# My new car (M5 content free zone!)



## kmpowell (May 6, 2002)

I'll keep this short because as it's not an M5 it will be vastly inferior and unable to compete in the 'best engine', 'best handling', 'best willy waving' competition...... :roll:

Anyway, a new house purchase in the next few months has forced me to take a sensible approach to cars for a couple of years and downgrade the T350 to something more affordable and economic. Now Iâ€™m walking to work each day, it has left my car mainly used at weekends, so I looked at an S2 Exige and Elise 111R, but they were the wrong side of Â£20k, and an Elise the right side of Â£20k would have the Rover K Series engine which is prone to unreliability. I still needed something different and fun (just to satisfy my petrolhead cravings) so after investigating most options (and various discussions with mates) I have decided on a VX220 Turbo.  I have been quite lucky as a TVR dealer took in my particular VXT in p/x against a Tamora a few weeks ago, so they did me a good deal on taking my T350 too (which has saved lots of hassle with selling privately) and the VX has only done 7500 miles (04 plate), so it's just been a case of finding time to go pick it up!

A 12 hour round trip door to door to pick it up yesterday hasn't really given me much time to drive it yet (apart from on motorways coming home), but first impressions round the town I picked it up from is the blistering pace it has and the way it goes round corners like it's on rails! The turbo kicks in from about 1.7k revs and pulls all the way to 6.5k. Its like a go-kart having an epileptic fit! Fantastic fun, which should keep me amused at weekends, and hopefully get into tracking a bit.

The weather here in Bristol is shi*e right now, so just a few pics of her sat outside in the rain this morning:


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## The Silver Surfer (May 14, 2002)

Congrats on the new car. Looks very nice and sounds like a real hoot to drive.


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## ronin (Sep 6, 2003)

Vey nice, any plans for mods?


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## jonah (Aug 17, 2002)

Nice looking car Kev and I'm so pleased it's an "M5 FREE ZONE POST" although should of been a RS4 free zone too,gets a bit boring after a while :wink:


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## clived (May 6, 2002)

Actually, aren't VX220 Turbo's getting a bit common round here too? ;-)

Nice car Kev - I've liked the VX since Mr B took me out in his (NA) at Kneesworth some years ago, and spent a few laps laughing my head off when Mr Thorne took me round Bedford Autodrome once.... very entertaining - enjoy


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## Hilly10 (Feb 4, 2004)

Nice car. I did think about getting a VX 220 as the TT is just used high days and holidays now, 20 miles in the last 4 weeks. But i do not think i could live with it. so awkward getting in and out. more so with the roof up. I do like the look of the car,will be interesting to hear your thoughts on the car ie road & track.


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## W7 PMC (May 6, 2002)

kmpowell said:


> I'll keep this short because as it's not an M5 it will be vastly inferior and unable to compete in the 'best engine', 'best handling', 'best willy waving' competition...... :roll:
> 
> Anyway, a new house purchase in the next few months has forced me to take a sensible approach to cars for a couple of years and downgrade the T350 to something more affordable and economic. Now Iâ€™m walking to work each day, it has left my car mainly used at weekends, so I looked at an S2 Exige and Elise 111R, but they were the wrong side of Â£20k, and an Elise the right side of Â£20k would have the Rover K Series engine which is prone to unreliability. I still needed something different and fun (just to satisfy my petrolhead cravings) so after investigating most options (and various discussions with mates) I have decided on a VX220 Turbo.  I have been quite lucky as a TVR dealer took in my particular VXT in p/x against a Tamora a few weeks ago, so they did me a good deal on taking my T350 too (which has saved lots of hassle with selling privately) and the VX has only done 7500 miles (04 plate), so it's just been a case of finding time to go pick it up!
> 
> ...


Kev,

Just a small point, i made no mention of the M5's handling being superior or the best, only "Best Engine in The World" & "Best Willy waving" :lol: :wink:

It's a stunning car & sounds like an excellent purchase. Will be good to see you on track & i hope you're putting your name down for the O/M track day later this year (on here somewhere).


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## ResB (Apr 17, 2005)

Congrads Kev,

One, well possibly the best handling car I have ever driven around the track and the only car to make me feel sick too! 

Take some time out to get used to it and enjoy it.


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## Dr_Parmar (May 10, 2002)

Congrats! Those things are pretty darn quick! enjoy!

on the passenger side, are there 2 sets of foot rests, for the short and not so short person? or am i seeing double?


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## kmpowell (May 6, 2002)

Thanks chaps! Been out for a blast in it this morning and it certainly puts a cheeky smile on my face. Not giving her full welly though cos the rain here is ridiculous. It's been a downpour now since I woke up at 9 this morning! 



ronin said:


> Vey nice, any plans for mods?


'Plans' yes, but in reality I think I will stick with it as standard for now. A remap will take it from 200>220bhp, and adding a miltek will give another 10bhp or so, but at Â£1500 for the miltek and Â£600 for the map, it aint cheap. I might make a trip to TMS for a remap if I get bored with the performance in the next 12 months, but I'm concentrating on the house/flat purchase, so all money will be going towards that. 



clived said:


> Actually, aren't VX220 Turbo's getting a bit common round here too? ;-)


Yeah I know! lol To be honest it was Stu that convinced me to look at the VXT properly as an economic option (I was getting carried away with Exiges at the time!). We met up for a few beers before the Siverstone F1 testing, and had a long chat about my situation and it just happened we both ended up buying VX's around the same time (his albeit the better one, and mine was defo bought becasue of a house purchase!  ). 



Dr_Parmar said:


> on the passenger side, are there 2 sets of foot rests, for the short and not so short person? or am i seeing double?


You aren't seeing double. The footrest is designed for exactly as you describe (short and tall people). It was a Â£200 option from new. 

Cheers


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

Nice choice for a second car! :wink:

Dont spend Â£1000+ modding it. Spend the money on track lessons to get the most out of your car and keep those pesky M5s behind you.


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## omen666 (Oct 10, 2004)

Congrats Kev, very nice motor.


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## b3ves (May 6, 2002)

Nice choice - IMO a far better day to day option than an Exige.

I look forward to seeing you on trackdays


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## omen666 (Oct 10, 2004)

b3ves said:


> I look forward to seeing you on trackdays


And hopefully for more than a couple of laps Kev! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


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## Stu-Oxfordshire (May 7, 2002)

Kev, 
Good work mate - I really like the black, it suits the car [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Here's hoping Thorney can sort out my map/actuator/air mm (or whatever it is) problems before the 'ring trip :?


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## slg (May 6, 2005)

Nice - like it in the black aswell. Wondered when you were getting it, you've been asking enough questions on the Vx forum :wink:

Been looking at them myself but the one I have seen is the n/a :roll:


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## DW225 (Jun 22, 2005)

You've finally "come out" so to speak then Kev! :wink:

Looks like a nice example m8 and black with the red leather really suits it!

I'll give you a month at the most before it pays a visit to Thorney :wink: :roll:

Dave 8)


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## Carlos (May 6, 2002)

b3ves said:


> Nice choice - IMO a far better day to day option than an Exige.
> 
> I look forward to seeing you on trackdays


That red guy with the horns is quite handy on the slippy stuff :lol:


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## b3ves (May 6, 2002)

Carlos said:


> b3ves said:
> 
> 
> > Nice choice - IMO a far better day to day option than an Exige.
> ...


Eh?


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## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

Very nice Kev!

I don't recall seeing a black one before. It looks good.

If you do go and see Thorney you'd better book now. I was chatting with him the other night and he's got loads of work on and is recruiting more technicians. It sounds like it's a 3 week lead time to get in.

Only one thing.... you've really got to get over this wet weather phobia that you seem to have. This is the UK we live in and even worse - your in Bristol!! :wink:


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## omen666 (Oct 10, 2004)

But at least he doesn't have a hosepipe ban :lol: :lol: :wink:


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## vlastan (May 6, 2002)

scoTTy said:


> Only one thing.... you've really got to get over this wet weather phobia that you seem to have. This is the UK we live in and even worse - your in Bristol!! :wink:


It looks like you have been reading the Autocar article about how crap British drivers are in wet weather? :wink:


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## TTwiggy (Jul 20, 2004)

Very nice car sir - every few months I look at these and wonder if I realy need space for luggage!

Could I ask (without going into details obviously) if there was any problem 'trading down' at the dealership (as I guess the VX was cheaper than the px price for the Trev) as I may be in the same boat soon?

many thanks

Richard


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## coupe-sport (May 7, 2002)

Nice choice Kev - will be interested to see what you think of this as the MR2 is going later in the year and the next one must be mid/ rear engined, topless and not very practical 8)

James


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## Multiprocess (Aug 9, 2004)

Looking good Kev! 

Black is best, can't wait to see it in action, possible at the Mallory Park trackday!! :wink:


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## DXN (May 18, 2002)

nice one Kev
8)

How did you off load the TVR in the end (did I miss a thread?)
private sale
trade in


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## BAMTT (Feb 22, 2004)

Nice car Kevin,

Out of interest what are servicing costs like typically


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## NaughTTy (Jul 9, 2003)

DXN said:


> nice one Kev
> 8)
> 
> How did you off load the TVR in the end (did I miss a thread?)
> ...


Check the first post :wink:

Ditto though - NIce one Kev.....Glad I got a ride in the Tiv before it went though


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## DXN (May 18, 2002)

I miss read that as a possibility but if thats what happened even better deal


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## kmpowell (May 6, 2002)

TTwiggy said:


> Could I ask (without going into details obviously) if there was any problem 'trading down' at the dealership (as I guess the VX was cheaper than the px price for the Trev) as I may be in the same boat soon?





DXN said:


> How did you off load the TVR in the end (did I miss a thread?)


To be honest I had a bit of fortuotous luck on my side. I had rung round TVR dealers asking if they wanted to buy my car off me outright, 'cos quite frankly I was having no luck privately. They came back with ok offers, but as I wanted a cheaper car to the TVR, they all said that if I was to take a car from stock, they would give me a good deal (clearly they would make money on the car i would buy and also on the car they were buying from me when they sell it) on both cars. I therefore gave the dealers my desired car list and then sat and waited. A phone call then came in to me from a dealer up north who had taken the VX in as part ex against a Tamora, so i jumped at the chance! 



BAMTT said:


> Out of interest what are servicing costs like typically


Servicing is once every 10,000miles or 12 months (whichever comes sooner), and costs a measly Â£200 a pop!


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## R6B TT (Feb 25, 2003)

Nice one Kev - looks great!

Good luck with the house / flat purchase


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