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Went to a Mazda Event on the weekend at Knockhill. Had a laugh driving RX-8s around the circuit and driving challenges in MX-5s. Biggest topic of conversation was the unlucky people who were going to end up with all those thrashed (clutch/brakes/tyres) 'Mazda demonstation model' cars.
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Went to a similar Ford event which featured the Fiesta ST.
Coming soon to a Ford Direct site near you soon! :-)
Blue
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I always think that about all dealer demo cars - OK some might have escaped, but I vividly remember going to test drive a Peugeot 405 GTX some years ago. On walking around the car I noted that the front tyres were certainly illegal. It had done 4000 miles.
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Ah!
Wish I'd known about that. Perhaps it explains the decorated 6-speed RX8 on display in front of the Dundee agent's premises.
I was able to have a quiet look and found it does not quite fit my definition of a four seater, one in which I can set the driving position for myself and then sit reasonably comfortably behind; but it is better than small two door four seaters in that with the rear door I can get into the rear.
Nice car, though, and once one has had a rotary there is nothing quite like it.
(My brother thought we should get one; the things he does, he might manage to trade in a Sonata AND a Supra!)
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What about the ex-road test vehicles used in the likes of Autocar etc. Reading through some of their tests, they seem a bit extreme and the vehicles are probably not worth having by the time they have conducted performance, max speed, handing and ride quality tests (amongst others) out.
Reading through a 1982 Polo test, they revealed that the engine would 'speed to a remarkable, if academic 6850RPM before what sounds like valve bounce begins to approach'. Then went on to say that 'the engine clatters oddly at tick over'. Not that surprised really, not after you have consistently over-revved it throughout testing.
In a similar test on the 652cc Citroen Visa, they found that the 1 in 3 test hill was too much, and trying to pull away by revving the engine and slipping the clutch, only produced a strong smell of burning clutch linings, and that a 'seemingly reasonable' rev limit turned out to be a giddy 7500 RPM!
I'm not sure if testing is as punishing as that these days, but I?m not sure I would want a car that had been consistently pushed to, and in some cases beyond, its limits.
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And what about the performance cars that Top Gear thrash the living daylights out of on that sandy beach. Must take them months to try and remove it all!
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I heard that they crush 'em after Top Gear have them. I've thought about telling a manufacturer that I'll take one and sign a disclaimer promising never, ever, to mention any problems to them...
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This reminds me of a Vauxhall dealer who ran an Astra demonstrator with a broken speedo.
I would estimate that car had clocked up some 10000 miles that weren't recorded. It was a long distance runner that was often used to pick up/deliver drivers involved in deliveries and dealer swaps.
I saw it some 6 months after, most likely having been sold onto an unsuspecting buyer with the full Network Q Warranty thingy.
I have to say I was disgusted. However, I know what dealer apethy can be like, and anyone actually involved in getting it repaired as soon as it broke would have been seen as cutting edge in competance.
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I wonder what happened to all the Ford Puma's that got raced around the Stow circuit by myself and other hooligan punters at Silverstone when Top Gear live was there a few years ago?
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Many, many years ago CAR magazine (IIRC) did a group test of off roaders with a Land Rover, Range Rover and a Toyota Landcruiser. The first two perfomed well on the off road sections, but the Landcruiser ended up with either a cracked chassis or bodyshell. Toyota were not very happy about it. Wonder what happened to this vehicle?
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