GMB

BTW talking about having two brains in the car, the gearbox brain is definitely the BOSS.

I must be one of the few people that actually like the 200t. It reminds me of my old 1981 Audi 200t but a lot less brutal and less likely to chuck you down the road and kill you. It looks nice with the twin exhausts -but doesn't make much noise. This is a good or bad thing depending if you like sporty noises or quiet refinement. It can go quite quick depending what mood the car is in. It has a mind of its own believe me. ( Probably two minds actually, one in the engine and one in the gearbox, and I don't think they like each other very much ) It is not economical to run but it does have character ( another word for quirky ). It is at its best on motorways and faster roads, both for economy and performance. It is nice to drive and very comfortable - suspension, handling etc. Big plus - It has no CVT but has the same 8 speed auto as on the IsF. ( Mind you, sometimes it can't make its mind up what gear it prefers and likes to sit in 4th or 5th if you have been driving briskly. ) There aren't many about, especially "F-sports" because they were a bit pricey new. Ideally the 350 would be the one but Lexus did not think we deserved them. Bad points - Er .... I like it's unusualness so I can't think of any.

Reminds me of the Ducati Owners club motto: "Ducati - teaching you to be a mechanic one breakdown at a time."

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I had a 1976 Rover P6 V8 with dunlop denovo runflats. They were very expensive, a bugger to balance and cost a fortune. If you got a puncture and run it flat then the canisters inside the rim were trashed and the whole thing had to be replaced except the actual rim of course. Having said that they actually looked good and had quite a low profile for the 70's era. Tech note: The Rover rotted away and became an orange pile of ferrous ( or is it ferric? ) oxide on the road and the engine was prone to overheating but it was good for 120mph - just keep an eye on the temp gauge.

Hi Malc - I like the sarcasm. What a lovely thought, that the government are taxing us for our benefit. Maybe if you were one of their mates you might get some return on the investment, but the money is not going to the NHS or any other organisation that benefits the general public. Don't get me started I could go on forever ..........

Our lexus dealer gave us a 100% electric thing maybe a UX? After 20 minutes I was bored stiff with it. The heater was useless ( it was December ). Glad I don't have one. What a joy to get back in a proper car that has a character - the IsF. On the issue of rip-off fuel prices don't forget the government duty and tax take on every litre. As of today they have only given back 5p duty, most of which was nicked by the petrol companies. They need to halve the VAT and they will still be making a mint. Between the fuel companies and the Gov't we are all being taken for an expensive ride. Why do we put up with this. The French would be burning tyres and toll booths by now.

I just paid £630 road tax and only do about 2K "leisure" miles per year in the IsF. Fortunately we have our "everyday" car, an IS200t. This is the one that bugs me on costs. I just topped up with V power ( for the turbo's sake ) and paid £1.98 per litre AND it only does 26.5mpg; that's only 3 or 4 mpg better than the IsF. It all works out at about 40pence per mile just for fuel and tax and Insurance. I have considered a SORN for the IsF because I think that once the dust settles and we go all electric then these cars will become more desirable after a brief panic drop in assumed value. Who knows? Look at he price of old Dodge Chargers and Challengers, you couldn't give them away at one time. I still want one though🤪 1969 DODGE CHARGER RT 440 AUTOMATIC FOR SALE £118,271 AS STATED 1969

I had it delivered and got a local exhaust specialist to install it. He said it was a good fit to the original mountings and no problems £150.

I have the Hayward and Scott catback exhaust system on my IsF. It passed the MOT emissions and noise checks with no problems. The minimal drone is not too intrusive and is worth putting up with for the glorious orchestra that comes with a bit of throttle, turning into a racing howl at higher revs. The sound is not as harsh as the nasty Mercedes/Range rover/Mustang V8s with loud exhausts. It is just a super classic V8 rumble and more pleasing to the ear.

BTW 1/5 per gallon. That's about tuppence a litre

Does anyone remember Cleveland Discol with added alcohol ( 10% ? ) for cooler running and better performance - so they said. Even dragsters used ethanol based fuels they said. All those years ago people (of the "informed" variety) were warning against it for various reasons. Don't ask which ones because I don't know. BTW I just checked my 200t abysmal fuel consumption. The computer says a measly 28.5mpg on mixed, mostly urban use. I did a manual check and confirmed 26.5. Not very good when the IsF on similar journeys gets 23.5. However, on short runs the IsF drops dramatically to below 20. I always use Vpower as I used to work for Shell and I know the extent to which they "doctored" the fuel in order to keep the engine clean and efficient. The 200t seems to benefit and run quieter and quicker than when I bought it.

Doh! Volvo.... not Volve! It could have been worse 😉

Oops something went horribly wrong on that post. I was trying to say... The Volvo is going as a trade in for a Civic type R GT...... Don't ask! The only problem with the Volve was the main dealers.

Just think yourself lucky you don't have a Volvo T5. New plugs at 2 year service despite the mileage being 7K. Resulting in a bill for £700. Needless to say the Volvo is going as

Herbie is right. From my school days electricity will always take the path of least resistance so if you connect to the body or the terminal it is the same result. It is as if you were connected to the same point i.e. resistance being negligible. Any other sensitive components that may or may not be monitoring the electrics should have or normally have protection built-in to counter adverse situations. It is unlikely that you will get anything more than about 13.5v (within the tolerances) but you could get less or a short, and that would trip the charger. Basically it is a can of worms.

Interesting article in Car and Driver magazine explains it for those who are interested in mechanical trivia. https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15107374/this-is-why-various-engine-types-sound-so-different-feature/

Yes, you need a naturally aspirated straight 6, V6 or V8 for the orchestral sounds à la IsF. Or even a two stroke triple such as the old Kawasaki 500 and 750. I had an Austin Healey sprite Mk 111 1098 in the 60's and people said they could always hear me coming because it sounded like a farting pig arriving. I think they were talking about the car? They were right, even rotten old Morris Minors had a horrible rasp on the overrun. The sound from the 200t exhaust sounds like someone designed an industrial air extraction unit with no musical qualities whatsoever, but at least I can't hear it.

My IS200t doesn't sound crap, it just doesn't sound at all You can't hear the engine or the exhaust in normal driving. If you want to go faster put it into sport with traction control off and you get a bit less turbo lag and lively performance. but still very quiet All the noise comes from the tyres. Horses for courses, but the 200t is more of a cruiser and is definitely not really a sports saloon. I like it even if nobody else does 😸.

I couldn't agree more; Lexus Preston are excellent. An example of their fair play and superb service if you please: IsF 2012 due for 60K service ( The expensive one ). The service manager checked the records and advised me that the spark plugs etc had already been changed at the 54K service, so no need for the expense. Due to the full service record it was only due an interim service which saved me many £s. On the other hand, my son has a 2019 Volvo S60 T5 which I gave him, it had done only 3500 miles by me. He was informed that at the 2 yr service he must change the plugs. What ?§!* . Despite arguments he was told that if he did not comply then the warranty on possible engine issues would be void.... Over £700 for that service. Lexus recommend 60K between plug replacements. Volvo was told this and replied that their plugs are "special". Just who is kidding whom? Or am I missing something here? PS I still think the T5 is a lovely, capable car, but now I would think twice about ownership........

Thank you. I just had the whole set replaced at a cost of £640 - Michelin Pilot SS TPC. The fitters put one tyre on the wrong way ( asymmetric ) MOT failure BTW, Damaged two brake calipers, lost a metal dustcap and then while shoving a pastie into his cakehole moaned at me for complaining. Take care where you go for tyres. At least they didn't snap a wheelstud like the last lot did.

Insurance will not pay if you change the tyre sizes and have an accident. Mine has 225/40R18 front 255/35R18 rear. Incidentally, exactly the same as the IsF. ( As is the gearbox ). I cannot see any tyre manufacturers recommending a different size.

Can I chuck a spanner in the works please? Get a Volvo S60 T5 /6/8 You get the performance, comfort and looks BUT you need to get a pre 2020 model if you want the unlimited engine. If you have a ton of money and want a collector's car then it has to be the Polestar One - not the 2. A bit like the LFA, a loss leader that cost more to make than its selling price. I could never understand why there would be a paddle shift on a CVT car. Someone please tell me! I just don't understand why anyone would want a CVT, especially one that pretends it isn't (a CVT) by simulating gears. Maybe I am just old fashioned but my IsF always brings a smile to my face.

If I could afford an LFA I would be scared stiff of getting banned (again) . Plus, the birds will crap on it in your driveway - I know- they did it to my car after a valet. The only fun that I think I can possibly get away with nowadays is booting it from 0 - 70, and even then some plod in an unmarked Ford Anglia 1200 ( three bearing crank! Big ends gone in 12K miles ) might take exception to that. There aren't many police about, but you just can't risk it. The problem is that the nice stretch of country road, clear of junctions and traffic, is just the place to give it some stick. Plod know this and are waiting behind the dustbins to catch you - I know, they got me in France on a lovely clear stretch of dual carriageway. Mind you 150 mph is not exactly the done thing over there. Immediate ban and big fine thank you.