"How about a lovely 111S?" I was asked when it looked like the Exige was to be delayed
"No more Rovers."
"I've got a lovely 111R here that's got your name all over it."
"Yeah but, thing is I want something stupid fast. Or an Evora."
"I have just the car for you, low mileage Evora, in an unusual colour!"
"Oh lord it's not that 1970s Datsun turquoise is it?"
"OK so it's the Exige. Might take a while to get the paperwork sorted."
There are other car shops, but there always full of awful people in shiny suits pretending to be excited about f.ucking Kias.
So this morning I found myself with a morning spare (having dropped M off at climbing at NINE O'CLOCK on a SUNDAY) so went for a little drive. The skys were clear but it had rained earlier so the roads were either greasy or actually wet under the trees, if me in the Exige had been following me in the Golf I wouldn't have seen which way me in the Golf went. I'd forgotten the way they don't give confidence. Followed a guy on a big GS for a while which was fun but, well the Exige's fast, but not stupid fast...
I got lost at one point and found myself nose to nose with someone in a Mokka (or Tuscon or Toureag or Xx60 - God knows they are all undistinguishable to me) on a passing place-less single track road.
"No seriously mate you are going to have to either engage 4WD and drive it into that shallow puddle or, and I mean this in the most polite way possible,
Back
The
F.uck
Up." my look said.
I can't see behind me and these wheels haven't been McApe'd. I ain't taking it anywhere near a farm track because some 4wd driver doesn't want to get his rims mucky.
Then the roads started to dry and then the dry patches started getting longer and, well it does pull
quite hard in third. And then, at about 5.8k there's this whine that starts to build. The best way I can describe it is, in the early nineties there were Minis that used to go up the hill at Harewood House which they did with a rather distinctive noise from their straight cut gears.
Sounds like that.
Similar smell too, I'm not sure it's burning all the petrol it gets all the time.
Anyway shortly after 5.8k all hell breaks loose and moments later (8.5k probably) it's time to change gear.
I survived to collect M an hour or two later and then, after chores, I got another hour or so of playing in the afternoon. I am, once again, a driving god. Or at least I thought I was until I realised that my delicate approach to throttle control was actually my old, ham fisted, approach being effectively flattered by the traction control.
It has traction control. And it stops ludicrously well. Stereo's rubbish though and the pax door handle fell off again.
It's definitely stupid fast.
A Pedant Writes
You know Kenny had an Evora in that colour he loved? And Donkey has an XC60, that he too loves?
It's almost like you do it deliberately.
And, inspired by smee, I present an arty shot where you can't see all the car. BUT there is a bit of i3 for i3 lovers...
'99 - '03 Titanium S1 111S.
'03 - '10 Starlight Black S2 111S
'11 - '17 S2 135R
'17 - '19 S2 Exige S+
'23 - ?? Evora