Chris Skelton

Sat behind the new 'compact' Tesla today. thought it looked rather fat-arsed from behind. But then it IS aimed at amurricans who seem to match it? Cars in general have got fatter. My neighbour is selling a nice Audi A1-the 'small' Audi, which looks mid-size compared with many smaller/older cars.

It's actually cheaper to use Public Transport and taxis, so......there is another way! In absolute logic, it's ludicrous to spend so much money on something you only use for less than 10% of the time you own/use it. If one had a 'clean sheet' approach to the concept of mass transport, we'd have.....Monorails, moving pavements, ...you name it. we clog up roads, pollute the air we breathe, kill ourselves. All crazy. But it's what we're used to doing. The Tesla is a dead-end solution. Why should we want a huge limo-thing anyway? logically, it should be a van shaped, lightweight thing. It's very amurrican -as is the LS400. Just suddenly 'ecological' -forgetting that the origin of the electricity is still oil and gas (until wind power gets bigger.) If we DO want an electric car, surely (something like) an electric Smart car would do -or the 4 door version for families. Need a van now and then, or a car for long distance? Hire it. There are quite a few electric 'compact' cars in France now. We get fobbed of with excuses-why? Petrol tax keeps everything going! 80% of the cost is...TAX! A Tesla that does 0-62 in 3 seconds, and 130 mph? Why? The boost our macho image? Old bald guys in Teslas? Ain't sexy.

Aging bones.....well, just aging! Am happier in a small car, buzzing about. Couldn't get comfortable in the XM.Looking for a Smart Forfour 1.5 auto-original version. I have many good car/Citroen memories. Owned several DSs. Went around Spain in '84 in my Traction Avant Commerciale (world's first hatchback?). Across France and Spain in the CX, etc... ....though one of my favourite cars was my Nissan S-Cargo; it brought smiles to everyone who saw it-and the driver. Spread smiles throughout the world?

My old Citroen DSs used to sail over speed bumps quite nicely-AND cruise at 100 mph! Style and comfort. Just sold my Citroen XM 3 litre car today. No more big cars for me, I think.

A nice 2CV wouldn't hit speed bumps-and, remember....nothing to go wrong! easy to park........cheap to maintain.......(-:

£3000? Get a nice 2CV....I refer you to my somewhere else post "not much to go wrong" I'd suggest a nice Mehari, but the one on t'bay -once £18K, is now £12k!

The itch I get about re-living my past is here.......www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzW_ERSgFRY Brings back memories from early 80s. (Jay Leno's Garage. Citroen DS, in case it doesn't register.)

Has ChasMUM been consulted?

I'd heard of mid-life crisis, but hadn't realised it meant going back THAT far. Best left as memories?

https://www.pistonheads.com/regulars/ph-features-sheds/shed-of-the-week-lexus-is200-sportcross/36666 Class and quality tell!

My Elgrand was fun. It may LOOK huge but has similar wheelbase to LS400, just a bit taller! Electric curtains! Electric side door. 50K miles, 12 years old, immaculate. My (somewhat confusing?) addition (above-previous post) about a hot-rod 2CV is an indication that (my XM apart?) I'm settling for something smaller next. Here's the 2CV in action. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAocmae9vyE

Just about to book a Valetting Service to do my Citroen XM 3 litre car. He said, pleading age and onset of infirmity as excuse! £75 for full go; wax, inside conditioned, etc. Takes 3 + hours. Green Lex looks great.

Copycat! I wus there first! (-: 5 years ago. Sold after a year to a Welsh million £££s scratchcard winner! Now (not really) tempted by this "Using experience from building 2 of these for the track, this is the first road version built in the UK, done by a Citroen specialist restorer. A white Citroen 2CV6 from the mid 80s, completely rebuilt and restored, but with a BMW 1130cc flat twin engine, producing 105 bhp instead of the usual 29 bhp!!! Torque is tripled over standard to give the lightweight car amazing performance with no effort or hard revving required. A fortune has been spent on a brand new galvanised chassis, new brakes, new roof, uprated clutch and gearbox, brand new standard wheels but widened to allow modern wider tyres, anti-roll bars, it has a heated front screen and internal heater, refurbished standard seats, an uprated dashboard. It is powered by a serviced and lightly modified BMW R1150RT engine, with custom brand new stainless exhaust system, plus a dynojet kit to get fuelling accurate, to suit the simple and free-flowing intake and exhaust systems. The car is either new or refurbished throughout and is simply a unique car, now in the final stages of build.

There's a place near Stroud, by the canal, that does it. I recall seeing the sign.....

That switch is called 'CRUISE control" Note it!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-navara-d22-Lexus-4-0-v8-2wd/222609025021?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D45732%26meid%3D4818652d47b24fdf97f1d28a11f3fb2e%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D232442489659&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 Tempting if you need space?

plus the old 'leaving the country shortly' bit?

Citroen had an ad for the 2CV. It was a list of features that other cars had, that the 2CV DIDN'T have. At the bottom was the slogan "Nothing to go wrong" !!! As to Audi. They do seem prone to expensive repairs. My neighbours S8 V10 - well, what do you expect? - had huge bills recently for not very serious faults.. They DID used to have a solar recharging system in their sunroof once though, which I thought was clever-now not featured.

That's what YOU think....once you get used to the wafting, comfort, build.....you'll be stuck. What else is so good? (More stylish...possibly, but....better? No.)

A REAL tyre fitter would know this. are you there, Tony Bones? (Wheels in Motion)

There's stuff on here about sealing the boot. Seem to recall using some silicone sealant......

....and I was in Halfords this morning......BEFORE I read this! (Getting Armorall for internal plastics.)

Google it-I just did. Good idea.

No button! But do the hinges adjust? Driver's door gets most use of course.

As Lexus reputedly change 90% of things between models (despite looking v.similar) it's not a surety I'd say.