Been offered a Audi A5 'Test Car' that belongs to Jaguar....

[chippy476]

Been offered and 08 plate A5 TDi Quatro Sport by a local dealer that has been tasked with finding one for me.

The car he has found belongs to Jaguar and has been used as a 'Test Car'. He's saying they buy them to check the competition over.

Anyone know anything about how this car might have been treated?

It's very low mileage for year (16k for 08 plate), so wonder if it's been pulled to pieces and put back together??

Thanks

[chippy476]

Thought so. Not in a rush to find new car, so will hang out for another one...

Thanks

[lazyitus]

Wouldn't be surprised if it's been pulled apart and rebuilt.

[eybic]

When I worked at Renault (next door to Nissan), the Nissan guys regularly had top end other Marques in the car park, they got passed between staff members and I would suspect are "tested" quite well.

[Toaster Pilot]

It will have been disassembled in some way and put back together, almost certainly.

Not sure that's a terrible thing though, I'd certainly rather have it than one a sales rep has been battering for 3 years.

[The Moose]

eybic said:

When I worked at Renault (next door to Nissan), the Nissan guys regularly had top end other Marques in the car park, they got passed between staff members and I would suspect are "tested" quite well.

A bit like the good ole village bike then

[brianthemagical]

It's very unlikley to have disassembled/messed with in any way. Any that have been will be crushed/scrapped. It may well have been a spare car, one that wasn't needed or used for much.

[Andy665]

I'm surprised its even being offered for sale, most manufacturers will scrap such cars as they are often subjected to real punishment. I can only assume that this particular car has had an easy life - something as painless as being used as a static competitor vehicle or a competitor vehicle at a launch event.

Currently doing a launch event with Lexus and they have bought the competitor cars, all are maintained fantastically well and I would happily buy any of them at the end of the event if the price was right

[chippy476]

waiting for full spec and to see it in real life...

Would an RAC / AA inspection show up any dismantaling type work? How thorough are these guys?

Thanks all for replies - most helpful :-)

[Toaster Pilot]

I'd have thought if they were dismantling and reassembling it with a view to resell it they'd be fairly meticulous in doing so - ie they wouldn't let the work experience kid loose on it

My statement above with regards to the fact it probably has been dismantled comes from someone who works for Jaguar.

[basehead]

I would avoid it.

[davey68]

Yes quite possibly a 'tear down' car to analyse designs/weights of component parts. Why risk it with so many other cars out there?

[anonymous-user]

I'd go and have a look at it

There's not a great deal to lose is there? If its ruined walk away

[Andy665]

A manufacturer would NEVER sell on a car that has been disassembled - the potential comeback is far too great a risk, such cars will always be scrapped

[va1o]

Sounds like nonsense to me. Check the V5 carefully for previous owner details, and find out whether it was originally supplied by Audi UK or a dealer.

[chippy476]

va1o said:

Sounds like nonsense to me. Check the V5 carefully for previous owner details, and find out whether it was originally supplied by Audi UK or a dealer.

Good point!

[Ozzie Osmond]

Imagine for a moment the car had been fully disassembled for analysis of its components. Would it be worth putting it back together? No.

Don't panic. Just give it the usual "check everything works" and it feels right to drive.

[Megaflow]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Imagine for a moment the car had been fully disassembled for analysis of its components. Would it be worth putting it back together? No.

Don't panic. Just give it the usual "check everything works" and it feels right to drive.

Yes it will be. It happens all the time and not just with cars, we bought a competitors tractor at work. Performance tested it, stripped it, inspected it, rebuilt it and sold it.

[Engineer1]

lazyitus said:

Wouldn't be surprised if it's been pulled apart and rebuilt.

If it has been torn down it will very likely have been reassembled by skilled technicians with time to spare rather than a guy on the line being pushed to do the job within the TAC time.

[Maxus]

As per other advice, check who the previous owner was. Manufacturers lend cars to each other for competition testing. I would have thought the only reason for Jaguar buying the car would be to either run up a high mileage or to pull it apart. Again, unlikely they would put it back together. They would scrap or worst case send it off to auction.

Unless it is rare or cheap why risk the questionable history?