Ford dont make it easy...

[thebigmacmoomin]

I don't see what the issue is with a test drive accompanied by someone from the garage. They don't know you. Plenty of cases of car being stolen from test drives not returning.

[Dave_ST220]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

Its like wanting to buy an M3 Coupe and being told to drive the 328 cabrio for 15 mins and use your imagination for the rest. It doesnt compute.

Ford, gota love 'em

[Stig]

Blimey - you think you have issues now, just wait until you order one!!!

At least you're in with a cat in hells chance of getting it as it will be LHD.

[HorneyMX5]

Stig said:

Blimey - you think you have issues now, just wait until you order one!!!

At least you're in with a cat in hells chance of getting it as it will be LHD.

Are there supply issues then? I spotted 6 on a transporter heading up the M1 yesterday.

[Stig]

HorneyMX5 said:

Are there supply issues then? I spotted 6 on a transporter heading up the M1 yesterday.

Don't be fooled - they're literally one of the first ones off the boat. Supply is VERY limited.

[Stig]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

3-5 months LHD, or so I'm told...

Sounds reasonable (5 that is). Current ETA on mine will mean it's a year after placing the order.

[EJH]

The limited dealer supplying the country sounds like the ghastly model that Fiat used when they launched Abarth in the UK.

Whilst only x dealers can sell the cars, what’s the availability like for service at other dealers…or will you just go over the border for service in Belgium? I only ask as we had fun and games for the first 3 years we had the Abarth as the local Fiat dealer were nervous to service the car whilst it was in warranty due to the split of manufacturer to UK importer (or something; my memory isn’t what it was).

It meant for the first 3 years we had the car we had to deal with the local Abarth agent (ghastly*) and since the warranty expired we have used the local Fiat dealer who are utterly wonderful and not terribly expensive

• By ghastly, the greatest hits I can remember are:

Trying to tell my gf that the tyres were worn out and they could change them. When she said she would check with me, they confessed that they still had 3.5mm+ tread

Prefacing the service quote I got for the car’s major (cambelt) service (which I only got for entertainment value) as “we use racing quality parts,” and other twaddle I don’t remember as it wasn’t quite as amusing before quoting me £1,350 (plus whatever the serpentine belt cost them to do; they couldn’t remember….) for the service and brake fluid change.

[EJH]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

The V8 GT im (hopefully) going to drive will be getting the stage-3 treatment next year. 730bhp!

Just to be unhelpful, do it, do it, do it!

[HorneyMX5]

HorneyMX5 said:

Stig said:

Blimey - you think you have issues now, just wait until you order one!!!

At least you're in with a cat in hells chance of getting it as it will be LHD.

Are there supply issues then? I spotted 6 on a transporter heading up the M1 yesterday.

I seem to be magnet for them then as I spotted another transporter full heading up the A34 past Newbury yesterday afternoon.

[Shadow R1]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

I drove an EcoBoost car today.

I liked it a LOT.

Just waiting on a V8 demo to arrive in January and then will see if an order gets made.

TBH if the V8 didnt exist, im fairly certain id be more than happy with the EcoBoost. The dealer had put a different exhaust on it, and it sounded great for a 4-banger car.

Did you get any pic's of it ?

[spats]

I think you've been lucky. Over in the UK Ive never once been allowed to offer a test drive without a member of staff being present.

Sadly for everyone like yourself who will treat the car with respect, theres 10 who will redline it from cold, drive like a tt and then somewhere down the line that car will be sold to someone.

I used to work for Skoda and every week someone would turn up asking for a go in the VRS. 99percent got upset when I wanted their details and proof of licence.

It got worse when selling commercials.

[EJH]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

I did uncover one (annoying and puzzling) spec issue. The Brembos on the GT spec cars are 6-pot on the auto, and only 4-pot on the manual V8. No-one can explain why....

That's bizarre. Are there any other differences in the brakes to meter between front and rears, as a result?

spats said:

I used to work for Skoda and every week someone would turn up asking for a go in the VRS. 99percent got upset when I wanted their details and proof of licence.

When I lived in Jersey, unaccompanied test drives were the norm...but then where was one going to go with the car and how fast could one go? In the UK, accompanied is still the norm...but when my mother bought her E91 the first test drive was accompanied and the second was "take it away for a few hours to a couple of days to see how it fits with your life."

It was the best of the cars she was looking at...but it did rather help clinch the (quite wonderful - everything he did made my mother buying her first car (my late father sorted all of that out before) a lovely experience and extremely good value) salesman's deal.