To buy an ex press demonstrator car or not?
Discussion
when i worked for BMW some of the cars that came through for the press / show launches had different codes on their build sheets to say that they were press demos / show cars.
we never got to the bottom of what it exactly meant but we were told that these cars are taken off the production line and get extra scrutiny before heading out.
the only reason to buy an ex press / launch car would be for an unusual spec or colour
we never got to the bottom of what it exactly meant but we were told that these cars are taken off the production line and get extra scrutiny before heading out.
the only reason to buy an ex press / launch car would be for an unusual spec or colour
RobM77 said:
I'm inclined to agree with the OP. However, I think Harry Metcalfe bought the press demo Zonda if I remember rightly. If anyone knows about press cars, it would be him...
The service and support Harry Metcalfe et al receive from manufacturers and dealers would not be in any way comparable with what us plebs get.If you want a nice newish car that has been looked after, your best bet is to buy a mid to high mileage ex lease car.
They will have been serviced at main dealers on the dot, (Part of the leasing policy - company time is money)
Everything that needs to be sorted will have been sorted on it as the driver is in charge, but he is not paying.
They will also have had an easy life trudging up and down the motorways.
Here's mine at 3 weeks old having just popped to the local garden supplier
I would buy a press car at >50k, because if stuff has been compromised, then it will have failed by then and replaced, or have had no significant influence. Buying one "Hot off the Press" - I'd pass.
They will have been serviced at main dealers on the dot, (Part of the leasing policy - company time is money)
Everything that needs to be sorted will have been sorted on it as the driver is in charge, but he is not paying.
They will also have had an easy life trudging up and down the motorways.
Here's mine at 3 weeks old having just popped to the local garden supplier
I would buy a press car at >50k, because if stuff has been compromised, then it will have failed by then and replaced, or have had no significant influence. Buying one "Hot off the Press" - I'd pass.
donutsina911 said:
My Tuscan is the ex TVR press car and featured on Top Gear - an equal mix of ragging and provenance that does nothing for its value, but at least I can tell my son the Stig drove it like he stole it many moons ago 
that's a bit different thou, you know a TVR is going to constantly break down regardless of its prior life 
press (performance) cars get ragged to within an inch of their life on track, there was an article on how many cars TG had killed over the couple of days of filming they get.
i wouldn't buy one
Bought an ex-demo (AMV8) with only 700 miles on it - was told (perhaps naively I believed them) it had been driven to shows and not 'used' as such.
It was back in the garage every month at least once during my ownership, but didn't look bad as there were no sins of excessive use or wear & tear.
But, based on that experience, I'd never knowingly be the first owner after press use of any car again.
It was back in the garage every month at least once during my ownership, but didn't look bad as there were no sins of excessive use or wear & tear.
But, based on that experience, I'd never knowingly be the first owner after press use of any car again.
mgv8 said:
Why did it need "4 alloys"?
The front ones corroded after less than 2 years. Nothing to do with being a press car, just another warranty claim. Mind you, Mitsubishi only refurb them, not replace them, an it took them three goes at refinishing them before they stopped blistering every 6 months! Mitsi featured it's sister car in their press release video! My car is one letter off this one so I suspect was being similarly treated...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTgP1Ul-r2I
Edited by Ali_T on Wednesday 26th October 15:19
Edited by Ali_T on Wednesday 26th October 15:20
ILoveMondeo said:
Having a brief exchange with Dan Trent on twitter, absolutely the worst place for any kind of meaningful conversation by they way, about the merits of buying an ex press car (at least that was my intent, I assume he may see this).
Hiya! 
ILoveMondeo said:
Dan posted a picture of him doing a dump run to the local recycling centre in the lovely new PH f-type, and I flippantly commented "this is why you should never buy a press car" or something similar. Not so much about the dump run in particular.
My main point being, press cars get treated in a way that most (not all) owners of a shiny new 60-70k coupe wouldn't dream of. Dump runs being case in point.
You're right, Twitter isn't the medium and I wasn't sure if you were *actually* enraged at the idea of someone doing a tip run in a fancy press car or it was just in jest. FWIW I took a token amount of rubbish to the same dump in a 675LT just for the fun of it, so I guess if anyone ever sees that bright green press car up for sale they have to bear that in mind. And the fact Jenson Button spun it on Top Gear. My main point being, press cars get treated in a way that most (not all) owners of a shiny new 60-70k coupe wouldn't dream of. Dump runs being case in point.
Anyway, am guessing this is just a sideline to your main point and one based on less than ideal personal experience.
As someone who uses press cars I'd have to say I wouldn't have a problem with it, on the basis although - yes - they get used harder than the average privately owned car they also get serviced pretty much every time they go out so will have been maintained more like a race car than a road car. I'm talking the more exotic end here - same may not be said for more everyday stuff. This came up previously when we featured the ex press 997.2 GT3. Suffice to say, I would have had no qualms about buying that one, even over an equivalently priced one from a private owner. But then I did especially like the colour.
I think the most sensible point made here is - as always - to buy on condition and the evidence you have before you. I can appreciate that if you later came across pics of your new toy in a 'previous' life seemingly being ragged then it might be a worry. But I'd come back to the sense that it's in a manufacturer's interests to ensure it is in absolutely A1 condition every time it goes out for a loan and any issues with the car will have been addressed. Of course, cough, in some cases that may well extend to 'special' prep and you might get a car in 'ruder' health than a standard one offered to the public but I'm not about to make any accusations there. Didn't go so well for the last chap who did that, though relations seem to have recovered since!
So, at the more exotic end of the spectrum (Harry's Zonda being perhaps the extreme and, yes, I had a run with that in its previous life!) I would have no qualms whatsoever, ditto from the top end of more mainstream manufacturers be that Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Audi, BMW, et al...
Cheers,
Dan
Edited by Dan Trent on Wednesday 26th October 15:33
JakeT said:
As soon as I hear the words management car that's enough to walk away. I'm sure we all hope that our cars had a careful previous owner. I wouldn't want a car that has been thrashed for all its early life.
I know how I and many other people drive\treat hire cars, there's nothing as quick as a hire car right? 
Now imagine that hire car is the latest supercar\uber saloon\hot hatch rather than a poverty spec Astra and that it's someone's job to try to tell you how good it is on the limit and the best part is they don't have to pay a penny to maintain it, now multiply that by 20/30 people all doing the same thing. Would you buy a car which had 20-30 previous owners on the log book, all of whom you knew for certain had thrashed it to within in an inch of it's life on road and track?
Now imagine that hire car is the latest supercar\uber saloon\hot hatch rather than a poverty spec Astra and that it's someone's job to try to tell you how good it is on the limit and the best part is they don't have to pay a penny to maintain it, now multiply that by 20/30 people all doing the same thing. Would you buy a car which had 20-30 previous owners on the log book, all of whom you knew for certain had thrashed it to within in an inch of it's life on road and track?
Back in the 90s my business partner and I bought a pair of year old Alfa 164 twin sparks from an Alfa dealer. Didn't realise at the time that one was a fleet demo and the other (mine) was a press car. The press car used a bit of oil, nothing excessive, but was noticeably quicker than the other one. Both ran faultlessly for two years and about 50k miles each.
JakeT said:
So, basically, any performance model is not really built for any form of enthusiastic or aggressive driving as it will break.Not a good advert for any manufacturer really.
5harp3y said:
when i worked for BMW some of the cars that came through for the press / show launches had different codes on their build sheets to say that they were press demos / show cars.
we never got to the bottom of what it exactly meant but we were told that these cars are taken off the production line and get extra scrutiny before heading out.
Yep, they also get their panel gaps triple checked and improved upon, bodywork given additional scrutiny, and for the big events they will also get repainted and have added lacquer to offer a better colour quality. Fine tooth comb stuff. we never got to the bottom of what it exactly meant but we were told that these cars are taken off the production line and get extra scrutiny before heading out.
Rest assured, they will be maintained above and beyond before each journalist get his mits on it.
There are entire departments for managing the press fleet for all the OEMS. What's £10k on a car vs a bad write up in the national press??
Alucidnation said:
So, basically, any performance model is not really built for any form of enthusiastic or aggressive driving as it will break.
Not a good advert for any manufacturer really.
Pretty much, you might get away with it in something light like an Elise but a nearly two tonne M3, not a chance. Remember a lot of these cars are selling the "idea" of it being a track honed car, most manufacturers don't really expect you'll be flinging them round a track with abandon on a regular basis, in fact I believe some expressly forbid it and will refuse warranty claims if caught. In fact I've managed to freak out at least two of my "performance" cars with some enthusiastic driving where they went into a sulk\limp mode until I calmed down a bit. Not a good advert for any manufacturer really.
However that's fine as 99% of users will be happy with just flooring it for a few minutes on a B road, dual carriageway or motorway every once in a while. If you want to take it on track regularly, it WILL need additional work and serious regular maintenance.
Don't forget, proper race cars get maintenance work carried out after EVERY race and don't have to lug around hundreds of kilos of electric seats\windows\sunroof\bum massage seats\leather from 3 cows etc.
I have a good friend who owns an ex-press RenaultSport but was working with the dealership at the time it was in use. Not only did he pick it up for a good price, he actually saw how meticulously maintained it was and has had no issues with it since.
I'm not sure how comfortable I'd feel if I didn't know the history of the car as he does and personally I think it would put me off but I suspect the reality is that the cars would generally be fine to own.
That said, from reading some of the things on here, it'd be enough to perturb me!
I'm not sure how comfortable I'd feel if I didn't know the history of the car as he does and personally I think it would put me off but I suspect the reality is that the cars would generally be fine to own.
That said, from reading some of the things on here, it'd be enough to perturb me!
If i was given a free car to test for a few weeks rest assured i would test it to destruction 
i mean who knew a m3 can go offroading . I have friend who was given hire cars from work to drive around in, even now i remember him being specifically unimpressed by a insignia, which he put straight in 2nd gear at 80mph on purpose
i mean who knew a m3 can go offroading . I have friend who was given hire cars from work to drive around in, even now i remember him being specifically unimpressed by a insignia, which he put straight in 2nd gear at 80mph on purpose
Dan Trent said:
You're right, Twitter isn't the medium and I wasn't sure if you were *actually* enraged at the idea of someone doing a tip run in a fancy press car or it was just in jest. FWIW I took a token amount of rubbish to the same dump in a 675LT just for the fun of it, so I guess if anyone ever sees that bright green press car up for sale they have to bear that in mind. And the fact Jenson Button spun it on Top Gear.
Anyway, am guessing this is just a sideline to your main point and one based on less than ideal personal experience.
As someone who uses press cars I'd have to say I wouldn't have a problem with it, on the basis although - yes - they get used harder than the average privately owned car they also get serviced pretty much every time they go out so will have been maintained more like a race car than a road car. I'm talking the more exotic end here - same may not be said for more everyday stuff. This came up previously when we featured the ex press 997.2 GT3. Suffice to say, I would have had no qualms about buying that one, even over an equivalently priced one from a private owner. But then I did especially like the colour.
I think the most sensible point made here is - as always - to buy on condition and the evidence you have before you. I can appreciate that if you later came across pics of your new toy in a 'previous' life seemingly being ragged then it might be a worry. But I'd come back to the sense that it's in a manufacturer's interests to ensure it is in absolutely A1 condition every time it goes out for a loan and any issues with the car will have been addressed. Of course, cough, in some cases that may well extend to 'special' prep and you might get a car in 'ruder' health than a standard one offered to the public but I'm not about to make any accusations there. Didn't go so well for the last chap who did that, though relations seem to have recovered since!
So, at the more exotic end of the spectrum (Harry's Zonda being perhaps the extreme and, yes, I had a run with that in its previous life!) I would have no qualms whatsoever, ditto from the top end of more mainstream manufacturers be that Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Audi, BMW, et al...
Cheers,
Dan
Hi Dan,Anyway, am guessing this is just a sideline to your main point and one based on less than ideal personal experience.
As someone who uses press cars I'd have to say I wouldn't have a problem with it, on the basis although - yes - they get used harder than the average privately owned car they also get serviced pretty much every time they go out so will have been maintained more like a race car than a road car. I'm talking the more exotic end here - same may not be said for more everyday stuff. This came up previously when we featured the ex press 997.2 GT3. Suffice to say, I would have had no qualms about buying that one, even over an equivalently priced one from a private owner. But then I did especially like the colour.
I think the most sensible point made here is - as always - to buy on condition and the evidence you have before you. I can appreciate that if you later came across pics of your new toy in a 'previous' life seemingly being ragged then it might be a worry. But I'd come back to the sense that it's in a manufacturer's interests to ensure it is in absolutely A1 condition every time it goes out for a loan and any issues with the car will have been addressed. Of course, cough, in some cases that may well extend to 'special' prep and you might get a car in 'ruder' health than a standard one offered to the public but I'm not about to make any accusations there. Didn't go so well for the last chap who did that, though relations seem to have recovered since!
So, at the more exotic end of the spectrum (Harry's Zonda being perhaps the extreme and, yes, I had a run with that in its previous life!) I would have no qualms whatsoever, ditto from the top end of more mainstream manufacturers be that Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Audi, BMW, et al...
Cheers,
Dan
Edited by Dan Trent on Wednesday 26th October 15:33
Apologies if I tweeted like a loony.
You're absolutely right, so what, it's a dump run. It's not like you had leaky sacks of mouldy cabbages in there. (I hope
)For what it's worth I've driven my Ferrari to costco so that's now ruined too.
The point was that they can have hard life, and some pretty much knackered cars do fine their way into the "nearly new" dealership pool. The ex-Evo/Pistonheads F-type V8s was a complete junker when I saw it. so I binned the whole thing off and bought a Porsche instead.
You are of course completely right, there will be some that are absolutely fine too. Buy on condition as always!
The biggest issue is journo's don't have the patience to wait for the car to get to operating temp - unless you do a borescope etc. inspection with someone who knows how to interpret the results then you're buying blind.
Whilst this can be said of any car, car buying is about mitigating risk in a sensible way, whilst acknowledging it will never be risk free.
I posted a thread here a couple of months or so ago where my friend was all set to buy the top gear f80 m3 (in the episode vs tesla) - he was adamant on buying it but then when he went for a test drive he said it just didn't feel tight, so he bought a different one instead despite not having the CCBs.
Whilst this can be said of any car, car buying is about mitigating risk in a sensible way, whilst acknowledging it will never be risk free.
I posted a thread here a couple of months or so ago where my friend was all set to buy the top gear f80 m3 (in the episode vs tesla) - he was adamant on buying it but then when he went for a test drive he said it just didn't feel tight, so he bought a different one instead despite not having the CCBs.
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