Best place for LS460 service near Nottingham/Leicester

[ZedZed]

17 hours ago, toffee_pie said:

I am going to get a V8, I just do not know which one...

Have been considering 

LS460

XFR

XFR-S

Maserati QP

So quite a varied list...

 

 

The 4.2L Jaguar V8 is generally regarded as bulletrpoof if you are looking more for a sporting coupe. In naturally aspirated form (XK) or in supercharged form (XKR) it is a stupendously good engine. The later 5.0L V8 had teething troubles soon after it was introduced (2010) so it is better to go for a car later than that, or check that the work needed was done (eg water pump).

And, of course, the Lexus V8s are also regarded as highly reliable. The engines are understressed which no doubt contributes to their long life.

Although I love the looks and sounds of Maseratis, I personally avoid them, for two reasons: first, they don't have a stellar reputation for build quality or long and reliable life and second, there is a shortage of independents who are experienced in these cars. Also, their rarity makes for very expensive replacement and service parts, which can often only be obtained through the official dealer network. Jaguars, of course, are plentiful, which gives you a lot more choice when buying, and also when it comes to finding a good, local independent to take care of it.

Porsche also make a good V8 which you can find in the Cayenne and the Panamera. I came close to buying a Panamera, which is a genuine 4 seater, to replace my XKR, but then I realised I could keep the XKR and buy a nice LS 460 cheaper than swapping the Jaguar for a Panamera, and this would give me a real 4 seater, luxury car for when I was in the mood for wafting, and a red-blooded sports coupe for when I was in the mood for plenty of beans. Two fabulous, but very different, cars!

 

[Malc]

18 hours ago, toffee_pie said:

I am going to get a V8, I just do not know which one...

Have been considering 

or be totally sensible and rational and buy yourself an amazing, reliable, incredibly comfortable and really really inexpensive to keep on the road ....... Ls400 .... many on here with one ( or maybe two ) will encourage you, there's even one or two for sale on here 

vide PlasticOrange's car that could well be a very very rare original DHP model ........ if you could finely fettle the odds and sods that might need your tlc

Malc

[toffee_pie]

2 hours ago, ZedZed said:

 

The 4.2L Jaguar V8 is generally regarded as bulletrpoof if you are looking more for a sporting coupe. In naturally aspirated form (XK) or in supercharged form (XKR) it is a stupendously good engine. The later 5.0L V8 had teething troubles soon after it was introduced (2010) so it is better to go for a car later than that, or check that the work needed was done (eg water pump).

And, of course, the Lexus V8s are also regarded as highly reliable. The engines are understressed which no doubt contributes to their long life.

Although I love the looks and sounds of Maseratis, I personally avoid them, for two reasons: first, they don't have a stellar reputation for build quality or long and reliable life and second, there is a shortage of independents who are experienced in these cars. Also, their rarity makes for very expensive replacement and service parts, which can often only be obtained through the official dealer network. Jaguars, of course, are plentiful, which gives you a lot more choice when buying, and also when it comes to finding a good, local independent to take care of it.

Porsche also make a good V8 which you can find in the Cayenne and the Panamera. I came close to buying a Panamera, which is a genuine 4 seater, to replace my XKR, but then I realised I could keep the XKR and buy a nice LS 460 cheaper than swapping the Jaguar for a Panamera, and this would give me a real 4 seater, luxury car for when I was in the mood for wafting, and a red-blooded sports coupe for when I was in the mood for plenty of beans. Two fabulous, but very different, cars!

 

Superb info, cheers - clearly a petrol head..!

[toffee_pie]

1 hour ago, Malc said:

or be totally sensible and rational and buy yourself an amazing, reliable, incredibly comfortable and really really inexpensive to keep on the road ....... Ls400 .... many on here with one ( or maybe two ) will encourage you, there's even one or two for sale on here 

vide PlasticOrange's car that could well be a very very rare original DHP model ........ if you could finely fettle the odds and sods that might need your tlc

Malc

A LS400 is off I think, even the LS460 - I want something with a bit more aggression and go before my knees collapse..! Superb cars but I think I will postpone for a few years just yet - I would probably opt for a LS460 over the 400, LS460s are such a good car

I did have a Merc CL55 AMG SC for a short lived 4 weeks or so, it was riddled with problems and I got my money back and said screw that I am going back to a Japanese car and got the 3 litre Subaru which is outstanding but that was 5+ years ago

[Malc]

5 minutes ago, toffee_pie said:

I want something with a bit more aggression and go before my knees collapse..!

just how quick...... .. and also fast ...... do you need to go may I ask ?

Malc

[toffee_pie]

16 minutes ago, Malc said:

just how quick...... .. and also fast ...... do you need to go may I ask ?

Malc

What I mean is that I found my IS250 a bit too sedate, the LS460/400 would be in the same league.

[ZedZed]

16 hours ago, toffee_pie said:

What I mean is that I found my IS250 a bit too sedate, the LS460/400 would be in the same league.

IKWYM. It's not so much about speed, or even acceleration. It's more to do with the way it gets there.

I am impressed with the sheer grunt of my LS460, and it can get to highly illegal speeds in a remarkably short time, but it doesn't give the sensation that the XKR gives when doing so. The XKR growls and howls through its (modified) 4 exhausts and, of course, the roadholding and handling is vastly superior.

The LS 460 is way more refined, infinitely quieter and, in Comfort mode, insulates me from the worst surfaces that UK roads have to offer. Both cars are good for long-distance trips - the XKR is surprisingly quiet at high motorway speeds - but the Lexus offers a huge degree of comfort.

Also, in the Lexus, I tend to relax and let the car take most of the strain, whereas in the XKR, I am almost always 'driving'. If I could only have one or the other, I'd take the XKR all day long. But being fortunate enough to have both, I think they complement each other beautifully.

[toffee_pie]

1 hour ago, ZedZed said:

IKWYM. It's not so much about speed, or even acceleration. It's more to do with the way it gets there.

I am impressed with the sheer grunt of my LS460, and it can get to highly illegal speeds in a remarkably short time, but it doesn't give the sensation that the XKR gives when doing so. The XKR growls and howls through its (modified) 4 exhausts and, of course, the roadholding and handling is vastly superior.

The LS 460 is way more refined, infinitely quieter and, in Comfort mode, insulates me from the worst surfaces that UK roads have to offer. Both cars are good for long-distance trips - the XKR is surprisingly quiet at high motorway speeds - but the Lexus offers a huge degree of comfort.

Also, in the Lexus, I tend to relax and let the car take most of the strain, whereas in the XKR, I am almost always 'driving'. If I could only have one or the other, I'd take the XKR all day long. But being fortunate enough to have both, I think they complement each other beautifully.

I know what I will get with a LS460 but I want something a bit more exciting, but maybe I don't --- it has a V8 so that is the main thing and the prices are very tempting

First time I had a IS250 I remember parking up somewhere and as soon as I stepped out I was startled by the clatter bang sound of a diesel car about 10 feet away, such was the near silence I was used to. I was like, wow welcome to Lexus

I would love to go for a drive in the XKR, now you got my mind in a right mess...

[toffee_pie]

On 9/2/2021 at 12:13 PM, ZedZed said:

This is one of the other cars - Jaguar XK-R, 4.2L V8 Supercharged. I do love a V8! 🙂 The XK-R is a nice counterpart to the LS 460.

 

Sorry to derail this thread but is that Jag the 420bhp version? you have piqued my interest here a bit..

[Phil xxkr]

1 hour ago, ZedZed said:

IKWYM. It's not so much about speed, or even acceleration. It's more to do with the way it gets there.

I am impressed with the sheer grunt of my LS460, and it can get to highly illegal speeds in a remarkably short time, but it doesn't give the sensation that the XKR gives when doing so. The XKR growls and howls through its (modified) 4 exhausts and, of course, the roadholding and handling is vastly superior.

The LS 460 is way more refined, infinitely quieter and, in Comfort mode, insulates me from the worst surfaces that UK roads have to offer. Both cars are good for long-distance trips - the XKR is surprisingly quiet at high motorway speeds - but the Lexus offers a huge degree of comfort.

Also, in the Lexus, I tend to relax and let the car take most of the strain, whereas in the XKR, I am almost always 'driving'. If I could only have one or the other, I'd take the XKR all day long. But being fortunate enough to have both, I think they complement each other beautifully.

Welcome to the club Zed. I too have an XKR and RX450H, so very different driving experiences! In the future I predict they will have the XKR at Alton Towers when they are no longer to be found on the road😒. There, you will pay £50 for 10 minutes to know what real driving used to be like! I do find the RX modifies my driving behaviour as does listening to Mozart. But in the Jag and Janis Joplin, well that's a quite different story 😎. 

[ZedZed]

6 hours ago, toffee_pie said:

Sorry to derail this thread but is that Jag the 420bhp version? you have piqued my interest here a bit..

Yes. The 5.0L version is more powerful, but I deliberately went for the 4.2L as it is a more proven engine, with years of experience behind it. Benefit of the 5.0L - you can get a newer model.

[ZedZed]

6 hours ago, Phil xxkr said:

Welcome to the club Zed. I too have an XKR and RX450H, so very different driving experiences! In the future I predict they will have the XKR at Alton Towers when they are no longer to be found on the road😒. There, you will pay £50 for 10 minutes to know what real driving used to be like! I do find the RX modifies my driving behaviour as does listening to Mozart. But in the Jag and Janis Joplin, well that's a quite different story 😎. 

Pretty much exactly how I see it too! 👍👍👍

[toffee_pie]

6 hours ago, Phil xxkr said:

Welcome to the club Zed. I too have an XKR and RX450H, so very different driving experiences! In the future I predict they will have the XKR at Alton Towers when they are no longer to be found on the road😒. There, you will pay £50 for 10 minutes to know what real driving used to be like! I do find the RX modifies my driving behaviour as does listening to Mozart. But in the Jag and Janis Joplin, well that's a quite different story 😎. 

Have looked with interest at the XKRs and in particular the XKR-S of 2008 vintage but no LSD and a torque converter is not really what I want - I am more interested in a ZF box and having a Subaru for over 5 years which handles like crazy I think not having a LSD would probably be a bad thing, especially on winding B roads

heck, maybe I should just get a LS460

[Phil xxkr]

2 hours ago, toffee_pie said:

Have looked with interest at the XKRs and in particular the XKR-S of 2008 vintage but no LSD and a torque converter is not really what I want - I am more interested in a ZF box and having a Subaru for over 5 years which handles like crazy I think not having a LSD would probably be a bad thing, especially on winding B roads

heck, maybe I should just get a LS460

Terribly sorry Eric but what is LSD? In my world its old money or LysergicAcidDieyhlamide? If it's the latter then you are clearly on drugs in which case consider seeking medical attention way before being in charge of an XKR 🤣

[j8pfc]

I’m guessing LSD = Limited Slip Differential

I couldn’t even spell the correct medical name 😊

[toffee_pie]

11 minutes ago, j8pfc said:

I’m guessing LSD = Limited Slip Differential

I couldn’t even spell the correct medical name 😊

Indeed, how anyone can not know what a LSD is...

anyway, with 400+bhp and RWD it would be most certainly very beneficial on wet slippery B roads -- or any road, if you don't know what they are you need to drive a car that has one - my Subaru has a torsen unit which is probably the best mechanical type one you can get, the transfer of power between wheels is  pretty instantaneous which means its great for changing road conditions. It is rather surprising that the Jag does not have one, I am just a bit weary as going from a Subaru to a RWD monster can be quite the shock

[ZedZed]

4 hours ago, toffee_pie said:

Have looked with interest at the XKRs and in particular the XKR-S of 2008 vintage but no LSD and a torque converter is not really what I want - I am more interested in a ZF box and having a Subaru for over 5 years which handles like crazy I think not having a LSD would probably be a bad thing, especially on winding B roads

heck, maybe I should just get a LS460

Another reason I didn't choose the 5.0 XKR is that I think it is just too powerful for a rear-drive-only car. If you drive one in a spirited fashion on anything other than a perfectly dry road, the back end is out all the time, and it gets tiresome. It really needs all-wheel drive. The 4.2 XKR with 'just' 420 bhp doesn't suffer this problem. But over 500 bhp on the 5.0 model is, IMO, too much to put through just the rear wheels. Now the XKR-S is all this in spades with over 550 bhp, so I tend to agree that you need all the help the car can give you. But the 4.2 V8 is the sweet spot IMO and gives huge power that you can actually get down onto the road. And the ZF auto box in it is really pretty damn good, especially on the paddles.

My wife's Cayman has the PDK gearbox and, for me, that is the ultimate cog swapper.

[toffee_pie]

18 minutes ago, ZedZed said:

Another reason I didn't choose the 5.0 XKR is that I think it is just too powerful for a rear-drive-only car. If you drive one in a spirited fashion on anything other than a perfectly dry road, the back end is out all the time, and it gets tiresome. It really needs all-wheel drive. The 4.2 XKR with 'just' 420 bhp doesn't suffer this problem. But over 500 bhp on the 5.0 model is, IMO, too much to put through just the rear wheels. Now the XKR-S is all this in spades with over 550 bhp, so I tend to agree that you need all the help the car can give you. But the 4.2 V8 is the sweet spot IMO and gives huge power that you can actually get down onto the road. And the ZF auto box in it is really pretty damn good, especially on the paddles.

My wife's Cayman has the PDK gearbox and, for me, that is the ultimate cog swapper.

You are on the same page as me on this.. its just something I need to look into is all

[Malc]

oh for the blissful simplicity of the old fashioned easy peasy  Ls400  V8 

Malc

[ZedZed]

1 hour ago, Malc said:

oh for the blissful simplicity of the old fashioned easy peasy  Ls400  V8 

Malc

Soon, all our cars will be 'old-fashioned' as everything becomes driven by a washing machine motor, fuelled by fifty thousand flashlight batteries. Soulless, noiseless, pointless. They'll have to prise my V8s from my cold, dead hands.

[ZedZed]

Well, I finally made it through the end of the LS 460 handbook!

 

Has anyone actually managed to figure out 'Intelligent Parking'? I am dying to give it a go and watch the car parallel park itself while I sit inside with my eyes closed, fingers crossed, saying my prayers, invoking an image of the Pope, desperately hoping it works and I don't wipe out the front of the Mulsanne Turbo behind me and the back of the Range Rover Vogue in front of me.

I read the relevant section of the supplementary manual 3 times, once while actually sitting in the car, but I doubt I am any the wiser. Mrs Zed said I need to try it in practice, but I really don't want to lose my automated parking virginity in a crowded street while the assembled onlookers lose control of their bladders as my Lexus manoeuvres backwards and forwards into a space just 5 cm longer than the car itself and ends up doing 5 grand's worth of damage to itself, and possibly two others.

C'mon guys, tell me you took one glance at the handbook, threw it away, pushed the button and grinned from ear to ear as the Lexus strutted its stuff....

[toffee_pie]

1 hour ago, ZedZed said:

Well, I finally made it through the end of the LS 460 handbook!

 

🤣

[toffee_pie]

8 hours ago, ZedZed said:

Soon, all our cars will be 'old-fashioned' as everything becomes driven by a washing machine motor, fuelled by fifty thousand flashlight batteries. Soulless, noiseless, pointless. They'll have to prise my two V8s from my cold, dead hands.

FYP😌

[BigBoomer]

If it's excitement you want, Lexus has it for you.
You just need a Lottery Jackpot win and a Lexus LFA. 🤣
The sound of that V10 at 9,000rpm is just orgasmic. 

[toffee_pie]

14 minutes ago, BigBoomer said:

If it's excitement you want, Lexus has it for you.
You just need a Lottery Jackpot win and a Lexus LFA. 🤣
The sound of that V10 at 9,000rpm is just orgasmic. 

I agree but I don't have half a million pounds to chuck out on a motor and even if I did a LFA is not a daily car so that's out of the question 

Actually for sound I think the Maser 4 7 sport GTS would put up a good fight 

I like a good sounding car and my 6 cylinder Subaru with a power flow cat back and modifications to the air intake sounds fantastic,  so no dumbed down 3 or 4 cylinder engines for me, I also believe large NA lumps are less stressed so more reliable which makes sense as less rpm is needed to reach a given speed over a 3 or 4 cylinder engine..