Brian R

Fear not, all is not lost: Electric V8

Interesting comment and so it would seem there was something like 148 registered cars of which there are now between 100 to 110 either on the road or Sorned. It seems those that are currently on sale are in or around the £200k mark, not bad for a car that the motoring press never regarded as anything particularly special, albeit I wouldn't say no.

Without wishing to make life difficult for you, have you ever seen the car in structural blue? One as such is for sale right now and if I was searching I would give that model serious consideration. In my view the blue is beyond stunning and if I could, I would. Indeed, the wallpaper on my phone is of a LC in just that colour! LINK TO CAR

Interesting question, and I wonder if this might help: Models by type and number registered As you'll see, the LC500 sport plus is the most registered version. Having said that, your preference for comfort (same as mine) would be met by any model, given you can dial down the suspension settings for a comfort or sports setting. Frankly I cannot tell the difference in mine whereas those same settings also affect engine performance with a world of difference between the various user selections ranging from ECO, COMFORT, NORMAL, SPORT and SPORT+. As for HUD, it often goes hand in hand with the Mark Levison sound system. A little unusually I have HUD but no ML, and frankly I'm not too sure what I am missing, but others will surely chime in and advise. Personally I would say the differences from base to full fat are not that great but if you are looking for the ultimate the LC can offer, then it's the sport plus you need to consider BUT you will not miss what you never had in any model. Good luck in your search and as the photographs would suggest, the LC in red is simply stunning and for my money I would give that model serious consideration, albeit I would think a price tag nearer £50K would be more appropriate.

Sorry for butting in, and apologies in advance if I am about to show my ignorance. I've often wondered about whether the fuel pump relay or some other crucial relay could be replaced by a "Bluetooth" enabled device such that it deactivates if your mobile phone isn't in range. Would this be possible?

Yes, I can confirm they did, albeit I'm not aware they issued a recall to fix. It was happening continually on mine and notably in cold weather. I could see what the problem was, and in practice the latch pin was marginally too long, it simply couldn't retract far enough once activated. I eventually attempted to file a smidgen off the latch pin and that seemed to solve the problem however it soon returned. I then applied some special grease as used in cryogenic applications and suitable for temps down to -60 degrees c. Remarkably this solved the problem and all I can say is it can only be a matter of a few thou that stops the mechanism from latching/releasing.

Thought this article might be of interest to those who worry about putting on the miles: 200K miles and counting

Do you mean Japfest 2024?

Another here for Bilt Hamber. My son put me onto their products some years ago and unless he finds something better I'll not change my allegiance. Even my wife uses one of their products i.e. Surfex and swears it is the best at about everything cleaning related and I'm inclined to agree! From what I recall, much of their product is natural/organic and while that very often means poor performance, then not so with BH and in fact quite the opposite. As ever, "horses for courses" and Autoglym is my go to when BH has nothing to offer.

That approach does seem to be working for JLR and I gather their theft rate is now reducing and as you say there's been significant promotion of their "enhanced security". It would be great if Lexus could do the same and why shouldn't they given I'm sure they wouldn't want their brand to leap frog JLR in terms of ease of theft, albeit I think it already has!

Can you keep the Jag for fun days? Tax/insure it for say 6 months/year? I had an "occupier" in my garage for many years and only taxed/insured it when I felt the urge.

Thanks, Len. I've just looked at the "Ghost" system and as you say, the Phantom looks like a copy and even down to its pricing. Perhaps not the ultimate solution unless there are hidden strengths not well covered in the firm's web site.

Has anyone tried/considered this: Can Phantom Looks pretty good to me and might well delay/prevent car theft. I'd be interested in any experience or view on this product.

A bit like their built-in sat nag and speed awareness :-)

Very topical subject given just last week I ordered and had delivered the same day one of these: 10 amp battery charger/maintainer Unlike most CTEK's this can charge at 10 amps and apparently maintain. I've already charged 2 deeply discharged field batteries used on electric fencing and no complaints (so far) from the equestrian quarter. CTEK and their like tend to have circa 5 amp outputs, and they will very often be unable to kick-start a fully discharged battery, whereas I know from practice my old faithful conventional 12 amp charger can and does. So far it appears to be doing its job and I would also add it replaced a very short (1 day) experience with a Ring charger/maintainer which in the event was a complete waste of time on all accounts.

A quick search would suggest they are a good make and as follows: Are Kumho tyres any good? A quick review Kumho is a South Korean tyre manufacturer that has been in existence for well over half a century and now finds itself in the top echelons of tyre manufacturing, producing high-quality tyres with an output of around 68 million tyres annually. Kumho is a subsidiary of the Chinese tyre conglomerate, Doublestar. Kumho is used as original equipment by some of the biggest car companies in the world including BMW, Ford and Mercedes-Benz. Kumho has kept its place amongst the leading tyre brands by producing an extensive range of tyres to cover all the needs of the domestic passenger car market. From ultra high-performance tyres that are used on the racetrack to a standard all-season tyre for everyday motoring, Kumho also augment their range with off-road tyres for enthusiasts and winter tyres to handle extreme driving conditions in different parts of the world.

Just to add my two pennies worth and from experience with numerous batteries courtesy of electric fencing. If a battery is deeply discharged, you might find some smart chargers are unable to kick-start the charging process. Fortunately, there are some that have a greater output and should be capable of initiating a charge process. One such is this one: CTEK 10 amps charger/maintainer Personally I use an ancient i.e. 45 plus years old conventional charger and usually for only 10 minutes or so before connecting up whichever smart charger comes to hand. BTW, my car is permanently connected to a smart charger which I simply plug into the mains and then let it do its bit. I'd also add a 10 amp charger is going to charge at twice the rate say a 5 amp would, and on occasions this may be helpful.

Exactly as Malc suggests and from experience I can tell you Halfords offer various lengths, one of which will suit your needs and be much, much kinder to your wallet. Jeez, £262.60 for an earth strap, is, as my daughter would say, someone having a giraffe!

Typically, on day-to-day driving, 27/28 mpg, and on a good motorway run, then 37/40 mpg. However, the day-to-day mpg can easily fall to low 20's if I don't spare the horses. Just for my amusement, there is a regular run I do where circumstances usually allow me drive largely on battery power (albeit not exclusively) and over a distance of circa 7 miles, I've been able to tease 48 mpg out of it. This gives me some bragging rights when my wife cheerfully informs be of her 60 plus mpg from her Honda hybrid!

Converting your mpg (US gallon?) figures to UK gallon, then you are achieving 25.8 and 39.6 mpg I'd say that was pretty impressive! I'm sure some of the V8 owners (given mines a hybrid) will shortly be along to comment but looks like you have a gentle touch on the gas peddle.

Magnus, any chance of a clue? European, American, Japanese, Korean?

Hello Paul Yes, this problem has been reported on this site. Apparently the cost to repair/replace is somewhat excessive but a much simpler workaround has been published within these pages. Nonetheless, yours is under warranty and should therefore be replaced/rectified at no cost to you. Got to admit mine too suffered this reluctance to latch, but in the event it all but fixed itself when I prodded the mechanism, which seems to "stick" or at least catch. I'd also add the whole arrangement is a bit feeble, so going forward a delicate touch is highly recommended.

Couldn't agree more that LKA is a right pain in the bottom and dangerous taboot. I'm fortunate that my car predates this latest risk-averse nonsense, but my wife's Honda doesn't. Frankly, when I drive her car, I often think of Steven King's Christine and the damn thing is trying to kill me! She has the measure of it and swiftly turns it off, but I don't and the bloody thing literally wrenches the wheel from my hand. It's not about safety because it is downright dangerous!

Well, depending on her budget, she will be able to get very close. Just a case of setting aside circa £22K 😂

Looking good and with a very nice shine!