Doing long distances / daily drive ?
Discussion
Hi all,
Just wanted to get some other views on this (honest ones please).
Selling my 98 XJR, and options are a New Shape Aluminium XJR, an S Type R,(Do a lot of work with Jaguar - and it's the right thing to do) or a BMW 7 Series (completely the wrong thing to do driving into Jag in a BMW) .... OR a Chim/Cerb.
I know .... one end of the scale to the other !!
Thing is I have another 'toy' and its more a daily drive that I am looking for, heart says F'it and get a TVR (again) ... head says Coventry to Sunderland and back in a day (420 miles) might be a tall ask for a TVR .....
Thinking of spending circa £10k ish and have been previously advised a 4.0 Chim is the most suited for use as a daily drive.
Thoughts from owners/ex-owners would be appreciated as Jag goes Thursday and need to buy something quite quickly.
Thanks, Paul
Just wanted to get some other views on this (honest ones please).
Selling my 98 XJR, and options are a New Shape Aluminium XJR, an S Type R,(Do a lot of work with Jaguar - and it's the right thing to do) or a BMW 7 Series (completely the wrong thing to do driving into Jag in a BMW) .... OR a Chim/Cerb.
I know .... one end of the scale to the other !!
Thing is I have another 'toy' and its more a daily drive that I am looking for, heart says F'it and get a TVR (again) ... head says Coventry to Sunderland and back in a day (420 miles) might be a tall ask for a TVR .....
Thinking of spending circa £10k ish and have been previously advised a 4.0 Chim is the most suited for use as a daily drive.
Thoughts from owners/ex-owners would be appreciated as Jag goes Thursday and need to buy something quite quickly.
Thanks, Paul
I'm sure most people will tell you that TVR's can be used daily (depending on the size of your bank balance 
).
I used mine daily for 4 years, though not that kind of mileage!?!? If you mean the occasional 420 mile trip then a well sorted car should have no problems... People regularly take their TVR's on trips to the South of France, Alps etc. But... if you do mean 420 mi a day... that'd be a service every two weeks or so... let alone fuel, tires and parts etc...!??
G
).I used mine daily for 4 years, though not that kind of mileage!?!? If you mean the occasional 420 mile trip then a well sorted car should have no problems... People regularly take their TVR's on trips to the South of France, Alps etc. But... if you do mean 420 mi a day... that'd be a service every two weeks or so... let alone fuel, tires and parts etc...!??
G
Much as I dearly love my Griff, I wouldn't expect to do a trip like you are suggesting and actually be productive when I got to the other end.
The level of concentration the Griff demands of me, along with the assault on all my other senses, leaves me a bit frazzled after a long journey.
Maybe that says more about me than it does about the car though!
If you have another toy already I'd say get the Jag and arrive in style at the end of those long trips.
The level of concentration the Griff demands of me, along with the assault on all my other senses, leaves me a bit frazzled after a long journey.
Maybe that says more about me than it does about the car though!
If you have another toy already I'd say get the Jag and arrive in style at the end of those long trips.
Ribol said:
You are not suggesting doing 420 miles a day in a 4.0 Chimaera you?
Have done more than that in a day in mine as one offs with no problems but wouldn't dream of doing it daily.
The car I would have suggested for that is the one you have sold.
Likewise - 3+ hours each way every day - couldn't contemplate in any TVR, as already stated re-concentration.Have done more than that in a day in mine as one offs with no problems but wouldn't dream of doing it daily.
The car I would have suggested for that is the one you have sold.
I did 3-years @ 160 miles per day - just about tolerable!!
I shouldn't ask, but what do you do (or what can you do) after 6+ hours driving that justifies that sort of travel ???
Cheers.
Trev McM
I prefer to only use the TVR for fun. That way the car is so much more a sense of occasion and the performance doesn't appear to become lacking!! I would agree that the car does require much more concentration mainly due to the torque/weight ratio being so high and thus attention to cornering with throttle application!
Hi all ... thanks for the replies - helped confirm what my 'head' was saying.
Maybe my first post was not very clear (too late in the day for brain cells to be working properly).
I am the Ops Director for an Automotive Service Provider, providing managed teams of people to support OEM Launches, First Tier Supplier quality improvement, cost reductions etc etc etc.
I have operational sites & teams throughout the UK/EU, that I visit weekly/bi-weekly/monthly just to see that all is going well and the customers are happy over a coffee.
The majority of these are in the Midlands, occassionally Halewood (NW) and more recently visiting a new site/customer we have in Sunderland (NE).
Longer trips are realistically (300-400m) probably only once every 2 weeks or so. Usually its a case of Coventry to Burton, or Birmingham and the like.
Previously used my 911tt as a daily dirve and have added circa 50k miles to it in 2-3 yrs - but fuel at 16mpg, tyres at £300ea, Discs at £400/fronts, etc make this a TAD expensive, let alone the £30k I've lost in depreciation!
Deliberately bought an older (98) Jag as we were doing a lot of work with Jaguar at the time and pulling up in a 911 was not exactly the most sensible thing to do when haggling prices etc. Also I wanted them to think 'lets give this guys ome work' - it worked very well.
The Jag was/is great for long runs and having had it, I've grown quite fond of it, but it's old and I want something either newer or something that is a 'joy' to drive (if you get my drift).
I'm a petrolhead at heart, hence why I just feel the Jag is a bit 'boring'.
Having read the replies on here (and having had a Cerb & Tuscan previously) I think I should go for a S Type R/New XJR for the daily commute and either keep the 911 in the Garage or swap it for a Chim/Sagaris/Tuscan or something else that's "interesting" (355/348/360/DB7/Viper), as a weekend toy.
It's just the sound of a TVR .... nothing compares
Maybe my first post was not very clear (too late in the day for brain cells to be working properly).
I am the Ops Director for an Automotive Service Provider, providing managed teams of people to support OEM Launches, First Tier Supplier quality improvement, cost reductions etc etc etc.
I have operational sites & teams throughout the UK/EU, that I visit weekly/bi-weekly/monthly just to see that all is going well and the customers are happy over a coffee.
The majority of these are in the Midlands, occassionally Halewood (NW) and more recently visiting a new site/customer we have in Sunderland (NE).
Longer trips are realistically (300-400m) probably only once every 2 weeks or so. Usually its a case of Coventry to Burton, or Birmingham and the like.
Previously used my 911tt as a daily dirve and have added circa 50k miles to it in 2-3 yrs - but fuel at 16mpg, tyres at £300ea, Discs at £400/fronts, etc make this a TAD expensive, let alone the £30k I've lost in depreciation!
Deliberately bought an older (98) Jag as we were doing a lot of work with Jaguar at the time and pulling up in a 911 was not exactly the most sensible thing to do when haggling prices etc. Also I wanted them to think 'lets give this guys ome work' - it worked very well.
The Jag was/is great for long runs and having had it, I've grown quite fond of it, but it's old and I want something either newer or something that is a 'joy' to drive (if you get my drift).
I'm a petrolhead at heart, hence why I just feel the Jag is a bit 'boring'.
Having read the replies on here (and having had a Cerb & Tuscan previously) I think I should go for a S Type R/New XJR for the daily commute and either keep the 911 in the Garage or swap it for a Chim/Sagaris/Tuscan or something else that's "interesting" (355/348/360/DB7/Viper), as a weekend toy.
It's just the sound of a TVR .... nothing compares
Chimjunkie said:
I prefer to only use the TVR for fun. That way the car is so much more a sense of occasion and the performance doesn't appear to become lacking!! I would agree that the car does require much more concentration mainly due to the torque/weight ratio being so high and thus attention to cornering with throttle application!
I Have used mine as a daily driver covering about 200-250 miles / week and have found it to be a great daily drive (apart from fuel costs trying to bankrupt me!). It does require a bit more concentration in the wet with aquaplaning and a tendancy to like have its back out even when driving quite sensibly! But other than really wet days I have found it a pleasure to drive!I now completely agree with Chimjunkie though - Driving my TVR does not have anywhere near the sense of occasion compared to when i first got it (although I still cant get bored of the noise and still have a massive grin when driving it with it popping away!) I can honestly say that my Chim does now appear to lack performance. I have become used to the acceleration, even when on a spirited drive, and do not get the same excited feeling (like being on a rollercoaster!) as when i 1st got it.
I now feel i want a faster car as mine does not feel that fast anymore!
ETA: You are correct about the sound of the TVR - Not found anything comparable that i would rather have, and the TVR noise was one of the biggest influences when i bought my Chimaera originally and is the reason I still have a big grin each time i drive it!
Edited by Timja on Wednesday 20th August 12:23
I did Manchester to South Birmingham daily (nearly 200 miles EACH WAY) for 3 months over winter in the Chim, no problems.
Also when Dad was ill I was then adding Birm - Manchester - Blackpool - Manc - Birm.
Only thing was I checked the oil and water every day.
Never ever ever let me down.
I now do Manc - London in the Sag (Chim is away having a full respray) and then when she is back the Chim will be also doing Manc - London.
Do it...if you try and dont like it, nothing lost.
Claire
Also when Dad was ill I was then adding Birm - Manchester - Blackpool - Manc - Birm.
Only thing was I checked the oil and water every day.
Never ever ever let me down.
I now do Manc - London in the Sag (Chim is away having a full respray) and then when she is back the Chim will be also doing Manc - London.
Do it...if you try and dont like it, nothing lost.
Claire
Edited by Gaffer on Wednesday 20th August 12:46
Apart from petrol I have found running costs of the Chim to be no more than other cars I have had, Golf etc. The Chim seems particularly good with its tyres, being so light, it doesnt seem to wear them that quickly, even with my driving. You do need to concentrate though, a suprise puddle means little in my merc, but could send me over the hedge in the Chim.
May win more work when you arrive with a big smile on your face, that should compensate for the petrol cost.
May win more work when you arrive with a big smile on your face, that should compensate for the petrol cost.
S1M VP said:
Longer trips are realistically (300-400m) probably only once every 2 weeks or so. Usually its a case of Coventry to Burton, or Birmingham and the like.
Why not go for the TVR and just rent a snotter for the long trips if it is only every 2 weeks or so - cost wise it probably won't cost you any more with the saving in fuel.
Hi all ... and thanks again for all the replies!
Given what I am realistically looking for the car to do ... S Type R seems the only real viable option - The Mrs thinks the XJR/7 series are too 'old man' for a 31yr old spring chicken, and I am inclined to agree.
Asking a TVR to be there whenever I need to blast up the motorway at the drop of a hat doesn't sound ideal. Kind of like choosing a cat, then expecting it to bark and like going out for walks.
Will keep the 911tt as the toy for the meantime, then when I move it on, will almost certainly re-join the TVR fold.
Thanks for all your help and advice !!
Given what I am realistically looking for the car to do ... S Type R seems the only real viable option - The Mrs thinks the XJR/7 series are too 'old man' for a 31yr old spring chicken, and I am inclined to agree.
Asking a TVR to be there whenever I need to blast up the motorway at the drop of a hat doesn't sound ideal. Kind of like choosing a cat, then expecting it to bark and like going out for walks.
Will keep the 911tt as the toy for the meantime, then when I move it on, will almost certainly re-join the TVR fold.
Thanks for all your help and advice !!
Think outside the box.
If you haven't learned to fly then do so.
Buy a light aircraft and get a rental/taxi from the nearest field to your destination.
If you do big mileage then you will save so much time and have fun. Forget the traffic, scammeras and all the rest. The only drawback is bad weather.
You could even commute from France, its becomming a popular option.
If you haven't learned to fly then do so.
Buy a light aircraft and get a rental/taxi from the nearest field to your destination.
If you do big mileage then you will save so much time and have fun. Forget the traffic, scammeras and all the rest. The only drawback is bad weather.
You could even commute from France, its becomming a popular option.
Timja said:
How much is a plane? (just a fairly basic plane - Not a jet or anything? (Ball Park figure, i know it will vary drastically!) What are yearly maintenance costs and what MPG does it do?
It can vary greatly. Most people start by buying a share of a syndicate owned aircraft.The more people in the syndicate, the smaller each share. Syndicates tend to vet prospective partners. You won't get one accepting a novice to fly a more advanced aircraft. You start simple and work up.
Lets say you buy a 1/5th share of a reasonable beginners type aircraft, say a small Piper with 4 seats. Its valuation is £35K, so you pay £7K for your share. This will be old, but that doesn't matter. Maintenance is mandatory and it must be fully rebuilt accordingly. Just watch out for one thats almost due a major expensive rebuild and don't pay over the odds.
Then you pay a fixed monthly amount agreed in the terms of syndication. This covers hanger fee's, some maintenance, insurance and the predictable expenditures.
The contract will also set a fee per hour to use the aircraft. This portion ensures fairness, he who wears it out most, pays most.
As for MPG, a heavily loaded aircraft, no folding undercarrage, into a headwind. Or just you aboard and a tailwind? Compared to a TVR, my monies on the aircraft using less A to B.
Remember, the aircraft is going in a straight line without traffic jams. Lets say at about an average 120mph. The TVR at that average 120MPH? If conditions permit and your licence doesn't get lost on the way. It would still be less if the TVR drove sensibly in typical conditions.
The time savings can be considerable if there are no fast, clear roads. I did a trip this year, flew up and drove back in my Griffith. About an hour out, over 5 hours back. No motorways first part of the trip, then an accident on the motorway when I finally got on one.
You also pay landing fee's. Different airfields charge different fee's each time you land. But you might spend more on parking and congestion charges in the car.
The biggest expense in year one is your licence. Again, do you pass first time? How many hours will it take you? Are you prepared to learn overseas? It can be cheaper to take an intensive course as a holiday. The USA is the old favourite. You might spend £5K, or £10K. The former is more typical.
Before starting, check with your GP thar you can pass the medical.
When you get a licence it is fairly restricted. For example, it won't allow you to fly at night or in poor visibility. You take additional tests as you learn new skills. You need to be able to fly by instruments without seeing outside. You figure out which extra's you want.
Some years down the line you might want jets. £165K can get you sole ownership an ex Soviet single seater with 600MPH of fun. Running costs are serious, but it cuts journey times right down to size.
More typical would be say trading up to a 1/3 share in a 6 seater, folding undercarrage greater range, 180mph £20K'ish
So lets say you allow £20K to learn, by into a syndicate and run it for the year. That leaves enough for a TVR as well out of the price of a Jag.
You know it makes sense.
GAVC. Like your idea. if you do 400-500 miles (and enjoy it) maybe l shouldn't rule it out so hastily.
Jag went to its new owner this morning!
it's sort of the wrong way round really having a 2 seater for daily drive, then a saloon for the weekend, but thats exactly what I am faced with really.
Is there anywhere where I could rent a chim for a few weeks to try it, or MAYBE swap for my 911 for a few weeks? (obviously insurance and proof of address etc and agreement on mileage and only to a well known pistonheader etc first).
I don't have a plane licence, but would be well up for swaping for a week with your russian fighter mate! ha ha
does sound very interesting though, a plane hmmm! but don't really like flying and don't know anything about it, and most importantly would s#*t myself if it was one of those old bi wing, single propeller jobs!
the jet is a bit out my league i am afraid
Jag went to its new owner this morning!
it's sort of the wrong way round really having a 2 seater for daily drive, then a saloon for the weekend, but thats exactly what I am faced with really.
Is there anywhere where I could rent a chim for a few weeks to try it, or MAYBE swap for my 911 for a few weeks? (obviously insurance and proof of address etc and agreement on mileage and only to a well known pistonheader etc first).
I don't have a plane licence, but would be well up for swaping for a week with your russian fighter mate! ha ha
does sound very interesting though, a plane hmmm! but don't really like flying and don't know anything about it, and most importantly would s#*t myself if it was one of those old bi wing, single propeller jobs!
the jet is a bit out my league i am afraid
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