Tempest

Not quite. More a question of Porsche having created too many debts to finance the take-over of VW, such that the 2 owner families, Porsche and Piech, were fed up with Wiedeking (first signs of falling grace were apparent in China at the motorshow there few weeks ago, when Wiedeking was not sitting right next to Wolfgang Porsche at some press conference rather than at the other end of the table - it´s little signs like this that give the game away!), and now that some of these debts have to be repaid, the 2 owner families begrudgingly have to start financing this themselves! Not good. So Piech, who´s always been pretty deeply involved with VW anyway, forged ahead with some politics (always has, since he has often been at loggerheads with Wiedeking, the way Wiedeking wanted to deal with workers´ representation/council at VW etc.) resulting in a merger as the best solution to the cash problem that Porsche now have. Nope, they´re no longer cash rich, on the contrary, they have huge debts due to the take-over attempt (which has ultimately failed due to the car market collapsing, as well as the credit crunch, difficulty obtaining credit). This also means that the on-going war between Porsche (through the EU courts) and the state of Lower Saxony, who hold a 20% veto shareholdership in VW may now come to an end. It was the veto right that prevented Porsche from taking over the entire of VW, because even with 80% ownership, the state of Lower Saxony would alsways be able to overrule. The state of Lower Saxony should have the worker´s interests at heart rather than just profit-greed (they have failed to show this with Karmann, of course). Tempest

Thanks for info, quite useful, since I have to travel down that way quite often for business. There is absolutely no need for a 50 mph speed limit on that stretch. As a matter of fact, if they finally got rid opf the toll altogether, there wouldn´t be any need for speed limits (caused by hold-ups at the tollbooths) in the first place, let alone for silly SPECS. I would have thought that the crossing would have hit its break-even point by now, but guess the government is now just plain greedy. Tempest

Correct, just like it did in Germany, where they also have their elections this year. Politicians ... shoot the Barstewards, and the world would be a much better place :clap: Tempest

As dirtytorque already mentioned, G60 error codes are for the ABS controller only. These can be read out through a normal light bulb or LED hooked up, as the flash rate (data rate) is very low, another reason why VAGCOM or other diagnostic devices for that matter would struggle reading the codes (according to the Bentley). Although there are in the meantime circuit diagrammes floating about the Net showing you how to connect the 2 connectors under the gearstick gaitor to the ECU, the error codes thus read are pretty much meaningless. I seem to remember having read somewhere, that Bosch deliberately crippled the error code reading facility on the G60 ecus at VW´s request. Tempest

Black car completely black/smoked rear lights would do it for me, black/smoked indicators available only from InPro, who charge more than FK. Tempest

Nice to see that G60 prices on Autotrader are actually going up, whereas some VR6 prices are now actually lower than the G60. Tempest

If they take on the German scheme., then they´ll want you to have owned your ¨banger¨ for at least one year. Tempest

Sound slike ze Dzermans have won, since it´s them (the German car industry, notably VW of all) who have been lobbying hard to get this scheme, first introduced in Germany, introduced alla cross Europe to help the ailing motor industry (why is that they´re ailing, I wonder *sarcasm mode on*?). Same problems will then occur here like in Germany: The dumb masses will go for it, 2k is not to be miffed at. Those that go for this will however not be buying expensive cars, in Germany only small car sales are benefitting, mostly Japanese and Dacias. How does that help the local economy like Merc, Jag, BMW and other top brands that are struggling? 2nd hand car prices will now shoot up, too, since everyone will now want a minimum of 2k for their 2nd hand car. I was sooooo hoping that the UK would not introduce this scheme, but hope dies last, as the old German saying goes. Tempest

Excellent experience, jim. Write up for the Sprinter? :-) I just booked a single-seater race car experience at Donni for July 8) Kindly given to me by my business colleague, who´ll no doubt attend to take some piccies :-) Tempest

Just my current US-G60 (had to drop that one in :lol:), no craving for more than the current one, as I also have my 2 Rocco toys to play with. Tempest

A scene with said car in the German film ¨Männersache¨: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ4Y10KTMCE Tempest

Some nice Roccos in there, already seen this video through the German Roccoforum :D Tempest

OK, count me in, although I generally don´t like having to drive into Brum itself (have had to do this workwise too often, it´s a nightmare!): Year - G-plate 90 Model - G60 (US) colour - alpine white Tempest

Well, the car as such wouldn´t get an E-code as such. It´s only individual parts (depending on which part), that get have to display the E-code, eg. your headlights, highbeams, indicators, rear light clusters all have an E-number on them. (if not they´re aftermarket (eg. FK red/white rear light clusters, whereas those by In.Pro do have an E-number, and hence are legal in the EU, FK´s are not, strictly speaking). Tempest

The E-codes have not been set by the German TÜV. The E-codes are codes for items that have been certified safe in all EU-countries, hence no further documentation is necessary (although some manufacturers will provide additional docs detailing the scope of tests carried out, or just like with Supersprint kit, that the products have been certified as safe for use on cars within any EU country). Spain belonging to the EU shoudl acknowledge the E-codes. Some countries, like Germany, who have more strict regulations than what the EU stipulate, may, however, require additional safety documents and test results. This is what, for example, the TÜV demand for certain items in Germany, necessitating the manufacturer to carry out further safety tests, document them and hand them over to the customer in shape of what´s called a ABE (Allgemeine Betriebserlaubnis). For certian products there is no ABE and in that case the TÜV demand an individual test on your own car (EXPENSIVE!!!!!). You´re effectively paying for the ABE yourself, which the manufacturer will be only to happy to have you do, of course, as once done, anyone else with the same item on the same spec car will then be able to use that ABE. Oops, gone on a bit too long :lol: Tempest

The el-cheapo, yet effective stuff to absorb water from fuel tank is ¨Brennspiritus¨, which is German for methylated spirit. We discussed this on way down to 2cc last weekend :D Hope the Halfords stuff wasn´t too expensive. Tempest

Wouldn

Should be, since if you look carefully, a lot of material in that clip is actually British (British cars, license plates, people, bakgrounds, clothing etc.). Tempest

Or the opposite, if the launch of all sorts of special editions of the Mk2 Rocco very early on in its life cycle is anything to go by, which according to the recent VW book on the Scirocco was all to do with getting sales going. Well, life cycles have shortened, so it may just be optimism despite the credit crunch. At least some are starting to make an appearance on Germany

Suppose I could try at Listers VW Coventry :lol: Use arguments like

Other than knocking down 8k from their R32, Listers in Coventry are not giving discounts on the Irocco yet, at least not judging by the price tags attached to each one on display. Only a question of time, however, before they´ll have to give in just to shift, I guess. Tempest

First series of piccies making their way onto the net, mainly for fans of the new Irocco :lol: http://www.dasautoblog.com/2008/11/essen-motor-s-7.html http://www.pictureupload.de/galerie.php?id=26539&offset=0 http://www.vau-max.de/picture/picture= Tempest

Special made car by Hankook in conjunction with a German organisation promoting sensible and safe tuning/modding of cars (VDAT), all for the Essen Motor Show end of this month, where there is a big tuning/modding section. Indeed this car will be on display at that show. Tempest

Not only that, but quite often filled with lies (all in the interest of entertainment), as I found out again talking to some Corvette people at the Classic Car Show this weekend just gone. For example, Clarkson? statement that the Vette still uses leafsprings at the rear is blatantly wrong. It simply does NOT use leafsprings rather than what sounded to me as a nifty rear axle/spring construction. But hey, anything for entertainment. Shame that it has such a huge knock-on effect with so many in terms of shaping their opinions on certain cars, that Clarkson likes or dislikes (for all the wrong reasons). Tempest

That building in Toad's post could be somewhere in Coventry, so what are trying to imply? :lol: The windows even look like they are uPVC, i.e. modern, probabbly even double-glazed :lol: OK, off-topic. I do like a few revolutionaries now and again though. Let's not forget: If there weren't at least some people that occasionally stand up against the system, we'd all live in a dictatorship (well, we do anyway, it's run by banks, stock exchange and other financial sector w*nkers who dictate down to us whilst raking in the cash themselves. Well, not very moral, but morality has gone out of the window a long time ago with me since I know how the world turns: Die, you b*stards, or at least go bust, I won't cry for you). So well done to you c_sunderland. Tempest Tempest