patently Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 I've decided it's time to move out of the 535d. It's been a great car, but is now 6 years old with 100k+ on the clock and is starting to develop one fault after another - the result is I don't trust it to pull the Caterham to tracks and get me to my Mum's reliably should the call come. Time to get rid, and to make good on my promise to Mrs P to reduce the car count by at least one once the Academy season was finished. There are two possible avenues - one is to replace the 5 series and the Landie with a Discovery, use that as the family car and the tow car for the Caterham races, and keep the 911 and the Caterham for fun and for trips when I'm on my own. The other option is to keep the Landie for snow/rubbish/bikes etc and swap the 5 series and the 911 for an M5 (or possibly an E63). Use that for daily driving, keep the Caterham on the road for nice blats on sunny days. I want to choose between these by the end of the week (as Merc have kindly sourced an E63 for me to try next Monday). There is one fly in the ointment, though - towing the Caterham. I'm not using the Landie for that, as the weights might be interesting and (in any case) driving the Landie with a trailer to the back of beyond would leave me incapable of anything much by the end, especially racing. So, if I get the M5, it would have to have a towbar. BMW do offer a factory-fit electrically retractable towbar for the M5. But, I keep thinking... an M5? With a towbar? Could I? Or would it be sacrilegious to even consider defiling an M car with such an attachment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Check the max towing weight for the M5. It could be different to other 5 series. Not because the car's structure is different but it may be restricted due to the cooling requirements. I don't see it as sacrilege though. It's not as if the M5 is a lightweight car to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Keep the 911 and the Caterham and get yourself a Disco. You have two quick cars and a practical one that does everything for you. Of course it doesn't have to be a Landi it can be an X5 or similar. I'm not sure a fairly unpractical M5 for towing and family is going to work, use the 911 as you fast road car, the Caterham as the track toy and the other as everything else which an E63 or M5 isn't going to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 An E63 or M5 with a towbar? No problem. Both will be retractable (as you said), so no issue. Get you to the track in comfort and those things won't be stressed at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Yep, i'd keep the 911, get rid of the 5 and the Landy and get a Disco, do anything car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theduisbergkid Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 If you're worried about BMW reliability then I think you'd have to be veeeeery brave bunny to go for a Disco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_C Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 Agreed. I wouldn't touch a Discovery with a barge pole. M5 Touring as a direct replacement though for your 535d on the other hand.....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 Discovery will be in and out of the dealers all the time. It WILL go wrong. T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted March 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 Thanks, some useful thoughts. The Disco is the sensible choice (unless you're TDK), and there is some quite strong resistance from the female half of the family to the idea of losing the 911 - which has taken me by surprise. I'd also be sad to see that go. I'm going to work on the Land Rover dealer this week and try to persuade them to sell me one, see what the numbers look like If you're worried about BMW reliability Well, specifically the reliability of one particular 6 year old 106k mile BMW that has been driven hard for most of those 106k miles, has now had two serious problems in the last 10 months, and is intermittently showing a red light on the dashboard with an accompanying message asking me to stop driving right now and call BMW service. As opposed to BMW reliability in general, which I'm been very happy with over the years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted March 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 Discovery will be in and out of the dealers all the time. It WILL go wrong. :uhoh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 A few of my customers have had a Discovery. Great car but said the electronics were terrible. Things like wing mirrors that had a mind of their own, suspension, locks etc. My neighbour had one and said it was a lump of a thing and was like a barge around bends. He said his Freelander was a better car. He drives an S-max now and says that is a far easier type of vehicle for a family was a great car to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdiesel Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 If you are talking about an E60/61 M5, then I'm not sure how good a tow car it would make. The lack of low down torque and the fragile SMGII box would suggest it might not be ideal. An E63 would be much better in this respect, though the later cars with the wet clutch MCT box might not be as good as the earlier fluid torque converter cars. Now if your talking about an F10, then one if those would cope much better (on paper). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted March 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 It would be an F10, Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_C Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 My neighbour had one [Discovery] and said it was a lump of a thing and was like a barge around bends. What did your neighbour expect? Its 2.7 tonnes! Thats more than my S4 and 205 added together which is just ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 106k in 6 years? Pah, amateur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdiesel Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 It would be an F10, Jim Nice. The M DCT box should be fine, and the F10 has just enough torque! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted March 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 106k in 6 years?Pah, amateur. Yep, it's not my job to drive, I don't get paid for it, which makes me an amateur Nice. The M DCT box should be fine, and the F10 has just enough torque! Good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdiesel Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Slightly left field choice, but how about an Alpina D5. Autocar are running one at the moment and love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted March 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 I love Alpinas. I tried a B5 some years ago. I'd love to own one. But they plummet in value s/h... I don't think s/h buyers understand or appreciate them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Man up and get one of these (with a towbar): http://www.tyresmoke.net/forum/general-cars/139018-mercedes-benz-g63-amg-6x6.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Yep, it's not my job to drive, I don't get paid for it, which makes me an amateur Really rather depends on what you define as being an amateur or a professional, for example, you have more driving related qualifications than I do, I hold a standard driving licence, as I suspect do you, but I believe you also hold a racing licence, which would make you more qualified or 'professional' than myself! I actually had an argument with a policeman once, who'd decided to make a comment on my parking, which was absolutely legal, just slightly inconvenient for anyone having to wait 15-20 seconds while someone got out of my car (he wasn't on a call), and he told me I should 'know better as a professional driver'. When I asked him what made my driving licence any more special than anyone else's he got the hump and checked all my tyres and bulbs, and hence holding everyone up for about 5 minutes instead of the few seconds i'd have been there otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 I actually had an argument with a policeman once, who'd decided to make a comment on my parking, which was absolutely legal, just slightly inconvenient for anyone having to wait 15-20 seconds while someone got out of my car (he wasn't on a call), and he told me I should 'know better as a professional driver'. When I asked him what made my driving licence any more special than anyone else's he got the hump and checked all my tyres and bulbs, and hence holding everyone up for about 5 minutes instead of the few seconds i'd have been there otherwise. So it's not just us you wind up then............. [joke!!!] Presume policeman wondered off with the hump, as he found nothing wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Presume policeman wondered off with the hump, as he found nothing wrong? Indeed, it was just one of those silly situations that didn't need to happen, he could see exactly what I was doing, but for whatever reason he had to make a stupid remark, which I pulled him up on, that took him by surprise I think as police officers don't seem to like having it pointed out to them when they are wrong. No idea why they take that attitude, they are only human like the rest of us, we all make mistakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted March 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Man up and get one of these (with a towbar): http://www.tyresmoke.net/forum/general-cars/139018-mercedes-benz-g63-amg-6x6.html I did see that thread and smile, yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 An F10 - man alive that is some bit of kit. Something quite cool about using it to lug stuff to a track, especially when in a straight line I'd imagine the F10 would get close to pipping the Caterham in a sprint (not with Caterham attached of course). There was a Clarkson video years ago where an Overfinch beat a Ford Focus - while pulling another Focus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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