RE: PH meets: Mike Cross
Discussion
DJRC said:
Some lovely roads around Southam 
Ive come across Mike and his crew in various JLR products around the area a few times over the yrs. You can usually spot the development cars as various bits n bobs are out of place to your eye and if you see into the interior they are randomly different, stripped out, ripped apart or stuffed with stuff. Sometimes you come across a Jag that looks normal but it going at a pace across country that is just...different. Its not hooning, but its progress is invariably very very swift and so utterly smooth. The smoothness always catches the eye. You can bet the house that such a time its Cross or one of his chaps. Quite uncanny, lovely to watch and all with a far defter hand than I can manage.
I've spotted him going through Llangynog as well - having a little run on the Milltir CerrigIve come across Mike and his crew in various JLR products around the area a few times over the yrs. You can usually spot the development cars as various bits n bobs are out of place to your eye and if you see into the interior they are randomly different, stripped out, ripped apart or stuffed with stuff. Sometimes you come across a Jag that looks normal but it going at a pace across country that is just...different. Its not hooning, but its progress is invariably very very swift and so utterly smooth. The smoothness always catches the eye. You can bet the house that such a time its Cross or one of his chaps. Quite uncanny, lovely to watch and all with a far defter hand than I can manage.
Glad you enjoyed it - the flow thing was explored in the original blog here here so hopefully that'll help put it all in context. This was, in effect, a follow-up looking at how you get from a concept like that and quantify it in a way that can be manufactured/ordered from parts suppliers/etc. Mike read the blog on PH and got in touch off the back of it, which was nice!
Cheers,
Dan
Cheers,
Dan
Great article. I've been driving a 2012 Fiesta Diesel courtesy car for the last week after being involved in a crash which wrote-off my 10 year old Focus. Obviously a 10 year old ST170 is going to be a lot different to a brand new 1.4 turbo diesel Fiesta, and probably has next to nothing in common with the Jag's on which the article is based, but I was suprised at just how blunt and numb the Fiesta feels. I have no idea what is going on with the road surface and feel so disconnected from driving that it has just become a bit boring to be honest. I know the Fiesta diesel probably wasn't designed with enjoyment in mind, but surely some kind of feedback, any kind of feedback to the driver, would be a good thing. I suppose Aunt Maureen on her weekly run to the shops loves the way it soaks up potholes and speed bumps, but for me it's all just a bit dull.
If people like Mike Cross can help keep modern cars interesting and involving in this era of electic power steering and feel-free brakes then he truly is a hero to any driving enthusiast.
If people like Mike Cross can help keep modern cars interesting and involving in this era of electic power steering and feel-free brakes then he truly is a hero to any driving enthusiast.
I'm Spartacus said:
Great article. I've been driving a 2012 Fiesta Diesel courtesy car for the last week after being involved in a crash which wrote-off my 10 year old Focus. Obviously a 10 year old ST170 is going to be a lot different to a brand new 1.4 turbo diesel Fiesta, and probably has next to nothing in common with the Jag's on which the article is based, but I was suprised at just how blunt and numb the Fiesta feels. I have no idea what is going on with the road surface and feel so disconnected from driving that it has just become a bit boring to be honest. I know the Fiesta diesel probably wasn't designed with enjoyment in mind, but surely some kind of feedback, any kind of feedback to the driver, would be a good thing. I suppose Aunt Maureen on her weekly run to the shops loves the way it soaks up potholes and speed bumps, but for me it's all just a bit dull.
If people like Mike Cross can help keep modern cars interesting and involving in this era of electic power steering and feel-free brakes then he truly is a hero to any driving enthusiast.
That's a shame - ironically, one of the people mentioned in this thread, Richard Parry-Jones, was heavily involved in the dynamics of the earlier 4th generation Fiesta.If people like Mike Cross can help keep modern cars interesting and involving in this era of electic power steering and feel-free brakes then he truly is a hero to any driving enthusiast.
Guess it must have wandered from the path since then.....
s m said:
That's a shame - ironically, one of the people mentioned in this thread, Richard Parry-Jones, was heavily involved in the dynamics of the earlier 4th generation Fiesta.
Guess it must have wandered from the path since then.....
Yeah it is a shame. I always look forward to driving a new car, whatever it is, but this has left me feeling a bit cold and uninterested.Guess it must have wandered from the path since then.....
It's not a bad car by any means, it seems well built and comfortable but it just doesn't feel as though it was built to be driven, it feels like it was made to get you some where, if that makes sense? It's just a car. No more, no less.
DJRC said:
Some lovely roads around Southam
Ive come across Mike and his crew in various JLR products around the area a few times over the yrs. You can usually spot the development cars as various bits n bobs are out of place to your eye and if you see into the interior they are randomly different, stripped out, ripped apart or stuffed with stuff. Sometimes you come across a Jag that looks normal but it going at a pace across country that is just...different. Its not hooning, but its progress is invariably very very swift and so utterly smooth. The smoothness always catches the eye. You can bet the house that such a time its Cross or one of his chaps. Quite uncanny, lovely to watch and all with a far defter hand than I can manage.
Those of us at JLR who are privileged to be taught the highest driver training the company offers are coached in those very qualities; the ability to be incredibly smooth, aligned with, and sympathetic to the car in order to be able above all to repeat a drive route consistently. Yes, there are those within the group who are quicker (some of our chassis team...in fact most of those!) but that's not always the point. We all have different qualities and hopefully that amassed input delivers something quite special.Ive come across Mike and his crew in various JLR products around the area a few times over the yrs. You can usually spot the development cars as various bits n bobs are out of place to your eye and if you see into the interior they are randomly different, stripped out, ripped apart or stuffed with stuff. Sometimes you come across a Jag that looks normal but it going at a pace across country that is just...different. Its not hooning, but its progress is invariably very very swift and so utterly smooth. The smoothness always catches the eye. You can bet the house that such a time its Cross or one of his chaps. Quite uncanny, lovely to watch and all with a far defter hand than I can manage.
It's an amazing place to have a job: I simply can't think of anything else I'd rather do.
Those of us at JLR who are privileged to be taught the highest driver training the company offers are coached in those very qualities; the ability to be incredibly smooth, aligned with, and sympathetic to the car in order to be able above all to repeat a drive route consistently. Yes, there are those within the group who are quicker (some of our chassis team...in fact most of those!) but that's not always the point. We all have different qualities and hopefully that amassed input delivers something quite special.
It's an amazing place to have a job: I simply can't think of anything else I'd rather do.
[/quote]
There are times where I think my driving style could be improved, more often then not if you speak with the wife, It would be great if Jaguar offered a drivers course, people like you and Mike passing on small tricks to maintain the flow. My XJ chassis is fantastic, thanks guys, but with assistance and training perhaps I could match it on the road.. Keep up the good work JLR.
It's an amazing place to have a job: I simply can't think of anything else I'd rather do.
[/quote]
There are times where I think my driving style could be improved, more often then not if you speak with the wife, It would be great if Jaguar offered a drivers course, people like you and Mike passing on small tricks to maintain the flow. My XJ chassis is fantastic, thanks guys, but with assistance and training perhaps I could match it on the road.. Keep up the good work JLR.
V12 Migaloo said:
There are times where I think my driving style could be improved, more often then not if you speak with the wife, It would be great if Jaguar offered a drivers course, people like you and Mike passing on small tricks to maintain the flow. My XJ chassis is fantastic, thanks guys, but with assistance and training perhaps I could match it on the road.. Keep up the good work JLR.
There are people offering this kind of thing to us mere mortals, I was lucky enough to have coaching from Don Palmer and a session with Ride-Drive, both of whom I'd recommend wholeheartedly for learning just this kind of technique.SM1 said:
Good article, thanks. I'm really keen to try a xj - seems a good mix of looks, pace, and driver involvement. Just waiting for the kids to get a bit older so we don't need buggies and tonnes of stuff when we go out.
Simon
you'd get a double buggy and all the other items needed for the younstas easily in the XJ.Simon
It's a shame that in conjunction with vehicle integrity the electronics and electrical systems of my 2007 diesel S-Type weren't included.
It's suffered so many electrical gremlins and other bits (lots of common faults) that it's cost a fair bit to keep on the road.
To be honest, if it wasn't so lovely to drive and waft around in, economical for a big car, and such a nice place to sit when it's running perfect, i probably would have sold it by now.
It does drive so well though, and covers ground very swiftly when driven smoothly, thanks to Mike Cross no doubt.
It's suffered so many electrical gremlins and other bits (lots of common faults) that it's cost a fair bit to keep on the road.
To be honest, if it wasn't so lovely to drive and waft around in, economical for a big car, and such a nice place to sit when it's running perfect, i probably would have sold it by now.
It does drive so well though, and covers ground very swiftly when driven smoothly, thanks to Mike Cross no doubt.
V12 Migaloo said:
SM1 said:
Good article, thanks. I'm really keen to try a xj - seems a good mix of looks, pace, and driver involvement. Just waiting for the kids to get a bit older so we don't need buggies and tonnes of stuff when we go out.
Simon
you'd get a double buggy and all the other items needed for the younstas easily in the XJ.Simon
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff