[Wills2]

Originally Posted by insanecoder

Gas $$$ is no problem.. I'm out driving for any and no reason.. er but I guess gas is kinda expensive across the pond

Just a little I paid nearly the equivalent of $10 a gallon the other day for super unleaded.

[Kal101]

Originally Posted by insanecoder

Gas $$$ is no problem.. I'm out driving for any and no reason.. er but I guess gas is kinda expensive across the pond

Massively so.

Bought fuel in Florida a couple of years ago and thought that a decent price per litre ( compared to GB) - then realised it was the price for a gallon

Plus the roads are way better.

[Kal101]

Originally Posted by Hooded

I'm in a similar situation being on the edge of the west mids (wales side) .. half a mile down the road and I'm heading out into the sticks for a rural drive. I like driving out towards Shrewsbury way.

Originally Posted by Brigand

Ditto, Shrewsbury, down to Ludlow and Herefordshire.

Some nice food in Ludlow.

It's just nice to get out and do that type of thing, it's what having a car is about.

Now that’s strange I quite like the country road route upto Telford and beyond.

Lovely road especially heading upto Hereford unless you get stuck behind a slow mover then it’s frustrating as hell.

Used to do regular Saturdays in Hereford at one stage and every evening would end up joining a massive tail back behind some old dear in a white Lada driving at 40mph all the way. FRUSTRATING.

[hudson012003]

just back from Salcombe this evening (lovely place btw). The road in & out of Salcombe makes interesting driving Then hit the A381 & then the A38 = M5 and a decent run apart from a couple of 50mph roadworks.

Problems on the M6 which the Smart M-way advised (+1 hr) plus RTTI kicked in but didn't offer the Toll road = my fault as not set up correctly. Anyway, hit the M42 & the M6 Toll & never seen it so busy Then hit the usual nightmare from 11 onwards = constant 50mph & also constant undertaking
North of Birmingham is a nightmare & unfortunately I don't think anything the useless fookers at the Highways agency do will improve it even when the Smart M-way is finished Think I need Brigand's knowledge of the A-roads as even with this car it gets a bit tedious of the crap M-ways. At least i averaged 38mph

[Kal101]

Originally Posted by hudson012003

just back from Salcombe this evening (lovely place btw). The road in & out of Salcombe makes interesting driving Then hit the A381 & then the A38 = M5 and a decent run apart from a couple of 50mph roadworks.

Problems on the M6 which the Smart M-way advised (+1 hr) plus RTTI kicked in but didn't offer the Toll road = my fault as not set up correctly. Anyway, hit the M42 & the M6 Toll & never seen it so busy Then hit the usual nightmare from 11 onwards = constant 50mph & also constant undertaking
North of Birmingham is a nightmare & unfortunately I don't think anything the useless fookers at the Highways agency do will improve it even when the Smart M-way is finished Think I need Brigand's knowledge of the A-roads as even with this car it gets a bit tedious of the crap M-ways. At least i averaged 38mph

If you want Brigand knowledge of back routes just download the Grindr Dogging app.

[Hooded]

Originally Posted by Kal027

Now that’s strange I quite like the country road route upto Telford and beyond.

Lovely road especially heading upto Hereford unless you get stuck behind a slow mover then it’s frustrating as hell.

Used to do regular Saturdays in Hereford at one stage and every evening would end up joining a massive tail back behind some old dear in a white Lada driving at 40mph all the way. FRUSTRATING.

indeed .. I've been there many times myself

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by hudson012003

just back from Salcombe this evening (lovely place btw). The road in & out of Salcombe makes interesting driving Then hit the A381 & then the A38 = M5 and a decent run apart from a couple of 50mph roadworks.

Problems on the M6 which the Smart M-way advised (+1 hr) plus RTTI kicked in but didn't offer the Toll road = my fault as not set up correctly. Anyway, hit the M42 & the M6 Toll & never seen it so busy Then hit the usual nightmare from 11 onwards = constant 50mph & also constant undertaking
North of Birmingham is a nightmare & unfortunately I don't think anything the useless fookers at the Highways agency do will improve it even when the Smart M-way is finished Think I need Brigand's knowledge of the A-roads as even with this car it gets a bit tedious of the crap M-ways. At least i averaged 38mph

Nightmare, those must be the worst places to hit.

Where possible the only motorway bits I do are M54 and M6 Toll.

I do think it's quicker using A41 rather than the M6 upgraded carpark and it's never ending roadworks.

I go to Warwick a fair bit and used to use M6-M40, these days I use M6 Toll and come off at the Belfry and then A roads in to Warwick, turned a crap drive into a decent one.

Admittedly it does mean reading a map now and then, shocking in this day and age I know.

[R99]

Not since I sold my F56 MINI Cooper S due to an expanding family!

That car just wanted to be driven and up here in the NE we had a great MINI community that organised regular drives up to Hartside Pass on summer evenings. Great fun!

The F31 is more like finely honed tool - very fast and capable but not exactly FUN....

One day I'll get myself back into a hot hatch

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by R99

Not since I sold my F56 MINI Cooper S due to an expanding family!

That car just wanted to be driven and up here in the NE we had a great MINI community that organised regular drives up to Hartside Pass on summer evenings. Great fun!

The F31 is more like finely honed tool - very fast and capable but not exactly FUN....

One day I'll get myself back into a hot hatch

One of the reasons I went for a R Hearse.

It's very fast, very capable and fun.

Dos everything the F31 did, just with more fun doing it.

[R99]

Originally Posted by Brigand

One of the reasons I went for a R Hearse.

It's very fast, very capable and fun.

Dos everything the F31 did, just with more fun doing it.

Agreed, the Golf R makes for a hard to ignore choice. I’d like to get back into a MINI or something similar once I don’t need to be hauling 2x car seats, buggy, etc etc around!

[Soul_Glo]

Used to. Had a list of roads I enjoyed and even wanted to try. Haven't done much since 2010. Wales. Cotswolds. That's why I bought the E46 M3 but it has been gathering dust and thinking of selling it. Had all the right intentions but don't seem to have the time.

[Pobsey]

Originally Posted by Brigand

One of the reasons I went for a R Hearse.

It's very fast, very capable and fun.

Dos everything the F31 did, just with more fun doing it.

Funny you say that, two people I know had golf R’s and quickly moved on as they felt they were not fun (one came from a m135) he now drives a f56 Jcw challenge (with Evo developed car with nitron suspension etc)

I agree on the f31, does the job very very well just not a giggle. Currently working on my weekend/fun car to get back on the road after a year of stripping down and rebuilding/ improving.

[R99]

Originally Posted by Pobsey

Funny you say that, two people I know had golf R’s and quickly moved on as they felt they were not fun (one came from a m135) he now drives a f56 Jcw challenge (with Evo developed car with nitron suspension etc)

I agree on the f31, does the job very very well just not a giggle. Currently working on my weekend/fun car to get back on the road after a year of stripping down and rebuilding/ improving.

The R53?

[Pobsey]

Originally Posted by R99

The R53?

Yes the R53 with new:
Clutch
Lightweight flywheel
AST 5200 coilovers
AST drop links
Team Dynamics 1.2
Michelin Cup 2’s
Fully refreshed front end with ball joints and bushes, also chased the rust from underneath!

On top of the existing spec.
Build thread:

[R99]

Originally Posted by Pobsey

Yes the R53 with new:
Clutch
Lightweight flywheel
AST 5200 coilovers
AST drop links
Team Dynamics 1.2
Michelin Cup 2’s
Fully refreshed front end with ball joints and bushes, also chased the rust from underneath!

On top of the existing spec.
Build thread:

Fond memories chasing your R53 down (and others) in my R56 JCW back in the day!

[JustChris]

Seeing a trend in this threads replies.

[OneExtra]

since buying an M5 I go out for a steady drive for no reason....

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by Pobsey

Funny you say that, two people I know had golf R’s and quickly moved on as they felt they were not fun (one came from a m135) he now drives a f56 Jcw challenge (with Evo developed car with nitron suspension etc)

I agree on the f31, does the job very very well just not a giggle. Currently working on my weekend/fun car to get back on the road after a year of stripping down and rebuilding/ improving.

For the cars you mention, mainly the mini yes more fun.

However I challenge them to getting a dog, daughter, wife, and suitcases in either of those cars and driving to North of Scotland, then have a week blatting around back roads, then driving all way back with same stuff.


Having done the same trip with my 330d a couple of times, the Golf beats it hands down, even not a huge difference in fuel on the up and down bits.

For a fast fun Estate that is light enough to have fun in, the Golf wins.

[Pobsey]

the golf is smaller than the f31, so it will feel more chuckable. I would love to see what a 330d would be like as a manual as I think the auto takes some of the fun away (my 330d is my first auto and if I could have specc’d it I would have gone manual)

Saying that, if I had to drive the mini as a daily I’d quickly lose the will to live, it’s too focused and raw just to drive to the office 🤣

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by Pobsey

the golf is smaller than the f31, so it will feel more chuckable. I would love to see what a 330d would be like as a manual as I think the auto takes some of the fun away (my 330d is my first auto and if I could have specc’d it I would have gone manual)

Saying that, if I had to drive the mini as a daily I’d quickly lose the will to live, it’s too focused and raw just to drive to the office 🤣

I far prefer modern sports autos to manuals.

There is plenty fun with the ZF box in manual mode, the 8AT is very flexible and takes more learning than a manual box.

Size wise, the boot on the Golf has more useable space, the space is lost on rear leg room.

The other big change going from the F31 330d to the RHearse was dropping diesel and getting petrol.

Driving the routes we did in the 330d, it was more of a lesuirely but spirited drive, same routes now are DSG with stick to left and grins.

[Derrymilk]

Don’t do anything for fun anymore

[Derrymilk]

Originally Posted by R99

Fond memories chasing your R53 down (and others) in my R56 JCW back in the day!

Cotswolds was the uk event to go to, but Mizen to Malin here in Ireland was 4x days of debauchery