MDifficult’s E82 1M Coupe & Ariel Atom 3
Discussion
With MrTouring's Z3M now so pampered and polished that he's too afraid to drive it.... (only joking, he was away for the weekend), my 1M needed someone new to play with.
Thankfully, fellow PH Outnumbered had dropped me a 'hello' as he's local and just happens to own a glorious M3 CSL and was looking for a good excuse for a drive. Seems it's raining rare, limited-run M-cars around here all of a sudden?
A pre-6am start meant nice empty roads and some beautiful light for a few photos:
The downpour from the night before had left the roads in that wonderful state where they can be warm, dry, damp, wet and flooded all in the space of twenty yards, but we managed a spirited run down to the coast via some of my favourite (and largely deserted) roads. Top marks to Outnumbered as he was on reasonably recently fitted Cup 2s which must have made the road conditions pretty eye-opening!
We were also joined at the burger-van by a lovely Datsun 240Z - I'm increasingly getting an appetite for these modded early Japanese cars. I've almost certainly woken up to them far too late in life to be affordable, but still lovely to look at:
For the drive home, Outnumbered had the lead so I took the opportunity to do the whole journey back with the window down, stereo off, just listening to the CSL howl it's way home. I know it's renowned for being one of THE best sounds in motoring but that doesn't stop it making the hairs on your neck stand up every time
Near home, we managed to pick a friendly local plod who took turns following each of us separately for about 5 minutes each, no doubt running us through his various systems looking for an excuse to pull us over. So, we ultimately called it a day and went our separate ways. Being a positive bloke (and generally a fan of the Police) I'm choosing to think he was just making sure they weren't stolen. However, he managed to navigate multiple roundabouts and lane changes to keep very close with us, and didn't touch his indicators once.
Thoughts? Well, CSLs don't get old. They just get better looking and better sounding. And, they're very well matched to a ham-fistedly-driven 1M
Thankfully, fellow PH Outnumbered had dropped me a 'hello' as he's local and just happens to own a glorious M3 CSL and was looking for a good excuse for a drive. Seems it's raining rare, limited-run M-cars around here all of a sudden?
A pre-6am start meant nice empty roads and some beautiful light for a few photos:
The downpour from the night before had left the roads in that wonderful state where they can be warm, dry, damp, wet and flooded all in the space of twenty yards, but we managed a spirited run down to the coast via some of my favourite (and largely deserted) roads. Top marks to Outnumbered as he was on reasonably recently fitted Cup 2s which must have made the road conditions pretty eye-opening!
We were also joined at the burger-van by a lovely Datsun 240Z - I'm increasingly getting an appetite for these modded early Japanese cars. I've almost certainly woken up to them far too late in life to be affordable, but still lovely to look at:
For the drive home, Outnumbered had the lead so I took the opportunity to do the whole journey back with the window down, stereo off, just listening to the CSL howl it's way home. I know it's renowned for being one of THE best sounds in motoring but that doesn't stop it making the hairs on your neck stand up every time
Near home, we managed to pick a friendly local plod who took turns following each of us separately for about 5 minutes each, no doubt running us through his various systems looking for an excuse to pull us over. So, we ultimately called it a day and went our separate ways. Being a positive bloke (and generally a fan of the Police) I'm choosing to think he was just making sure they weren't stolen. However, he managed to navigate multiple roundabouts and lane changes to keep very close with us, and didn't touch his indicators once.
Thoughts? Well, CSLs don't get old. They just get better looking and better sounding. And, they're very well matched to a ham-fistedly-driven 1M
MDifficult said:
Thankfully, fellow PH Outnumbered had dropped me a 'hello' as he's local and just happens to own a glorious M3 CSL and was looking for a good excuse for a drive. Seems it's raining rare, limited-run M-cars around here all of a sudden?
In theory I'm doing a bit better on bhp/tonne, but it seemed to me that the cars were pretty evenly matched.
5mileofdeath said:
Ah man, your drive arounds get better and better .. I’m not jealous at all! 
Cheers - we’re not overly blessed with amazing roads around here, but I think I know all the best ones! For better roads, I head-off to the Cotswolds, but I’m also really keen to head back to Wales - practically unbeatable. That takes a proper early start so needs to be done in the summer months.
Hmm... maybe next weekend
Fun day yesterday! Way back at Christmas my daughter and her boyfriend treated me to one of those 'Drive a Supercar' vouchers. I booked it, but what with COVID and everything else going on, I'd half forgotten it until it popped up in my diary.
The company is Car Chase Heroes and they've got a really good selection of performance cars, but also movie cars, 'once-in-a-lifetime' cars and other amusing stuff. I decided to use it as an opportunity to drive some stuff I've always fancied a go in (Nissan GTR and McLaren 570S) and something I'm genuinely tempted to own at some point in my life (Ariel Atom).
So yesterday I headed back to Abingdon for my assigned time slot of 11:30. It's a huge event with hundreds of punters and loads of cars, but it's well organised, the staff are friendly and good fun and you're not kept waiting for long between your drives. I was probably there 2.5-3 hours in total, but there was a 'circuit familiarisation' ride at the start, and a 'high speed passenger lap' at the end. Like all these things, it's really easy to sign up for more laps, or more cars or whatever, but I stuck with doubling-up to 6 laps in each.
For the movie fans there were some really fun cars, from a 60s-era Batmobile, to a General Lee and a DB5. They've even got the actual bus from the Italian Job and you can go in a Mini Cooper while an instructor drives you up and into the bus as you both move along the carpark!
There's a full set of cars echoing the Fast and Furious movies, from Dom's charger, to Brian's Supra and Mk1 Escort. The fact that some of the cars can be driven by kids from 11 years old make it a really fun atmosphere too, because there's little gobsmacked kids walking around having the time of their lives.
But, the most important thing is not to expect a trackday, and don't expect minters! The instructors are keen for you to go reasonably quickly, but they're always keeping you a gear higher than makes sense, get you changing up 2k revs too early, and very early on the brakes (and they have dual controls in their footwell). It's about a chance to drive the cars, not max them out and they're dealing with all sorts of punters. That said, once they realise you're not a numpty they at least let you press on.
The cars also look great from a distance, but once you're close or inside they are very very leggy. Not at all surprising since they live a hard life. The McLaren was actually very good and seemed in a pretty good state. The GTR had lived a life (the gearbox was NOT a fan of a full bore up-change) and the Atom wouldn't pass a Kazakhstani MOT. But none of that matters when you're belting around in them in the sunshine
I had a really good time and would definitely use them again, perhaps take my youngest to have a go herself for once
When all was finished, I drove back to the Oxford Park & Ride to pick up my wife and daughter and had the pleasure to bump into TV's (and Youtube's and Postcast's) Jonny Smith who was out filming a road test. I'm not normally someone to bother a 'celeb' but I'm a big fan of @Carpervert so took the chance to run up, say 'hi' and ask him to keep up the good work. As expected, he was gracious and friendly, despite clearly having a frustrating experience with the Electric LandRover he was in the middle of reviewing!
And yes, George Matthews' Jason Plato thread was in the back of my mind the whole time, so I was conscious of keeping the whole experience positive, short and sweet and let Jonny get back to his day
Follow this link if you don't know what I'm talking about
No selfies... because I'm a f
king grownup
The company is Car Chase Heroes and they've got a really good selection of performance cars, but also movie cars, 'once-in-a-lifetime' cars and other amusing stuff. I decided to use it as an opportunity to drive some stuff I've always fancied a go in (Nissan GTR and McLaren 570S) and something I'm genuinely tempted to own at some point in my life (Ariel Atom).
So yesterday I headed back to Abingdon for my assigned time slot of 11:30. It's a huge event with hundreds of punters and loads of cars, but it's well organised, the staff are friendly and good fun and you're not kept waiting for long between your drives. I was probably there 2.5-3 hours in total, but there was a 'circuit familiarisation' ride at the start, and a 'high speed passenger lap' at the end. Like all these things, it's really easy to sign up for more laps, or more cars or whatever, but I stuck with doubling-up to 6 laps in each.
For the movie fans there were some really fun cars, from a 60s-era Batmobile, to a General Lee and a DB5. They've even got the actual bus from the Italian Job and you can go in a Mini Cooper while an instructor drives you up and into the bus as you both move along the carpark!
There's a full set of cars echoing the Fast and Furious movies, from Dom's charger, to Brian's Supra and Mk1 Escort. The fact that some of the cars can be driven by kids from 11 years old make it a really fun atmosphere too, because there's little gobsmacked kids walking around having the time of their lives.
But, the most important thing is not to expect a trackday, and don't expect minters! The instructors are keen for you to go reasonably quickly, but they're always keeping you a gear higher than makes sense, get you changing up 2k revs too early, and very early on the brakes (and they have dual controls in their footwell). It's about a chance to drive the cars, not max them out and they're dealing with all sorts of punters. That said, once they realise you're not a numpty they at least let you press on.
The cars also look great from a distance, but once you're close or inside they are very very leggy. Not at all surprising since they live a hard life. The McLaren was actually very good and seemed in a pretty good state. The GTR had lived a life (the gearbox was NOT a fan of a full bore up-change) and the Atom wouldn't pass a Kazakhstani MOT. But none of that matters when you're belting around in them in the sunshine
I had a really good time and would definitely use them again, perhaps take my youngest to have a go herself for once
When all was finished, I drove back to the Oxford Park & Ride to pick up my wife and daughter and had the pleasure to bump into TV's (and Youtube's and Postcast's) Jonny Smith who was out filming a road test. I'm not normally someone to bother a 'celeb' but I'm a big fan of @Carpervert so took the chance to run up, say 'hi' and ask him to keep up the good work. As expected, he was gracious and friendly, despite clearly having a frustrating experience with the Electric LandRover he was in the middle of reviewing!
And yes, George Matthews' Jason Plato thread was in the back of my mind the whole time, so I was conscious of keeping the whole experience positive, short and sweet and let Jonny get back to his day
Follow this link if you don't know what I'm talking about
No selfies... because I'm a f
king grownup Edited by MDifficult on Saturday 1st August 07:31
Being local I love seeing all the pics of spots I recognise, can't believe I haven't seen the 1M out on the road yet although a friend's some has a blaze orange 1M with stage 2 I see about fairly regularly
They are up there with my all time fav cars, keep the pictures and updates coming !
They are up there with my all time fav cars, keep the pictures and updates coming !
Court_S said:
I know what you mean about the cars being leggy on those days. I did one ages ago and the Gallardo I drove was absolutely nailed. Fun though.
I think it’s just about making sure you go along with the right expectations. I love cars, and I love driving, so the chance to just tit around in some interesting cars in the sunshine is just too good to miss! One thing I definitely took from it is a very different appreciation for the Lamborghini Huracan - of all the cars there that day, the Huracan was the best (and loudest) noise by a million miles - could have listened to it all day!
Suddenly, a car I’d previously dismissed as a bit of a tart’s handbag makes total sense
Two observations:
1. It's amazing how filthy cars get sitting there doing very little, day after day, in almost-constant sunshine.
2. I've never owned a white car before. Don't get me wrong, it's marginally better than black but... OMG keeping it clean is frankly impossible. I did one small drive this week, during which was a tiny, infinitesimally-small sprinkling of rain. So little, I didn't even need to use the wipers. By the time I got home, the whole lower half of the car was bloody filthy!
So, spent a very nice afternoon giving both cars a jolly-good clean...
Then, having taken Friday off, Mrs M, my youngest and I decided we'd spend the day touring the Cotswolds while also popping into Caffeine & Machine for lunch. Been looking for a reason to visit pretty much since it opened and would definitely recommend it. Beautiful spot, really well organised, excellent service and delicious food. Not to mention lots of metallic eye-candy to lust over the whole time - the highlight being a retired couple who showed up in a road-legal tuk-tuk.
I took the opportunity to park up on the hill together with a bunch of other cars, but by the time we came to leave everyone else had already gone... leaving my car parked up on the hill on it's own like a right tw@t!
1. It's amazing how filthy cars get sitting there doing very little, day after day, in almost-constant sunshine.
2. I've never owned a white car before. Don't get me wrong, it's marginally better than black but... OMG keeping it clean is frankly impossible. I did one small drive this week, during which was a tiny, infinitesimally-small sprinkling of rain. So little, I didn't even need to use the wipers. By the time I got home, the whole lower half of the car was bloody filthy!
So, spent a very nice afternoon giving both cars a jolly-good clean...
Then, having taken Friday off, Mrs M, my youngest and I decided we'd spend the day touring the Cotswolds while also popping into Caffeine & Machine for lunch. Been looking for a reason to visit pretty much since it opened and would definitely recommend it. Beautiful spot, really well organised, excellent service and delicious food. Not to mention lots of metallic eye-candy to lust over the whole time - the highlight being a retired couple who showed up in a road-legal tuk-tuk.
I took the opportunity to park up on the hill together with a bunch of other cars, but by the time we came to leave everyone else had already gone... leaving my car parked up on the hill on it's own like a right tw@t!
mwstewart said:
I always liked the 1M but it is getting better looking with age. Very nice.
Thanks very much - it's definitely ageing well I think. I'm tempted to write a post focusing on the things about the car I don't like - to avoid becoming one of those people who just gush and gush as if it's the greatest thing since sliced bread
I feel your pain about keeping white cars clean.
I think they actually hide dust etc pretty well but as you say, as soon as you get a bit of rain they looks ste.
I like C&M, it’s about 45 mins from me so I pop down frequently (heading down tomorrow afternoon for dinner because my other half is finishing work early).
I think they actually hide dust etc pretty well but as you say, as soon as you get a bit of rain they looks s
te.I like C&M, it’s about 45 mins from me so I pop down frequently (heading down tomorrow afternoon for dinner because my other half is finishing work early).
Court_S said:
I feel your pain about keeping white cars clean.
I think they actually hide dust etc pretty well but as you say, as soon as you get a bit of rain they looks ste.
I like C&M, it’s about 45 mins from me so I pop down frequently (heading down tomorrow afternoon for dinner because my other half is finishing work early).
I've taken to using a strong top dressing / sealant so that I can at least do a 'quick' clean in about 10 minutes, to get the car from 'filthy' to 'passable' in next to no time. Seems like the only option with a white car really. Combined with the PPF, at least it makes the tar/bug areas a doddle to clean up. I think they actually hide dust etc pretty well but as you say, as soon as you get a bit of rain they looks s
te.I like C&M, it’s about 45 mins from me so I pop down frequently (heading down tomorrow afternoon for dinner because my other half is finishing work early).
I'm really envious that you've got a place like C&M on your doorstep. It's more like 90 minutes away for me (well, unless they start opening up earlier on the weekends and I can do an early start to avoid all the Cotswold dawdlers!) I'd absolutely love to own or be involved in a something similar more locally - feels like the perfect answer to 'what should happen to country pubs to keep them going - rather than turning them into curry houses!'
MDifficult said:
I've taken to using a strong top dressing / sealant so that I can at least do a 'quick' clean in about 10 minutes, to get the car from 'filthy' to 'passable' in next to no time. Seems like the only option with a white car really. Combined with the PPF, at least it makes the tar/bug areas a doddle to clean up.
I'm really envious that you've got a place like C&M on your doorstep. It's more like 90 minutes away for me (well, unless they start opening up earlier on the weekends and I can do an early start to avoid all the Cotswold dawdlers!) I'd absolutely love to own or be involved in a something similar more locally - feels like the perfect answer to 'what should happen to country pubs to keep them going - rather than turning them into curry houses!'
I was thinking this after looking at where C&M is, 2hr 45 trip one way for me! I'm really envious that you've got a place like C&M on your doorstep. It's more like 90 minutes away for me (well, unless they start opening up earlier on the weekends and I can do an early start to avoid all the Cotswold dawdlers!) I'd absolutely love to own or be involved in a something similar more locally - feels like the perfect answer to 'what should happen to country pubs to keep them going - rather than turning them into curry houses!'
Would love something like this down in Kent/Sussex area..
5mileofdeath said:
MDifficult said:
I've taken to using a strong top dressing / sealant so that I can at least do a 'quick' clean in about 10 minutes, to get the car from 'filthy' to 'passable' in next to no time. Seems like the only option with a white car really. Combined with the PPF, at least it makes the tar/bug areas a doddle to clean up.
I'm really envious that you've got a place like C&M on your doorstep. It's more like 90 minutes away for me (well, unless they start opening up earlier on the weekends and I can do an early start to avoid all the Cotswold dawdlers!) I'd absolutely love to own or be involved in a something similar more locally - feels like the perfect answer to 'what should happen to country pubs to keep them going - rather than turning them into curry houses!'
I was thinking this after looking at where C&M is, 2hr 45 trip one way for me! I'm really envious that you've got a place like C&M on your doorstep. It's more like 90 minutes away for me (well, unless they start opening up earlier on the weekends and I can do an early start to avoid all the Cotswold dawdlers!) I'd absolutely love to own or be involved in a something similar more locally - feels like the perfect answer to 'what should happen to country pubs to keep them going - rather than turning them into curry houses!'
Would love something like this down in Kent/Sussex area..
https://www.broadhuntingclub.co.uk/
If you go - let me know what it's like? I'd like to pay a visit
MDifficult said:
I think you're in luck! There's a place just opened called the B Road Hunting Club that's in Kent? Looks like a similar idea.
https://www.broadhuntingclub.co.uk/
If you go - let me know what it's like? I'd like to pay a visit
Top man! I’ll have a look soon and let you know https://www.broadhuntingclub.co.uk/
If you go - let me know what it's like? I'd like to pay a visit
I've always been a believer that cars that aren't being used tend to be the ones that develop little problems - and so it's proved.
A recent long drive in the M5 saw a 'bong' followed by the dreaded 'Drivetrain Malfunction - Drive Moderately' followed by the usual cut in power. That said, even with the power drastically cut, an M5 doesn't really suffer too much. It remains 'hot hatch' quick even in safe mode
Initially I took it into BMW but, as is often the case with a more involved diagnosis, the experience was painful because you can't speak to the tech and everything back and forth gets relayed through the customer service drone. After one go, 'no fault found' and my diagnosis fee refunded, I decided to head back down the independent route.
A visit to Grosvenor in Reading lead to a quick diagnosis (likely cam shaft sensor). The sensor was replaced and the engine software updated to the latest version to be on the safe side. Unfortunately, after collecting the car the problem reoccured and was traced to a faulty replacement sensor. The car now seems to be fully fit again, although the fault is very sporadic and hard to replicate so time will tell.
Here's a photo of me, running an M5 without a warranty (so far)...
Separately, I noticed a slight steering wobble at speeds above
so I popped into the local tyre place who diagnosed the front tyres starting to go out of shape. I don't know if this was related to sitting pretty-much idle for 4 months, or whether it was because they were on their last legs (1.9mm), but clearly it was time for some new rubber too.
I ordered up another set of SuperSports after considering moving to MPS4S - Michelin confirmed that the right sizes are not yet fully homologated for the F10 M5. No issue for me as I'm a massive fan of the MPSS. This set lasted me a staggering 18k miles still with a few mm left to go, so very happy with the performance, longevity vs price.
Damn these things are BIG when they sit in the garage..
Damn these things are EVEN BIGGER when you try to fit them in the bloody car to have them fitted!..
After fitting, I decided to treat the big old bruiser to a geo as it's been just over three years since the last one. Didn't find anything too scary, but should help me eke 18-20k miles again out of this set!
And that brings me to a big decision. Before COVID and before the 1M, I was convinced that I would probably saying goodbye to the M5 and replacing with something like the electric MINI.
But, with the sensor fault fixed and a clean bill of health, a lovely new set of tyres, no service due for another 5k miles and no prospect of going back to commuting 5 days a week any time soon, I've decided I'm going to keep it.
Frankly, for what it's worth now, there's basically nothing I can replace it with that's better built, more comfortable/luxurious, and just plain fast. So, rather than spending more money on replacing it, I think I'm going to look at treating it to some bits and bobs. Maybe refurb the alloys again, give the driver's seat bolster a refurb, fit a post LCI steering wheel, and perhaps some minor mods to freshen it up. Let's see. Any ideas?
A recent long drive in the M5 saw a 'bong' followed by the dreaded 'Drivetrain Malfunction - Drive Moderately' followed by the usual cut in power. That said, even with the power drastically cut, an M5 doesn't really suffer too much. It remains 'hot hatch' quick even in safe mode
Initially I took it into BMW but, as is often the case with a more involved diagnosis, the experience was painful because you can't speak to the tech and everything back and forth gets relayed through the customer service drone. After one go, 'no fault found' and my diagnosis fee refunded, I decided to head back down the independent route.
A visit to Grosvenor in Reading lead to a quick diagnosis (likely cam shaft sensor). The sensor was replaced and the engine software updated to the latest version to be on the safe side. Unfortunately, after collecting the car the problem reoccured and was traced to a faulty replacement sensor. The car now seems to be fully fit again, although the fault is very sporadic and hard to replicate so time will tell.
Here's a photo of me, running an M5 without a warranty (so far)...
Separately, I noticed a slight steering wobble at speeds above
so I popped into the local tyre place who diagnosed the front tyres starting to go out of shape. I don't know if this was related to sitting pretty-much idle for 4 months, or whether it was because they were on their last legs (1.9mm), but clearly it was time for some new rubber too. I ordered up another set of SuperSports after considering moving to MPS4S - Michelin confirmed that the right sizes are not yet fully homologated for the F10 M5. No issue for me as I'm a massive fan of the MPSS. This set lasted me a staggering 18k miles still with a few mm left to go, so very happy with the performance, longevity vs price.
Damn these things are BIG when they sit in the garage..
Damn these things are EVEN BIGGER when you try to fit them in the bloody car to have them fitted!..
After fitting, I decided to treat the big old bruiser to a geo as it's been just over three years since the last one. Didn't find anything too scary, but should help me eke 18-20k miles again out of this set!
And that brings me to a big decision. Before COVID and before the 1M, I was convinced that I would probably saying goodbye to the M5 and replacing with something like the electric MINI.
But, with the sensor fault fixed and a clean bill of health, a lovely new set of tyres, no service due for another 5k miles and no prospect of going back to commuting 5 days a week any time soon, I've decided I'm going to keep it.
Frankly, for what it's worth now, there's basically nothing I can replace it with that's better built, more comfortable/luxurious, and just plain fast. So, rather than spending more money on replacing it, I think I'm going to look at treating it to some bits and bobs. Maybe refurb the alloys again, give the driver's seat bolster a refurb, fit a post LCI steering wheel, and perhaps some minor mods to freshen it up. Let's see. Any ideas?
Edited by MDifficult on Saturday 15th August 13:56
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