Gallardo Test Drive

[uuf361]

I'm considering moving up to a Gallardo in the psinrg to replace the current 911 C2 Cab.......as yet undecided on manual vs e-gear and although I'd like a Spyder I think budget will dictate it will be the coupe to be honest.....

I have a small (ish) garage which the 911 fits in fine but it's only 1770mm wide and I believe the Gallardo is 1900mm.......my friend with the same size garage has a Cerb at 1865mm so I should be OK, but I want to check to make sure as a car I can't get in the garage is not for me, and already have excluded a number of others on that basis alone......I could move house to get a bigger garage but then would not be able to afford the car

What are the chances of getting an extended (day) test drive to check how easy it is going to be to live with in the real world ? I guess my local dealer will be Reading as I'm in Gatwick so a bit of a journey and not really sure it's on to ask for such a test drive.

Have looked into rental but a day at £650 seems quite steep and 4 days at £1000 was much better until I realised the mileage limit was 100 miles (i.e. 25 per day ) and that limit wouldn't even allow me to drive it home

Any suggestions, recommendations etc.....any help appreciated

Sure I'll have many many more questions through the buying process

Cheers

[Adam T]

uuf, surely there is a way to widen your garage.

On the test drive note, not really sure. They would wnat to know you were genuine, but imagine if you had the car for a day, few extra miles, and it was not the car for you?

No harm in explaining your situation. Perhaps they could transport one to yours for a local test drive, and garage test at yours?

[uuf361]

Adam T said:

uuf, surely there is a way to widen your garage.

On the test drive note, not really sure. They would wnat to know you were genuine, but imagine if you had the car for a day, few extra miles, and it was not the car for you?

No harm in explaining your situation. Perhaps they could transport one to yours for a local test drive, and garage test at yours?

Absolutely no way of widening the garage bar eating into the house (lounge)or asking neighbours to buy 3 inches of their land (which I can't see happening easily and then rebuilding the garage all 39ft of it down one side and both options sound prohibitively costly.......

Would be happy to have someone else try out my garage but that's almost the first stumbling block.

After I know it will fit and I can get in/out of the car happily then I can get all excited and find exactly the right Gallardo for me

[Jules360]

I'm sure if you are a serious buyer, you could persuade a seller to bring the car to you to check it fits?

[uuf361]

Jules360 said:

I'm sure if you are a serious buyer, you could persuade a seller to bring the car to you to check it fits?

I hope so, haven't tried yet, just thought I'd see what the consensus was first......

None even for sale within 30 miles of my postcode so it is going to be a big ask, but then again it is a big purchase for me( more than the cost of my frist house )

[lambo_xx]

Well I've had my Gallardo for 3 years and i love it. It's absolutely brilliant, so my advice would be to go for it if you can. As for whether to go for manual or e-gear, i bought the manual and think it's best. I thought the e-gear was jerky at low speeds and took away some of the fun of driving, but then it is a personal preference. Try explaining your situation to the dealer/seller and seeing as theses cars (and just about all other cars) aren't selling at the moment you have a bit more room to be pushy and try and get the car for a day.
Good luck

[fade2grey]

I've gotta say, having been into the reading show room a couple of weeks ago, they are pretty pants as far as dealers go. I'd have a chat with someone else if I were you. As a Jag dealer, they are pretty good though.. strange.. same ppl in the same building..

[uuf361]

Thanks for the advice......a friend of mine has advised he has heard (so about 4th hand ) that e-gear is best but guess I ought to try both and make up my own mind......;)

Edited by uuf361 on Tuesday 18th November 22:05

[Jules360]

uuf361 said:

Thanks for the advice......a friend of mine has advised he has heard (so about 4th hand ) that e-gear is best but guess I ought to try both and make up my own mind......;)

Edited by uuf361 on Tuesday 18th November 22:05

Having driven both and plumped for a manual, i think it depends on how you intend to use the car. I commute in it daily, and found the e-gear a bit cumbersome in traffic, awkward when parking and frightening to reverse out of my garage when cold without slipping the clutch. However, if i had been buying for weekend driving on clear roads and occasional track use, i could well have gone for the e-gear.

Horses for courses.

[uuf361]

Won't be a daily driver as I do 20k+ miles a year and ahve another car for that - will be used for some work trips (summer more than winter), nice days driving to the office (which is only 5 miles away) and weekends/evenings etc, probably no more than 7K miles a year......

[jonny finance]

Most sports cars are deceiving to the eye, a 993 turbo looks so very wide at the hips especially on the road when in fact it's quite small and petite. I have owned many cars which have always given me concern re fitting into the garage, none more so than my Diablo. No amount of previous measuring and checking offers peace of mind until you actually offer the car up to the garage door for the first time. The Diablo was a worry as the girth is not helped by the mirrors which can't be folded back, however with an inch each side in she went. I think the Gallardo is somewhat narrower than the Diablo and I believe the mirrors will fold so you should be ok with your opening - if your garage is narrow inside you could handball the car in and out which is very easy as long as your drive is fairly level..

As for the Gallardo unless there is something wrong with your left leg I would 100% go for a manual not only does it offer a proper drive - as time goes by the stick box will be more desirable and will be the model in demand as per Ferrari 355.

[uuf361]

Thanks for the info - my drive is anything but level

I think it will be fine as I now know exactly how to position the 996 going in, and there is a surprising amount of room either (enough to walk down) but I guess we are talking another 4 inches, but my friends Cerb (only an inch wider) goes in.....

Was hoping there would be someone local to me who would be able to demonstrate for me and put my mind at reest as renting for £700 for the day just to check it out seems like a bit of a waste of money.

Nothing wrong with my left leg, just was advised e-gears were more desirable.......will have to drive both to make sure what suits me and my driving style best.....

[neil-f]

Graypaul transported ( round trip 150mls) a 360 to potential customres house to check it fitted in garage.

What width is the door you are going through and what is the width of the actual garage? If the garage is ok but the door is narrow you can make the opening wider by either changing the door type or removing the wooden frame depending on what type of door/s you have.

[uuf361]

neil-f said:

Graypaul transported ( round trip 150mls) a 360 to potential customres house to check it fitted in garage.

What width is the door you are going through and what is the width of the actual garage? If the garage is ok but the door is narrow you can make the opening wider by either changing the door type or removing the wooden frame depending on what type of door/s you have.

Will have to check the details from the estate agent (which I still have 5 years on when I get home tomorrow or measure the garage.

The door itself is electric so replacing it with another might start to get costly........it is more through the doors I'm concerned with as I think it will be OK once through and have carpeted the wall already to ensure I can get maximum door opening to get in/out.....

[andrew.]

Jules360 said:

...and found the e-gear... ...frightening to reverse out of my garage when cold without slipping the clutch.

i found this too
don't know if you're doing this already, but waiting a minute for the fast idle to finish makes this significantly easier
hth

[andrew.]

...sorry for drifting ot there
my gallardo with mirrors folded is almost exactly the same width as my 2004 996 cab ( small world ! ) with the mirrors out
both go into the garage with bugger all to spare

[uuf361]

andrew. said:

...sorry for drifting ot there
my gallardo with mirrors folded is almost exactly the same width as my 2004 996 cab ( small world ! ) with the mirrors out
both go into the garage with bugger all to spare

That's very useful to know.......as my 996 Cab is also 2004....is yours a C2 or a C4 ? Mine's only a C2 which is alledgedly 4 inches narrower than the Gallardo......

[UVB]

uuf361 said:

I have a small (ish) garage which the 911 fits in fine but it's only 1770mm wide and I believe the Gallardo is 1900mm.......
Cheers

Have just measured my garage door...if yours is really only 1770 wide, the only way you'll get a Gallardo in there is if you drive it in James-Bond style up on two wheels ;-)

[neil-f]

UVB said:

uuf361 said:

I have a small (ish) garage which the 911 fits in fine but it's only 1770mm wide and I believe the Gallardo is 1900mm.......
Cheers

Have just measured my garage door...if yours is really only 1770 wide, the only way you'll get a Gallardo in there is if you drive it in James-Bond style up on two wheels ;-)

If you read the post he said the 996 C2 is 1770 not the door.

[uuf361]

Sorry for any confusion....indeed the current 911 is only 1770mm wide.

Just checked the house dteails from when I bought and says the garage is 8'3" which I'm assuming is the internal measurement as I just measured the door at 7'1"........which I make about 2133mm, so if the Gallardo is 1900mm including wing mirrors then I have 213mm which is 8 inches and that sounds hugely optimistic knowing how the 911 fits in......guess if the 1900 doesn't include wing mirrors, that would be more realistic.....

Think I'm more confused than ever