Linas.P

If I am not mistaken, the heatshields are made of layered aluminium or aluminised steel, so I don't think they rusted through. From the pictures it seems the rust is from the rusty bolt and not shield itself, and the holes themselves are just worn out, because they were hanging on rusted bolt. The solution in this case would be to find big washers and just bolt the shield back with new bolts.

Yes, charging point are often not working or not compatible or 100 other reason why even if you get there you may not be able to charge. I am sure when EVs becomes more popular this may improve, but currently relying on public charging in non starter. As I said another big issue is the cost... chargers do not works like petrol pumps - i.e. you came plugged it in and you pay whatever electricity you have used (some do)... Usually, you have to be subscribed to the service of certain network and there are literally 100s of them and they all have different charge structures - some charge say £20 monthly fee and then very little for electricity, some other charge £5 monthly and more for electricity, some don't charge monthly, but charge a lot for electricity, some other work as pre-paid vouchers i.e. you pay £30 a month, but you can use that money to charge etc. It is like gym membership in a way - you cannot expect to use Virgin if you have Fitness First membership. The problem is - you can't be subscribed to all of them at the same time because that would cost like £1000 a month just to have subscriptions, so you need to selected few which you use commonly, but that will likely cause the issue, that when you decide to charge one day you will realise that chargers which are available are not from the same network... so you either need to subscribe again for yet another network or look for another charger. It is super confusing! Now yes... there are apps which will show you all the charging points and you can filter based on what subscriptions you have, and there are slit some free charging points where you either don't need to be subscribed and just pay for KW or it is totally free (mostly supermarkets), but those are the ones which are most often broken. I mean I am sure when this is going to mature, maybe goverment will enforce it like other utilities i.e. that you can always charge no matter what network it is (so that chargers will be universal), but you pay the fee based on your service provider ... and then providers figure out by themselves who pays whom and what. But again - having EV today without being able to charge at home in non-starter. Finally, don't know the answer to "queue-jumping" question ... I guess for the moment all EV owners are either rich, posh or both... so it just does not happen... but once EVs are common I can see possibility of that, perhaps they will figure out the way when it happens. I am thinking probably similar as parking on disabled bay or not paying/displaying a ticket - there could be camera (there are cameras already) and unplugging charging cable would result in PCN for £100. Still does not mean it won't happen, but I guess they figure the way to deter people from doing it.

I think that is great comparison - if you take simple 3/4series coupe then there are almost two separate ways to go - if you want focused sports car then M3/M4 will be it, but if you just want that power and speed, but without feeling uncomfortable than there is an Alpina version of the same car. Yes Alpina is not as focused, it is not track car, but it is still fast and you get better materials, attention to the details, exclusivity etc. I think Lexus RC-F could be seen as attempt to make a car which is both Alpina B4S and BMW M4, and they stand somewhere between - "faster" (they are about the same, but I guess V8 will make it feel "faster") than B4S, more comfortable than M4. LC is roughly comparable to 8-Series ... in price I guess, but car are nothing alike. BMW 8-Series is fast car and it is relatively practical (big boot, folding seats) roomy even in the back, but as well it feel exactly the same as say BMW 4 series - it does not feel special at all, just larger and more powerful version of 4-Series. Lexus LC is in another league - you need to try it see it, I cannot compare quality to anything else on the road (and I mean anything), it is not the fastest, it is not very practical, but it feels very special to drive and just be inside. For example that any, even most expensive car and you can still find some cheap plastic somewhere or panel which feels a little bit empty inside, not in LC - it just feels solid throughout. Porsche 911 maybe is the closest car in terms of built quality, especially recently it was great, but that is the only car which I think is even close.

I don't think they sell many either, would be interesting to compare after few years. Problem is - they are just too expensive... they going after BMW 5, MB E-Class and Audi A6 market (very competitive) and one can get le-germans cheaper and arguably with better equipment, options... and with genuine performance. So ES is really just outlier in the market where GS (being a better car) already failed... As you mentioned for example MB E300 is very capable car, smooth, fast bigger, more comfortable, more sporty with optional suspension and starts around same price. Why would anyone choose ES?! Yes perhaps just to be original or people who buy cars with cash upfront and planning to own them forever - but that is niche, within niche market, such buyers are very rare.

Lexus ES is Toyota Avalon and from all reviews etc. the build quality is identical. Yes ES has slightly different design which may look little bit more luxurious, but overall it is the same car, same quality and same everything. Camry is step below Avalon, so it isn't competitor for ES either. It is sad that Lexus line-up leaves no room for loyal customers, I am in the same boat sadly - if I could afford having Lexus LC (perfect unpractical coupe) + RX (practical car), then I think this would be perfect combo, but in reality I could only have one car (like many) and have to compromise. RC350 would be compromise I would take - fast enough to have fun, but still has folding rear seats and could be used daily, but Lexus won't sell it.

One thing to consider is - do you want sport car or do you want just fast coupe. LC500 is not a sports car, it is GT car, it is just as fast as RC-F, but when it comes to build quality and attention to the detail it is in league of it's own. As well has the same V8, but arguably sounds even better and overall it fits it's intended purpose perfectly. RC-F on the other hand is more compromised "sports car wanabe", it was targeted and competing M4, but realistically it is not as focused, it is rather more luxurious and actually as well half GT car. Which slightly compromises it - so it isn't as good sports car as M4, but it isn't as good GT as LC... and finally it is priced as coupe version of GS, but realistically it is coupe version of IS (all interior, trim etc is taken right out of IS). So buying it new... I don't know, the value is not amazing... but buying it used absolutely makes sense as value adjust well in the market and it becomes one of the best value for money performance cars (especially considering reliability and running costs). So why BMW M4 sell so much more - it was targeted to specific purpose and it does it well, whereas RC-F kind of wanted to cover all the bases, but isn't leader in any of them. So I would say if you concerned about lap times, RC-F isn't as good as M4. If you just want fast coupe which can occasionally do 3 laps on the track - RC-F is much better than M4 and it is much more friendly for daily driving, better equipped more comfortable and a lot more dependable. Finally, if you just want fast coupe from premium brand - LC500 is pretty much best car there is, but you can't realistically track it.

Yes - absolutely bonkers, electric "bicycle" with speed of 30mph and realistically not way of stopping and usually in a hands of person who has no clue about road rules. Seem to me they should be governed under similar rules as electric motorbikes for it to make any sense, but goverment is only interested in legislating the cars. You see - only the car drivers could be realistically enforced an monetised. Even more terrifying are the electric scooters, as they have no official rules to follow, at least in UK they are illegal and driving one on the road could result in it being confiscated. Sadly not much enforcement of that outside of central London. As well it seems they are mostly used by the types who don't mind committing the crimes and who are looking for trouble (by definition, as they committing the crime by even being on the road and they know it). As for racy cyclist not stopping - yes they won't because the can't. Which bring me to the point - maybe they should not be allowed to cycle on the public road on bicycle which is so racy that it could not even stop. Like we do not allow race cars/bikes on the road , maybe hyper light race bikes should not be allowed either and certain tyre width/stopping power should be mandated for any bicycle using public roads.

Overall, the reason why people don't buy them are quite nuanced - but it is simply not well known or appreciated brand in UK. In US sometimes they even outsold BMW etc (German cars). I could point out to some other thing which may contribute e.g. there are no progression in model line-up, the cars are comparably expensive (in US RC-F cost closer to M440i rather than M4), RC-F is not as focused car as say M4 (just not as fast on track), market for these cars just isn't there so selling them privately is very difficult (resale issues) ... and many more. BUT it is not because it is bad car! As well it seems you could fit LC500 in your budget, so you may want to consider that as well.

I think the definition is - the owner could not be found. So if there is car which "appears" to be abandoned on the public road DVLA will first try to contact the owner, failing to do that they will tow the car. How exactly you suggest to do that if car has no number plate? Which would be legal as well, because number plate does not need to be fitted on private land (or to be honest anything - doors, lights etc).

Here I am afraid you are wrong, Steve said it was on private land. Number plates, tax, insurance, roadworthiness etc. are concepts which only exists on the public road.

Whatever... I already said it is moot point, because it turned out that car was parked dangerously, not merely without tax. There are separate definition of abandoned car, and they can be reported and towed.

Yeah and you proceed responding to me and quoting me from the other thread. I am sure both of us will be happier if you use this function.

He is not road user, he is just illegally obstructing the road (committing the crime). If he would as well try to stop the driver from leaving (which I have seen in few cases), then he would be as well committing criminal offense (false imprisonment) and for that you have right to self-defend. In this case false imprisonment would be stretch considering the guy is not trying to block the car from reversing and merely says to go back, but he is still obstructing the road and committing the crime nonetheless. As for speed - I just said I would drive at the speed which is appropriate for the condition, whatever that may be. As well I am not condoning what the car driver was doing in this case and I would not do that myself. However, I am sick of "wannabe policeman" who think they have a right to jump into the street and tell the drivers where to go and what to do. His crim in this case is equal to the crime of the driver. I would hope that police had him fines as well as the driver (but sadly we know that is not the case).

But if car is on private land... then how can they fine you? Clearly they have no jurisdiction on private land? I guess simple solution - remove the number plates from the parts car 😁

In this case that is moot point, considering that we both agree now that car was parked dangerously anyway. Why... because people simply don't have an option to park on the private land (you said it like it is "simple"). And assuming the circumstance are as I described previously, there is literally nothing they could do. Is it correct by the law - yes? Is it fair or good for the society - no!

@Boxbrownie no... sorry, you are actually correct - https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1621074938468!6m8!1m7!1s0s4yXyEE66ZImaaejBbk7Q!2m2!1d53.64434197889374!2d-2.636786849176834!3f307.91662572492623!4f-3.4911227053875677!5f0.7820865974627469 It is indeed next to the pedestrian crossing and parked illegally. Cannot find any excuse why the car could be parked there. Strange it has not been tower right away, because it could be argued it endangered public, by the way it was parked. @markeyszoo - you should consider stripping meta-data from picture next time 😁

As you said SORN car still has to be on private land... and you saying it as if there is just private land everywhere to park on freely. I don't see issue either if the car is driving without the tax and get's stopped and driver finned, but I have an issue with parked car being fined. Whenever that pavement is suitable for parking or not... we could only figure out if OP could provide the location. I do agree there shouldn't be parking where is zig-zag, but I have seen it being the case on smaller residential roads.

Despite car driver being ****, technically pedestrian is committing an offence himself (road obstruction...), unless he is off-duty police officer or something like that. You cannot fight crime, by committing crime. I wouldn't have rammed him, I would have knocked him uncourteous and that is it (completely legal considering he is committing offence)... although I wouldn't have driven wrong way around safety island, so perhaps I would have never found myself in such situation. Leave police job for police...

It is possible to see in the picture, that there is notice on the windscreen. It is. Look at the pavement it seems ones of those pavements made for parking, and if it would be zig-zag... then it should be towed, not clamped.

I found it "less offensive" compared to IS300h, it is not faster for sure (0.3s slower actually), but somehow entire car seems more relaxed. IS300h had relatively sporty and responsive suspension, so it felt like it could go fast, but was only let down by the engine. ES300h just does not feel sporty at all and engine just kind of fits overall "mediocrity" of the car. It has A25A-FXS engine, which apparently it is slightly updated - better fuel economy and in my opinion there is no noticeable dip in acceleration like before, so it blends electric and ICE drive better and it is overall smoother, but just slower... Going to ES300h from IS300h... not terrible, less sporty car, but more comfortable. I could argue that IS300h was fundamentally better by being RWD, but realistically any benefits of that were negated by sluggish engine anyways so it is moot point. However, I cannot imagine going form GS450h to ES300h, it is less luxurious, less comfortable and less sporty. Just downgrade in all aspects.

Not sure that is good thing, especially considering circumstances i.e. person is out of work because he/she could not work due to covid, car sits untaxed, uninsured, without mot for over a year, because it is not driven... due to person being out of work and then ever so helpful goverment comes and clamps it! Thank you! With roadside inspections I agree - untaxed car should not be driven on the road (I am not big fan of tax, but if everyone should pay it then they should as well), but clamping the car which is parked on the side of the road... seems like unnecessary and lazy approach to me.

I doubt it is only your local cycling club which does that...

They actually said, they going to stop it during the covid, but maybe that was just first lock-down thing. For the same reason they extended MOTs... perhaps they now thing it is over and they could go back into clamping cars.

Depends where you live , but this was the case for at least 2-3 years now. I even seen vans with portable notice board driving around saying something like "tax it or lose it". And by the way you don't even need to be driving it - as long as it is parked on public road (even if SORN) it should be taxes or it could be clamped. And then there are people who will say "there are no road tax in UK" 😄 https://www.admiral.com/magazine/news/tax-it-or-lose-it-is-your-car-tax-up-to-date#:~:text=Tax it or lose it is the message from the,total enforcement actions taken)%3A

It absolutely is, ES feels like Toyota inside. And that is not necessarily bad thing, but it is distinctively Toyota - if somebody sat me blind into it and I would have to tell what car I am in I would say Toyota. It is just absolutely on a different league from GS mk4, GS feels solid, materials are nice to touch etc. on ES materials are "fine", but the feel plasticky, doors feels light, all the panels feels light etc. it just feels like distinctively cheaper car.