Top Gear Article From 1998

Hi Folks

I stumbled across this article featuring the XM in 1998 - quite interesting, supports the future classic argument no end! Don't let the weblink put you off.

Enjoy

http://gtouk.org.uk/downloads/Mitsubishi_3000_GT2.pdf

Regards

Robert

Good find Robert.

Interesting article, especially when I find myself asking where these other cars are on the 'classic' radar today, 10 years later.

Oh thats right, none of them exist (besides maybe the BMW)...

Battlestar Galactica, thats a new name to add to my XM vocabulary, like that one

Ciarán

Isn't that the main inspiration for that godawful Honda Civic Type Somethingorother
effort that seemingly the rest of the world thinks is really dinkydoo.

(THERE ISN'T A SMILEY FOR THROWING UP IS THERE!?).

Either that or something out of Buck Rogers.

Andrew

Isn't it amusing how, yet again, the rest of the world thinks its the best thing since sliced bread because the Germans or Japs roll it out (decades later).....

Ciarán

Interesting. They talk about it being over complicated and unreliable - they don't mention the fact that you can actually repair it and so dont have to throw it away after about five years.

Peter.N.

But its a Shitron, of course its crap and unreliable, unlike all these new unmistakibly German cars....

This post has been edited by Ciaran on April 22, 2008 12:04 pm

That's an interesting grouping - I noted the performance figures the BM isn't as fast as expected against the others with its extra pair of cylinders.


I'm pretty surprised the XM didn't outbrake the whole group too.

Hi

The BMW being so slow for the bhp becomes apparent when you have a look at the weight of these things - bhp/ton doesn't lie.

Also being a "shitroen" you would expect it to have a dodgy engine that suffers from frequent bore ware failures.....oh no hold on a minute that was the 4.0 V8 beemer

Interesting I looked at the prices of all of these cars on Autotrader now- you can probably guess which one it the classic in terms of price - yep the beemer. A decent '98 v12 still goes for +£10K. Although I suppose it's probably similar in terms of where it's depreciated too compared to the others.

It's also interesting to see what performance figures they have put in for the 24v. 8.6 0-60 seems about right. Sometimes you see around 9.5 being put down. Still 8.6 is pretty quick for a slushbox.

Cheers

Tony

I recently started driving around in the S2 turbo car, after several week in the old non turbo S1, and mentioned in the office I was worried about getting points on my licence due to its friskiness (to be honest, the nonturbo S1 is perfectly adequate for around town) , one of my colleagues announced that he would pay 1/2 my fine if I got a speeding ticket as he didn't beleive a "Shitroen" was up to it! Shame he can't share the points though....

It would almost be worth it to prove him a complete idiot

It is not exactly difficult to get a ticket in a 30 limit in ANY car made in the last 20 years - even in Bristol traffic as long as you avoid the stationary bits/times.

Have you got a speed camera at the bottom of a hill near you Tim??? are you looking at getting rid of one of your xm's??? if the answer to both the above is yes, put a cardboard cut out of your friend in the car, position it at the top of the hill, release the parking brake and send the unwanted car on its way.
When the local constabulary send you some fan mail point out it isn't you driving!
That way he gets the full prize points and all, and a lovely photo to put on the mantelpiece to remember the day with

D

It would almost be worth it to prove him a complete idiot

It is not exactly difficult to get a ticket in a 30 limit in ANY car made in the last 20 years - even in Bristol traffic as long as you avoid the stationary bits/times.

I know, rowanamoor, even in the S1 I have to watch it to stay at 30, but the turbo car gets to 30 and beyond far too easily, especially with Led Zep on the stereo (managed to extract the Song Remains The Same CD2 tape and put in some soukous yesterday after a day and a half of it!).

Its just harmless office banter really, I think they are just jealous that (1) I got the S2 car so cheap (2) I have the balls to run 2 old XM's, and pissed that their cars are depreciating so much!

Nope Dean, I am keeping both my XM's for now! And that could be potentially life threatening for random pedestrians. Almost as bad as throwing conCrete blocks at cars off bridges!

:-)

Back when I first got my first XM, I picked up from someone (AA, dealer?) that one had had the handbrake fail when parked on Park Street (quite a steep main street in central bristol) and run amok, causing somewhat bad press for XM's in Bristol.

I did end up having to park the S1 car on relative flat ground (nothing totally flat around here) and leave it in gear when the handbrake went on it years and years back. Did get fixed, still seems very solid, new cables were required I thinl.

This post has been edited by DrTim on April 24, 2008 11:52 pm

i usualy cure the critics who say "a grandads car" i stick em in the front seat tell em to belt up properly and be prepared for a scare........they laugh and then turn white to green then a funny sick colour as i bast em around the very narrow twisty one way lanes i have up my area.......they change their minds reeeaaallllyyy quick........problem is i get silly little corsers and things challenging me all the time. scared one of them as well when he thought he was well ard and tried to sit on my bumber up same lanes....tarrraaaaa now methinks he give up due to fact he kept nearly killin himself and the rest of his well ards in the tin can he was driving.....amazeing what the most advanced suspension that took 50 yrs to develope can do without trying on the lanes........poor sods

I'm a grandad and it's the car for me.