Faults:
Noticed a gash in a breather hose a few days after purchasing it - didn't affect the drive as it was only a minor replacement needed, but dealer charged me £24 for a little piece of rubber!!!
Immobiliser is temperamental - need to wait a few seconds for it to fully disable or fuel cut-off causes engine not to start (which is embarrassing when your in this car ;op).
Boot sometimes fails to open using remote central locking which can be annoying, but this doesn't happen often.
Interior can rattle a bit at times.
General Comments:
This car is extremely quick although you do need to get those revs up to find out just HOW quick.
Factory top speed is around 132-134mph -I've taken it up to 120 but then bottled it as the pick up is so quick even at high speeds! (I haven't once floored this car or red-lined it)
I love the sound of the engine - I have a 8 speaker system installed, but so many times I have turned it off to listen to the engine instead cos it's so deep and boomy with the twin exhausts!!!
The interior is just what I love - It's black and sexy just like the exterior and the sports seats are extremely comfortable.
The electrics all work wonderfully and I was particularly impressed by the efficiency of the heater as it heats the car up extremely quickly even when it's just been started - much more effective than any other car I've owned.
Driving it is like a dream. It's very smooth and you can feel the 150bhp propelling you up the motorway. Power steering is very useful - I was very thankful for it when I first drove it, thought I might need to do some weight training to handle the power!!
Can be difficult to get it into 2nd gear sometimes although the close ratio gear box is nice.
Parking is very easy.
People just can't stop staring!!!
29th Oct 2002, 08:02
I wrote this review sometime ago, not too long after buying the car and after living with it for sometime thought I would add some further comments. The car is still putting a smile on my face, but like all new toys it has now lost it's shine. The running costs of the car aren't as bad as what I had anticipated. I've had to renew the front brakes (disks and pads) but at £88.00 GBP for the parts and couple of hours with the spanners I was quite pleasantly suprised. The average fuel consumption for the last 2000 miles has been 24MPG which I think is reasonable. This car has left me in a bit of a dilema though, when the time eventually comes to replace it I will have a difficult time. What else will provide the same levels of performance and refinement at such low cost?