Audi S1 333 LIMITED EDITION QUATTRO 256PS

Noooo, not interested. Only comes in left hand drive, only 333 of them will be made (of which there are probably only 4 left, no wait there all gone). But if I’m honest I fucking love it. I’m sorry to swear but this is right up my street. Neat, compact, usable, fast and I mean really fast, 256bhp fast in car as heavy as a German shopping bag. It has alloys like the old a Renault 5 turbo rally car, wonderfully desirable.

And the price doesn’t matter, Audi hasn’t said mentioned the price yet but like I said it doesn’t matter. £25k, £30k it will sell and hold it’s value. With a run as small as 333 you will be cashing in on this purchase in 10 years, EVO will make it a car of the year (if they can borrow one), Geeks will kit there A1 to look like it. Their will be more Ferrari 458’s driving round than The Audi 333, this is an important car. More important than you think because this will be a trends setter, it has stuck a flag in the ground that says o-60mph in 5.7 and it will wave goodbye to your Porsche Boxster all the way 152mph. Then you can giggle as you flip the on-bored computer to mpg and see it read 33.2mpg.

So, if your lucky enough to have the money for this supermini go get yourself one and make a special place for it in your garage for the next 20 years or forever!

12 super cars in Japanese crash. 2 million damage

Twelve of the 14 cars involved in the accident near Shimonoseki were supercars – including eight Ferraris, two Mercedes and a Lamborghini.

Reports suggest the crash happened after a Mercedes was driven on the wrong side of the road on the Chugoku expressway.

Japanese newspaper The Daily Yomiuri said 10 people were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Pictures of the scene show the motorway littered with debris from the damaged cars.
Among the vehicles were two Ferrari F430s, two 360 Modenas, two F355s, a Lamborghini Diablo and a Nissan GTR.

Audi A3 TFSI Sportback 200bhp for sale

It has come to that time. I’m doing more miles now days so i’m after a diesel now. The wonderful 200bhp petrol is going to a new home. Hopefully…

I will upload pictures soon but you can find the advert here on Piston Heads

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3256049.htm

This car has been very well looked after, recent major service including Cam belt & water pump. 80% of the milage is motorway which was done in the first two years of ownership. 6 months tax just purchased. It has the most desirable colour & spec combination of Panther black, leather and alcantara seats, upgraded Audi symphony CD sound system which sounds brilliant from every seat in the car. Heated seats, duel climate control system, quick response air con, interior glow package, s-line style upgrade, electric mirrors & windows, leather steering wheel, central arm rest, auto locking glove box, 18″ Audi S-line alloys, on board computer and 2 keys.

This car has been a pleasure to own and offers great performance with space for 5 and a large boot mixed with high 30′s mpg and over 40mpg on some motorway journeys. The car will also be subject to a £70 valet as I have a voucher for a local company. All papers and service history to look through any inspection welcome, no time wasters or tyre kickers, open to sensible offers.

£9200
daniel.j.fletcher@btinternet.com

Audi A3 Sportback S-line 2.0 TFSI 200bhp

It was a really testing day collecting my new car from Blackburn on the day they said it would be ready. I decided the best way to get there would be a half day off work and a relaxing train journey – not the case! For starters it wasn’t a train Journey it was 3 which turned into 4 once the journey started due to this train being in England and all public transport in England is rubbish. 3.5 long and drawn out hours of excitement, annoyance and worry about would i even make it on time. But i knew that no matter how horrible this journey was going to be it would just make the drive back so much more enjoyable.

Eventually I did arrive in Blackburn and after a small taxi ride (by a very over enthusiastic driver who was over the moon I was getting a new car) I arrived at the garage. A 300 strong car garage that had a very good portfolio for performance cars. A couple of Evo6′s three M3′s all types of performance Audi’s and much more. But clearly on this day all I was interested in was my Audi, a 2006 200bhp s-line sportback with 18″ alloys, half leather half alcantara seats. One lady owner and unfortunately it showed! Before buying the car I noticed the scratch marks (long finger nails) on the electric window buttons, air con unit & volume button, but not enough to put me off. There was also some marks on the body work but hay ho, not a brand new car, in-fact in my eyes a bloody good deal and I did spend 3 months on autotrader choosing my new car so it wasn’t a hasty buy.

So boring stuff, money paid, papers filled out, salesman told me he did marshal arts, fivers worth of petrol in to get me to the garage and there I was. Just me and the car, how will it drive? How fast will it actually feel? How will it handle? How economical will it be? So I drove out of the garage and got petrol, drove near the motorway I needed and pulled over in a pub car park to get a better look over my new purchase. Wonderful! Lovely solid looking interior, well designed, fully working OBC, really confortable – time to go!

I set off gently driving at a pace to get to know the car, going no higher than 3500rpm, the 6 speed gear box is good but doesn’t feel new, I need to hold the stick in it’s position a little longer than normal to ensure it has selected the gear I need and avoid grinding the gears but still smooth. After 15 miles of testing the ride and economy I see an opportunity to test the engine! Two lanes approaching a roundabout, 3rd exit needed, I keep good pace round the roundabout with second gear selected for this launch down my exit. The tdi ford focus next to me was keeping pace well as we approached the exit, the Audi’s steering wheel giving good feedback, tyres giving good grip and I gun it. A sudden rush of boost from the turbo takes the revs to 6500 then into 3rd and again I stamp it and take it to 90 before selecting 4th and easing off. Wow, I gave an excited YES! as the tdi focus was in my smoke and still trying hard to catch up. A real feel of acceleration and pace from an everyday car with 4 doors and a large boot. Not to mention that It had covered it’s fair amount of miles and was 5 years old now – it didn’t show. I was very happy!

After having driven the car for 3.5 months it hasn’t thrown up any problems, all I needed to do was top up the oil which the computer warned was low. On short journeys it is very capable of changing speeds and remaining smooth and long journeys are swallowed up without breaks.

I do have three problems with the car though, and the first one is a real problem. The paint is terrible!! The car is dotted with paint chips, I mean covered! I have seen 14 year old rovers with 200k on the clock with less marks and from an Audi?! Disappointing to say the leased… The 2nd is the way it gets rid of water. If it has been raining and you open the boot, all the water on the car spills into the boot. Not good enough. The third is the aerodynamics, if you open the rear windows at about 50mph it will attempt to burst your ear drums with pulsating blasts of air pressure so distracting you could easily have an accident not to mention the embarrassment when transporting family & friends.

Overall score is 87% which I have just plucked out my head but you know where im coming from, the paint is a real problem as it will only get worse, I’m probably going to have to spray it before I come to sell it in 5 years if I want any decent money for it. The performance is everything I need from an everyday day car with a real feeling of speed when pushing hard even above 100mph it pushes hard to 120mph and will still keep going (someone in the pub has the same car and told me this). So yes, buy this car is my conclusion but the unexpected alfa style bad design faults are a surprise from an Audi. Oh and watch this space for when I get it remapped.

Audi A3 1.8T 20v For Sale

It is time to sell my car and get a new one. It will be sadly missed, im selling it on Auto Trader & Piston heads. Here is the description and a link to the adverts to get in touch:

Autotrader advert

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2455778.htm

I have had this car serviced every year or every 9000 miles with all work carried out regardless of cost. Oil is checked and topped up every two months, it has passed every MOT with flying colours since I have owned the car. Last week the car had all spark plugs replaced, timing belt replaced, new clutch fork, new mass fly wheel, complete new clutch kit fitted by nation wide Mr Clutch with a 2 year warranty including free checks and a brand new clutch if they find any problems.

This car drives like new with every original bhp present & returns nearly 40mpg on long journeys. Air con, Sony CD player and radio, on board computer with LCD display, sports seats, Audi RS4 8 spoke 18″ wheels, £600 worth of rubber, Pirelli rubber on the front, Michelin on the rear, leather steering wheel, silver paint, full service history to look through, previous MOT certificates & receipts for all work. Mechanically this car wants for nothing, usual wear and tear for city car of this age, minor paint marks. Tax & MOT’d, 2 keys, puts most new cars to shame, no time wasters, tyre kickers, or agencies. Im Dan, ask me any questions, I have many other pictures I can e-mail you. Open to sensible offer

600,000 Clocked Cars on UK road

HPI joins OFT and Trading Standards in urging consumers to protect themselves from fraudulent used car sellers.

New figures published today by the BBC* reveal that more than 600,000 cars on Britain’s roads have been clocked so they show lower mileages, increasing their value when then offered for sale. This figure increases to 716,291 when vans and motorbikes are included, highlighting the need for consumers to protect themselves from unscrupulous sellers, says HPI. Joining the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and Trading Standards, HPI calls for stricter enforcement of regulations to protect consumers and urges used car buyers to conduct vehicle history checks to reduce the threat of clockers.

“Unscrupulous sellers see the clocking of a vehicle as an easy way to raise its price and make some extra cash by putting thousands of pounds onto the price tag,” says Nicola Johnson, Consumer Services Manager for HPI. “These latest figures just confirm that clocking is one of the greatest threats facing used car buyers today. Unfortunately modern digital odometers make it even easier for clocked vehicles to evade detection, as the traditional tell-tale signs of damage to screws or poorly aligned number is not visible.”

Earlier this year, the OFT revealed that false mileage was costing consumers £580 million a year** and urged buyers to avoid mileage disclaimers and conduct a check from an ‘independent and reliable’ company. HPI’s National Mileage Register (NMR) service, which is adopted as standard by leading retailers and manufacturers, contains over 130 million readings, giving buyers extra assurance that a vehicle checked by HPI has not been clocked.

“Working alongside the OFT and Trading Standards, we advise consumers to conduct a vehicle check as a means of protection against fraud,” continues Nicola Johnson of HPI. “8 out of every 100 vehicles checked by HPI show a mileage discrepancy, highlighting the risks. Not only can these mileage discrepancies inflate the value of the vehicle, they could lead to safety risks if vehicles miss out on crucial servicing and replacement work for vital components. However, the HPI Check comes with a mileage check as standard, offering consumers the ultimate in protection.”

With access to more vehicle information than any other service provider, HPI also confirms the vehicle description, whether it is currently recorded as stolen, been written-off by an insurance company or is subject to outstanding finance. In addition, the HPI Check offers a financial guarantee(3), providing added peace of mind to used car buyers at a time when finances are tight.

HPI’S TIPS ON SPOTTING CAR CLOCKING*

Check the service history – Check the mileages displayed in the service history and look for service stamps from a genuine dealer. Ideally the service invoices will accompany the service history. If in doubt, contact the servicing dealers and check the mileages they recorded at the time of the service.

Speak to the previous keeper – Get in contact with the previous keeper (details can be found on the logbook). They can identify the mileage of the vehicle when they sold it. Make sure this adds up with the current mileage.

Trust your judgement – Check who the car was last registered to on the V5. Was it registered as a company car but has done less than 12,000 miles per year? Or is it 15 years old with only 20,000 on the clock? Look for any evidence that indicates clocking.

Check the mileage – It has been known for clockers to wind back the mileage when you first view the vehicle and then return it to its original value once the transaction is complete. Make sure you check the mileage is the same when you pick up the vehicle.

Look for signs of wear and tear – Does the wear and tear on the vehicle match its mileage? Be careful to look out for signs such as worn seats, steering wheels and other vehicle parts. Also look out for brand new easily replaceable parts, these could indicate replacement that does not correspond with the vehicles displayed mileage.

Conduct an HPI Check – The National Mileage Register has over 135 million mileages recorded on it, and can identify mileage discrepancies recorded against the vehicle.

*Many of these signs could be innocent, so look for more than one of the above as possible evidence of clocking

www.hpicheck.com

Gran Turismo 5 HD Review, GT5 problems

Ok, I didn’t want to write a review this early but I have been forced. GT5 is so amazing and frustrating that I need to vent some rage and i’m sorry it’s coming in your direction. Im 29 days in, I have a collection of about 20 cars ( as I dare not sell them, which I will get to later), and currently have about 180,000Cr in the money pot. I have completed two licences, finished races in almost all race categories getting bronze, silver and gold’s cross the board. Overall I’m getting addicted, but my god some points anger me and i’m very confused to there existence.

No1: You only win a car once

What I loved so so much about the previous GT (not prolog), was the ability to find the race that gave you the most money for the leased amount of time spent doing the race. And what really turned the 1000′s in 100,000′s was selling the cars that you won. Then doing it again and again. This gave you the freedom to buy every car you wanted and modify it to what ever level you choose fit, truly spending hours in the game and never overlooking any car. Now, all you get is the winnings of say 15,000Cr and then a car. Which you can sell for 1/4th the original value. But you will never win this car again and you might need it at some point so selling isn’t an option. GT5 has over 1000 cars, 100′s more than the last GT and some cars cost 20,000,000Cr. So how on earth are we supposed to get through all the cars? I haven’t raced all the races yet but unless the winnings go up by 10,000% a good 800 of the cars are going to get missed out. Shame.

No2: No brakes

RIGHT!! This one doesn’t need a great deal of explaining. There is no option to upgrade the brakes, you can adjust the front – rear brake balance but this is something very different. I was expecting a wonderful list of geeky drilled, vented, carbon ceramic, steal disc’s and a confusing but engaging selection of pads. Possibly the option to choose the colour of the callipers. I tuned my GTR up to race spec and the standard brakes were over heating, locking up and really just letting me down. It’s great that they have given it that level of detail, clearly they are not up to the job. I want some stupid massive racing spec disc please.

No3: Customise your car, with paint. But you must of owned or own a car of that paint colour. WHY??

GT5 is not an arcade racer, you cannot jump into your driving seat (sofa) and start power sliding every corner of the race and finish 1st. I love this about the game, this is also my defence when my wife asks why i’m playing a driving game. It being a real world simulator of the driving/customisation world, why do I need to of owned a colour from another car before I can use it to paint another car? You don’t walk around Halfords choosing paint from cars you have previously owned. Or get to the checkout – “Im sorry sir this is 1982 Datsun red, your car is clearly a silver Audi. And checking your car history on our systems shows you have never owned this. If you like we will let you buy the Audi silver paint?” Why don’t they just leave us to mess around with a colour spectrum and choose what paint we like.

No4: The Graphic User Interface (GUI)

I am by trade, a graphic designer. 60% of my designs are GUI’s for websites and games. In GT2 the map style user interface was perfect, like a little city you can move around. Go to the dealerships, test facility etc etc. So why have they produced a user interface consisting of different shaped boxes with the content written on it. Boring. Also the size of the text is questionable, I use a 42″ 1080p Sony and it is top spec, but I have found myself squinting at times. Maybe I need glasses?

Sorry to rant

So it isn’t perfect, but like i said at the beginning I haven’t played the game a great deal. Maybe they will patch everything and say sorry for not getting it perfect the first time round. I realise I shouldn’t rant that much, the only reason why I care about these problems so much is because I love this game. It’s brilliant! It is a real insight into cars that 99.9% of the world can never buy or drive. It’s just a shame that after 6 years in the making stupid little things let it down. Like a tiny splinter in your finger that really really hurts but only when you touch it in a certain way. Watch this space for the update.

Ferrari World

Two weeks ago I went to London for my Aunty’s 40th birthday party, we were booked into a lovely hotel opposite the Brooklands Mercedes Museum, what a treat! The view from the room over looked the test track and the windows were shaking all day from the sound of the 6.2 V8′s being thrashed. My kind of place. The next day, after the party we stroled over to the Mercedes Museum. WOW, they had important concept cars, F1 cars, every car in the range, you could open the doors, you could even sit in them. BUT they also had kids, lots of kids, one group had let 6 children loose on a convertible 6.2 AMG and they were adjusting the seat, opening and closing the boot, trying to pull the aerial up. It was terrible. It ruined my enjoyment. I wanted to go.

So Ferrari world, I don’t really know where to start with the distaste this place leaves in my mouth. It sums up everything about Ferrari that I don’t like. I went into a Ferrari shop when I was in Paris, I couldn’t wait to leave. Plastic merchadise everywhere, Ferrari cap, jackets – in-fact the list is so long i’m stopping. I can just imagine the site of 6 children climbing all over a classic 1955 race car and spilling ice cream down the dash and daddy just taking a picture. Im sorry to rant but kids and super cars do not mix in my world. They are expensive, and you need to be at leased 17 to own one in the UK.

But, I also know why they have done it, when little Johnny has taken over the family business at 21 and all is going well. He will remember his trips to Ferrari world and have an ingrained passion for them, making his super car choice a no brainer. The evil that lie’s within the Ferrari accountants knows no limits, WE MUST TARGET THE KIDS! Clever and a real shame as they may loose there current customers.