RWD - The Angel of DEATH !

[J4CKO]

Just rang my brokers to get a quote to change to a 540i and they wouldnt quote unless I had been driving a rwd car in the last 12 months, apparently the Fiat 500 doesnt count because it isnt in my name, I am allowed up 170 bhp in a RWD car, otherwise I have to look elsewhere !

I didnt realise a modern, ESP equipped RWD was now an insurance pariah ?

Anyone know a good company for insuring such dangerous vehicles ?

Im 40 with full ncd, 1 small claim and three points

[detomaso]

I've got my 540i insured with Allianz after pretty much everybody else wanted to take me to the cleaners

[PaulB81]

I have my 330ci (230hp ish) through priviledge, had my previous beemer through them. Im 29, 5yrs nc (with an accident on file), no points. its around £500

Never heard of this being raised before, try admiral etc, been with them on rwd cars

[J4CKO]

detomaso said:

I've got my 540i insured with Allianz after pretty much everybody else wanted to take me to the cleaners

If you dont mind me asking, how much ?

[normalpaul]

Hello...

I have a 350z, which is my first ever RWD and has 296bhp and I'm insured with Direct Line. I purchased my cover online and I had no issues re the lack of RWD experience. They were also the cheapest, beating all the so called "performance car specialists".

Cheers
P

PS. I'm 37, full NCB and with an SP30 on my license.

[sinizter]

BMW wouldn't insure me or my wife on their 7 day drive away insurance on
firstly, a Z4 2.2 and 2 years later an E92 M3. First time I was 25 with 6 months experience and then again 2 years on, same problem. My wife had years of experience.

Elephant on the other hand, very helpful and quick, also came up with the cheapest quotes in both cases - sorted it out for me.

I think they would be happy to insure me on a rocket strapped to a wheelbarrow.

[V88Dicky]

You see.....

It's only us old men who are manly enough to handle the sheer dangerousnessess of RWD death machines!

[Monty Python]

J4CKO said:

Just rang my brokers to get a quote to change to a 540i and they wouldnt quote unless I had been driving a rwd car in the last 12 months, apparently the Fiat 500 doesnt count because it isnt in my name, I am allowed up 170 bhp in a RWD car, otherwise I have to look elsewhere !

I didnt realise a modern, ESP equipped RWD was now an insurance pariah ?

Anyone know a good company for insuring such dangerous vehicles ?

Im 40 with full ncd, 1 small claim and three points

Just because it's got ESP doesn't mean it'll behave. If it's anything like the 335d, even with all the "safety" features turned on, the back end will still go walkabout in the wet if you're not careful.

But, I guess (a) they've looked at your present car and thought that it's quite a step up in terms of power or (b) they're just a bunch of stupid *****.

[nonuts]

You're asking the wrong people. You'd have loved some of the conversations I had last year when I phoned up with the line 'hello, I just wrote off my S3, my fault, no one else involved. I'd like a quote for an e36 M3 please, yes the 320+ bhp one with no traction or stability control?' I was also under thirty at the time which adds to the humorous replies.

[900T-R]

J4CKO said:

I am allowed up 170 bhp in a RWD car, otherwise I have to look elsewhere !

Get a Caterfield, Atom, Ginetta or alternatively a pair of RWD rollerskates with 170 bhp, see how they like that.

[bga]

I use Admiral for my 540i and am paying around 430gbp for 12 months Fully Comp. 25k miles / year, 33 y/o, 2y NCB, no accidents or points.

[scorchio]

I have heard of this before but with me they asked if i had driven such a powerful FWD car ( focus st3, powerful ??????) i was at near breaking point anyway with the usual indian call centre bks,and this pushed me over the edge, I started to rant if they check their fecking records i had all my previous jap toys inc my tuned v-spec 2 r32 gtr insured with them.

I can see this becomming more and more the norm as alot of recent drivers would struggle to handle a car if it got out of shape without all the modern aides.

[J4CKO]

I am 40 and have only had FWD cars for convenience, I started on Capri's and Mantas so not exactly a novice, I understand and powerful car can be a problem, expecially if its rwd but I didnt expect the brokers to tell me I couldnt get one.

Will investigate the options put forward, I am happy to pay £5/600 a it is a bit of a beast but any more than that I will leave it, wonder if the seven series is regarded as a lairy monster as well as you see old grannies driving them without issue.

[varsas]

J4CKO said:

Just rang my brokers to get a quote to change to a 540i and they wouldnt quote unless I had been driving a rwd car in the last 12 months, apparently the Fiat 500 doesnt count because it isnt in my name, I am allowed up 170 bhp in a RWD car, otherwise I have to look elsewhere !

I didnt realise a modern, ESP equipped RWD was now an insurance pariah ?

Anyone know a good company for insuring such dangerous vehicles ?

Im 40 with full ncd, 1 small claim and three points

Caterham R300?

[Big Rod]

I had to jump through hoops with my legacy insurer when I changed my car from a 4x4 to an import Z32 300ZX with a few very minor modifications so I went to a specialist.

No problem until I tried to add my mate to the policy for convenience as we worked together and he didn't have the use of a car at the time. Now my mate is almost 50, has taught people to drive professionally, has driven 'big inch' V8 Holdens and the like while he lived in Australia, has NEVER EVER had an accident and at the time rode a 150BHP bike.

They wouldn't entertain him because the last car he drove was a diesel Berlingo and his Wife had a Mazda2.

Go figure!

[kambites]

Another vote for Elephant, if you want no-frills type insurance. Their customer service isn't great if you have to use it, but they're cheap enough to make up for it.

[Liokault]

I used to have a 540i.

Lasted two weeks (or so) before my GF crashed it the first time she drove it in the rain.

[zaphod42]

Get anew broker. My wifes first car was a Z4 with no no claims, her second a mk3 MX5. No issues or silly requests. Both in our 30's.

We use Saffron and Adrian Flux, both have been good.

[the_stoat]

900T-R said:

Get a Caterfield, Atom, Ginetta or alternatively a pair of RWD rollerskates with 170 bhp, see how they like that.

They do not like that either. I have tried a few specialists for the Westfield I get in a week and 2 gave the same answer of requiring a years RWD experience.

[J4CKO]

Liokault said:

I used to have a 540i.

Lasted two weeks (or so) before my GF crashed it the first time she drove it in the rain.

Oops !

Was that down to her lack of RWD experince and being handed the keys to a near 300 bhp car or just bad luck.

Got some quotes, £599 is the best, not great but it is only just over £400 if I take off my indescretions

So, do-able.

Really fancy one, seem to be bargains for what you get, can stand the fuel economy as dont do any mileage, insurance ok I guess but will have to change to another insurer, tax is pre 2000 so maybe a bit cheaper than the £260 I will be paying this year.

What are the pitfalls on the 540i, appreciate its quite a powerful and complex car, more/less/same than a 740i ? I know the steering isnt as good as the lower models ue to it not being rack and pinion due to packaging.