HVAC running. At 70 miles it'll return 3 miles per kWh. Why is the RZ so inefficient?

My old N54 335i BMW use to dump oil on the garage floor for no reason. Injectors failed regularly, turbos were always ropey. That engine needed oil changes, and lots of it. But that was because it was tunned to run at 380whp (so over 400bhp at the crank) on a very aggressive timing, and even with addtional cooling would go into 'limp mode' due to overheating after consistent WOT runs. The IS300H is a different matter, I cannot remember we went WOT in it. The IS300H simply is far less stressed. We've owned the IS from new, and at 8 years old it's given zero issues and I suspect it'll still be going strong at 18 years old even if I stopped doing any oil changes!!

I have to say MOTs are simply no issues in our IS300H. I've gone to 2 yearly oil changes in ours, the oil level never changes. Still on original 12V battery even at coming up to 9 years old!! The other day my wife got worried as she heard an 'odd noise' when cornering, turned out the tire inflator kept in the boot had come loose from the holding strap and was rolling around in the boot :).

So we seem to be finally getting some facts versus fiction. Are we all now in agreement there is essentially NO hydrogen fuel cell 'roll out' in the UK. In which case what is the point of hydrogen fuel cell cars in the UK?