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RIP Ford Focus ST, used EV prices solid and goodbye 911?
370 Plays13 days ago
DoneDeal Cars have released their latest Price Index which gives good insight into the current state of used car prices in Ireland with an emphasis on used EV prices. Could they finally be stabilising?
Another hot hatch bites the dust this week, the final Ford Focus ST has rolled off the production line in Germany, the lads discuss the legacy of the famous Ford and wonder which version was best!
Paddy has been testing the new Opel Grandland and Mark has been putting the new Tesla Model Y Performance to the test.
And with yet another trip to DOB Sportscars, Mark has been learning all about the Porsche 911 997 issue of bore scoring!
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Transcript
Introduction and Host Greetings
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to the Drivers Republic podcast brought to you in association with Dundeele Cars, Ireland's favourite car buying website. With the widest selection of cars from certified trusted dealerships, most Irish drivers find their next car on Dundeele Cars.
00:00:17
Speaker
Hello, Mark. Hello from Dublin Paddy and greetings to you down in
Weather and Tea Talk
00:00:22
Speaker
Cork. Some Cork people would be disgusted. I'm drinking Yorkshire tea right and I'm having a... Where is the wrapper?
00:00:29
Speaker
if ah For anyone who's ever got a Loganair flight, you get a complimentary Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Bar. My God, you've gone all Scottish. Tunnock's are Scottish, I presume.
00:00:42
Speaker
They're very good, though. Very good. They're borderline stale at all times. but he That's good of describing it. The right side of stale. Yeah, they're just on the cusp of stale.
00:00:53
Speaker
There's a bit of a chew. Yeah, it is. It's probably the long shelf life. They're probably, you know, last for years and years and years. but um So I think they're doing some advertising with Radio Nova at the moment. So there was boxes of them in there. So I may have brought an eight pack home.
00:01:09
Speaker
You may have acquired some. They are very good though. You make me want to have one of those now actually. i Yeah. The light log weather here in Cork is absolutely foul. I haven't left today and i don't know if I will because it's miserable out It's blowing sideways.
00:01:25
Speaker
It's a bad day. but So yeah, not a good day to be driving either. So yeah, people be need to be careful out there. We have Amy to thank for that. So what's been going on for you for this week so far?
Car Experiences and Reviews
00:01:36
Speaker
and he travel? No. No travel, no. um VW Amarok V6, although it's kind of a Ford. Tesla Model Y Performance.
00:01:49
Speaker
What a great car. ah More issues. What? issues Well, look, at let's start with the cars anyway. I mean, I've am i just been in in the Opel Grandland EV, sitting outside um which is which is a car that has wheels and steering wheel and it's functional.
00:02:12
Speaker
it's yeah It's, yeah, like i I was never in the previous Grandland and I don't think it was necessarily the most remarkable car ever, was it? No, no. um It was just... now They seem to sell quite well in Germany. My German neighbour has a 2018 one that I helped her buy and it's still going strong.
00:02:34
Speaker
Well, this one is the new EV version and the EV is the cheapest... way to get into a Grandland under 40 grand and not bad stats 77 kilowatt hour battery 73 which is usable um I have been getting pretty decent fuel economy or EV economy should I say from it on my up and down endless drives up and down to Cork 15 or so kilowatt hours per hundred on a conditions which is pretty alright and dare definitely and I was you know I was
00:03:07
Speaker
Dundeele's office in in Dublin to Ballycotton on one go, which is pretty decent. so um So, yeah, I was happy with from that extent. I had watched your video, as I always do, but i and I concurred with a lot of things you said about the PHEV version, and as in the seats are incredibly good. And I know you may be clutching a straw sometimes when you're talking about seats, but... um But yeah, really good. Like, the incredibly comfortable. An amazing array of lumber adjustments in that car.
00:03:38
Speaker
Yeah, so they're AGR rated seats. So they're doctors, orthopedic people, back doctors, and they all get into a room, I assume, once a year and they go, oh, that's very comfortable. Yes, it's you, sir. um So look, you might say, you know, you're clutching the straws, but it is also a huge part of the time where you spent in the car, the seat. So, yeah, why not talk about the seats being comfortable? It is. And for me, certainly getting doing that journey,
00:04:07
Speaker
or a longer spin, i would be very drawn to that car was sitting outside versus some others because of the fact that it does what I needed to do range wise and it's so comfortable.
00:04:17
Speaker
The couple of gripes, I sent you a little video last night of um some of the quality of the trim and and which is literally snapping, coming off of my hand. and So that wasn't brilliant.
00:04:30
Speaker
But, yeah, you can see some areas that, you know, there hasn't been great quality applied, but in in others, then it's really, really good. So, it's a slightly confusing car. Is it the best in the segment? Absolutely not.
00:04:43
Speaker
and It's one of the others, you know, the category of others, but for some people and, you know, who who want to, big family car because it is is pretty big 550 litres boot space and we actually put it against ah an Aria during the week were with Dave O'Keeve now he had the Nismo one which was 25 grand more expensive but um but yeah bigger boot and um didn't charge charge at half the speed on AC and but I mean as a man who has a GTR how did the Nismo work out for him?
00:05:19
Speaker
he He wasn't um keen on that being named Nismo. Right. i That was a bit of it um he wasn't too keen on that. but ah But yeah, it was an impressive looking thing, the Nismo version.
00:05:31
Speaker
But, you know, judging by the front, I don't know if you've seen it yet. I would hate to have any sort of accident at repairing the front of that car would be. mildly expensive. It's just all, you know, looked like one one piece.
00:05:44
Speaker
It was instead of a great dark grey colour, cool looking car. The video will be up later in the week. but um But yeah, like fortune of a car for what really? Do you what I mean? To go four seconds quicker than a white Grandland, you know?
00:05:58
Speaker
No thanks. so my My initial reaction with the Grandland was I got to drive it on the international launch. I drove the hybrid first 1.2.0 little bit underwhelmed maybe in terms of power but it's it's half a ton lighter than the electric version that's quite significant that is i i just want opal to do something different like i i i haven't seen the frontera i don't know where the frontera sits where does that sit in the grand in the in the story So, well, they're squeezing seven seats into it, which I can't understand. i know there's a Citroen. There's a Citroen C3 with seven seats as well. Like, it just seems madness.
00:06:39
Speaker
um So, yeah, it falls it falls below the Grandland, obviously. It's significantly cheaper if the prices that i heard a year ago nearly when I drove it. I did get a lovely Opel Frontera sweater.
00:06:50
Speaker
out of the test drive. It's very cool. wish you had it on today now for this. but It's a pity. yeah it's pity him So in time terms of size, i definitely want the grandland over it Yeah, i look ah so i look, for some people, I wouldn't rule this car out because for for certain people, it's going to really suit. If you want space, size, really comfortable seats, you do fairly long distances. Now, there's a bigger battery. I don't know if they have any plans to bring that one, but that must be really impressive because the 77 slash
00:07:21
Speaker
is pretty decent in terms of how it returns. it's It's kilowatts. So, yeah, from from that regard, pretty good. over and In terms of another family car, though, which is ah slightly more powerful, is the Tesla Model y Performance, which you've been driving. and are you Do you have it at the moment?
00:07:40
Speaker
and No, I literally had it for half a day. um The deal was we're doing longer drives, but at the moment, can you just take it for a few hours? So I did. And it really was a few hours because I was on the radio at three o'clock that day. So got it at about 10.
00:07:54
Speaker
Sorry, got it at 11. Gave it back and have one quarter to two. Yeah, Dave O'Keefe had it this week. Is the addition of a stock, has that happened yet? is Or is that something that they are bringing along? I've seen some headlines this week that they're adding ah an indicator stock to the Tesla Model 3.
00:08:13
Speaker
So the so the y has the new Model Y has always had the stock right that the 3 doesn't have currently. All right, so it's a 3 is getting it. are Okay, very interesting. and So is it as bonkers as we would expect it to be?
00:08:27
Speaker
It's very, very fast. I'll give you some of the official words. that this So there's 10% less drag, there's 64% less lift. That's not downforce, lift. um So it is, it's a better balanced car. There's increased stability with 50% less drag for the tires.
00:08:43
Speaker
no and The suspension is adaptive in a sense that you can press a button and it goes from standard to firm. it's ah Don't think of it like dynamic chassis control. There's no soft middle bit or anything like that.
00:08:57
Speaker
um It just goes from firm to firmer. In some ways, I think it's actually a step backwards in the suspension because the new Model Y, they did so much work on it. It's really, really good.
00:09:07
Speaker
And now to cope with that power, it's just a much more firmer setup of car. and But if you want to go ridiculously quick in a straight line, it has...
00:09:19
Speaker
the full autonomy, like the car is capable of driving you to work while you sit there eating your cereal if you want. to Right. Obviously, we don't have that legislation here currently. But technically, it's in there.
00:09:31
Speaker
That car can do that. Lovely looking wheels, big bright red calipers on it, carbon fiber puked all over it. ah The interior, the screen has us as a one inch bigger screen with better pixels, so it's even sharper, although there was nothing wrong with the standard Model Y screen.
00:09:47
Speaker
ah yeah It's still an enormous boot which is ah you know one of those yeah things that people overlook with the Y. The boot is and it one is an over a thousand litres. yeah but So they measure from the they also do some funny tricks where they measure it from the floor to the ceiling. But again that is a car that will technically be able to take seven seats.
00:10:05
Speaker
So it gives you an idea. Yeah loads of room. Then you've that huge big bin underneath for space as well. You've got a frunk. and And is there a point to this car?
00:10:17
Speaker
Is there a point to the same question of, is there a point to a hot hatch version of a normal hatch? Is there ah a reason for a Nissan Ariya Nismo?
00:10:28
Speaker
Why not? Some people, very probably small numbers, are certainly of a Nismo. I'd say there'd be considerably more Model Y performances is sold than Ariya Nismo's. um I think it's just for people to just want that extra to just whatever.
00:10:42
Speaker
Why not if they want it? I mean, I suppose my point is that the standard Y is is a quick car that handles well and, you know, feels like, you know, if that was out in the ninety s it would be a hyper car.
00:10:56
Speaker
So... you know The fact is that don do you need to go that step? Now, I haven't looked at the pricing, but is it is it much more than the Standard World? So it's 67 all in.
00:11:07
Speaker
um It's not a lot, is it, really? Well, it truly is supercar performance. Like, one one of the stipulations from Tesla in terms of taking it for a test drive was you can't drag race the car when you have it.
00:11:22
Speaker
Because people are obviously looking at Matt Watson... where he takes on GT3s and all kinds of mad stuff in an electric car and to a point smokes them, properly smokes them.
00:11:35
Speaker
But if that isn't the real reason or the main reason, sole reason for you having a car, then just get a why. Yeah. Yeah, but look, it's again, it's nice it exists and and, you know, how many supercars can bring you 500 kilometers on a full tank?
00:11:52
Speaker
for that price. That's it. no That's it. Absolutely zero. And charge it for 10 or overnight at home. So, yeah, you just, and 120 euro tax. And at the other end then, Mark, the other end of the sort of utilitarian scale is the Volkswagen Amarok.
00:12:09
Speaker
um Yes. Is it a Ford Ranger now? Has it morphed into something? Rebadged Ford Ranger? So, most people I'm sure know Volkswagen did a deal with Ford. Ford,
00:12:21
Speaker
Volkswagen said, can you make us a transporter? They said yes. And they equally said, can you make us some electric cars, the Explorer and the Capri? And VW said yes. And also part of that trade-off was the Amarok, which is also a Raptor or Wildtrack or Ranger whatever you want to call it.
00:12:38
Speaker
um So it it has a V6 engine. it's It's, for all intents and purposes, it is a Ford. Ford switchgear. ah It doesn't have a wet belt, obviously, in the V6. Thank God. Which is some reassurance.
00:12:52
Speaker
but And who is getting the better deal out of this, Mark? Ford or Volkswagen? Well, Volkswagen to me, and I'm only going by the internet, which isn't always the truth, have totally burned their bridges with the diehard transporter fans, all the tees that went before it, that people love and you know build quality, reliability.
00:13:17
Speaker
VW are dead to them, if you believe the internet. Yeah. and One of the same as we'll figure that out, I guess. yeah I suppose Ford were able to fast track. I mean, if they didn't have this deal with VW, Ford probably wouldn't even have the cars that they have on sale now. They'd still be talking about it.
00:13:33
Speaker
It's bit like the Metro for Ireland, for Dublin. and So I think Ford possibly have done better out of this.
00:13:44
Speaker
I would have thought so, for sure. I didn't want to give any Volkswagen bias there, but I would have thought that it's it's a much better deal for them. Okay, look, on its own merits, how did you feel about the Amarok after a few days?
00:13:56
Speaker
and It's a very capable vehicle. It rides pretty well on the road for those people who, you know, the Panamerica version, which I have, is more of a lifestyle vehicle, really. It's ah it's a nice kind of green colour, nice alloys. Goodyear tyres on it, yeah. So it's a two-wheel, rear-wheel drive vehicle until you want to make it four.
00:14:18
Speaker
And there's a couple of wet mornings this week where I was trying to get the power down. That's a tail-happy boss Yeah, well those things generally drive a little better with laden with something. Just finding out a fridge or something at the back and stick it There was a few warnings where I put it into four wheel high ah just to kind of get the power down on on the wet roads on the school run.
00:14:41
Speaker
Seems a bit overkill. um But yeah, look, if if you really like VW and you've already had always had them, I can see why you'd buy it. Otherwise, why would you not buy a Ranger Raptor?
00:14:54
Speaker
um It's a very strong engine in terms of it's very powerful. i've no doubt will tow a lot of stuff. um I actually, if I had a trailer, I would have towed my 911 back to the workshop this week with it.
00:15:09
Speaker
think that could have been an interesting test, but I don't trailer. That be very good test, actually, yeah. It's ridiculously thirsty, ah both the 911 and the Amarok. And ah yeah, it has power in the rear for tools, if you want.
00:15:24
Speaker
um Very comfortable, heated seats, car play, you name it. It's a luxury. Perfect urban and yeah annoyer of people.
00:15:36
Speaker
Although I did have to drop my wife and her friend to the airport and when I pulled up outside her friend's house she said, alright Al Stuart. Now I don't know if Al Stuart has ever driven a Ute in Home and Away. Maybe he did in the early days.
00:15:52
Speaker
I don't remember doing it. I'm just looking here um and on Dundeele Cars. The cheapest Amarok is £14,500. £14,500.
00:16:02
Speaker
they kind of That's a VW one. Yeah. People like going back a few years 2015 even 2013 or like 15 950 they keep their value pretty well actually.
00:16:15
Speaker
and I really liked the the early one I just thought it was pretty raw and pretty basic and it was a lovely thing. Yeah there was a lovely matte blue colour you could get in it back in the back in the day. Yeah and the 3 litre V6 TDI as well of course.
00:16:32
Speaker
Yeah, no, I've driven them, you know, I'm lucky enough that I have access to some forest car parks that I shouldn't have access to, shall we say. I've done tests, not this vehicle, but in the past with Amarok's, the likes of Dolly Mount Strand where you could drive further into it.
00:16:49
Speaker
I've, you know, I've properly sprayed these things in mud. They're very capable. That's what they're for, exactly. Exactly, exactly.
Used Car Market Trends
00:16:57
Speaker
Right, well, look, at we were talking briefly there about used car prices and we had a report out earlier this week, and which is the Dundeele Cars Price Index. And the report I had obviously been aware but now I'm knee-deep in. and The main, well, there's a couple of main headlines. The first is about used EV prices, which are stabilizing. Now, they were...
00:17:23
Speaker
a bit of a shit show for a while really the the especially you know 2021 2022 or so prices were really strong um there was a little bit of a shortage especially in 2022 chip shortages the likes of that so you couldn't really get them and in a lot of cases You know, those waiting lists, I remember, for cars like the Enyaq, and they were going for list or or above list, and there were crazy values secondhand. Now, that all changed radically then.
00:17:54
Speaker
And um even last year, that they were falling by about 13%. So the expected value of them was 13% less than they should be. So what we're starting to see is that that is recovering and it was the drop this year is only, is at the moment is only minus 2.8%.
00:18:13
Speaker
So we're not, potentially not far away from a stage where the residual values are are stable, ah you know, very, very close to that. And that is, that is a a point which, you know, there's number of reasons for it. I would say,
00:18:29
Speaker
And I think our economists would say as well that it's down to the OEMs stopping messing around with the pricing of them. because you'll remember some of the massive discounts. Tesla were doing it, then other brands had to follow suit. So you were seeing five, eight, ten grand wiped off the new value of, or the new price of a car, which subsequently immediately has ah an effect on the used price. so That has kind of stopped, and you don't really see a huge amount of that anymore. I know Volkswagen have a bit of it an action on the ID.7, but it's not it's it's more of a purchase contribution,
00:19:06
Speaker
Rather than wiping money off the price. And they're two different things. And I think they're two important distinctions because just saying, okay, it's it was 40, now it's 30, has that horrible effect.
00:19:18
Speaker
So that on that side, we are starting to see um some good news. And this contribution, so basically if you buy an ID 7 at the moment, you can get up to 7,000 euro towards it.
00:19:33
Speaker
So there's obviously for a limited time, I assume, but that then is trying to not undermine the used market. Yeah. so you're going in, you know, I'd imagine it's the case if you're going in with your existing car and you might've got 30, you're getting 37 against your new one versus yeah taking the money off. And I think that's why we're aware some of the mistakes remain is that they just, and and the market can't absorb that.
00:20:00
Speaker
It's suddenly, well, what is the value of a three-year-old one now? It's got to be less, you know? It's like at the end of, or sorry, the start of the financial crash 2008, 2009.
00:20:11
Speaker
Why would you have bought a house even if you had saved your communion money? Because you're waiting to see where the actual price lands. That was going on with EV sales as well. So, you know, if you were a customer, you'd be kind of going, well, I'm going to wait and see here.
00:20:25
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. And look, so that's that's some good news. In other areas, though, the the the standard ICE cars, your petrol, diesel, hybrid, hybrid, really stable, 1.7% increase in the values of those.
00:20:40
Speaker
and But it's at the lower end. Increase, yeah. So it's above and above the expected value of of the car as the years go on from a relative to inflation the like. So,
00:20:51
Speaker
and But the market that's really growing in terms of those values to speak of is our sort of older 2010 books, like Golf, Saudi A4s, things like that.
00:21:02
Speaker
Someone is going to have to pay almost 8% more for one of those than they would have last year. And that's that's an interesting that's an interesting figure because, you know, a lot of people who are buying in that segment maybe are starting off, especially if it's, you know, something like a golf or polo or the likes of that. yeah and And it's getting harder for those people to get into this segment because those values are going up increasingly. And and you and i you sent me a really interesting video during the week um from, what was the Scottish Car Clan, was it?
00:21:36
Speaker
Yeah. And and it was it was just about that you sort of this, again, this sweet spot of era of car where they're still complex. They still have lots of safety equipment, but they're still something you can work on.
00:21:49
Speaker
You don't have to... you know, have the smallest hands in the world to get into that. i mean, that was one of the first signs I remember when when you couldn't even change a headlight bulb anymore in a car because it was so tight.
00:22:00
Speaker
I remember having a Mark 4 Golf and we tried to upgrade the headlights in it. Whole bumper, everything had to come off just to change the bulb unit. So, yeah, this era of cars is sort of somewhat workable on by any mechanic.
00:22:13
Speaker
um They're reliable. They're not full of software. They the obviously do have, you know, levels of software, but not by compared to today's standards. So, and and again, if if people do think the end is nigh for internal combustion engine cars, some people will want one of these types of cars. As you say, a 2015 Golf that maybe in years gone by, it'd go 10-year-old Golf. Who's interested in that? But now people are.
00:22:38
Speaker
No, and I think a lot of people are being drawn to the simplicity of these cars, you know, as well as the ah the ability to, you know, to tamper with it yourself or tinker with it yourself. You know, lots of people won't do that. But the fact is they don't have the crazy ADAS systems.
00:22:53
Speaker
There's, you know, fewer bings and bongs. The buttons are buttons. So there are a lot of people who are going to be drawn to those cars. And I would suspect that the value of those cars is going to really keep very strong for a while because of that. And and certainly that video is, I mean, they were talking about, you know, the likes of 10 year old RAV4s, Honda CRVs and the likes of those really strong because, and the point, what I really liked in in the video, i'm I'm sorry, the man's name escapes me, I think it be great to go out and get him on sometime. But and it was about the fact that all of the years of development had gone into culminating in that point where
00:23:30
Speaker
almost, you know, peak petrol and standard diesel cars. And that since then, you know, those cars maybe have been left on the shelf a little bit as all the development work has gone into, you know, petrol, plug-in hybrid, et cetera. So, so those cars were at the finest of their time, really.
00:23:48
Speaker
I'm just trying to find this guy now for anybody who wants to watch the video. And yeah, he's a Scottish guy. um i love how Irish people and Scottish people always understand each other. It's like when we're on holidays together or sometimes at work events for me.
00:24:02
Speaker
And there's English people there as well. They can't, we can just speak faster to each other. oh yeah i turn each other apart. Yeah, Scottish Car Clan is the guy's channel. and I actually don't know what his what his name is, but he's just a knowledgeable guy. and Incredibly eloquent presenter as well. Time is running out to buy reliable, repairable cars.
00:24:21
Speaker
You'll see his video. It's only 10 minutes long. And it just just hits a lot of good points. Yeah, exactly. Total aside as well. um ah don't know if you've seen it. I'm sure you have. Dave Corbley, shout out to to him, who's been working on Bob Flavin's car.
00:24:34
Speaker
Yeah. um Bob had... It's a Leon, isn't it? Bob bought from Yeah. Yeah, Bob was at Leigh on a long time and um Bob has obviously gone through his cancer treatment and has you know has been fighting like an absolute warrior.
00:24:50
Speaker
But he had put up a video where he was digging out his old Leigh-on and was know trying to look for some parts and stuff like that, but it was taken up by Dave Corbley from Servicestop, Dave, who's been on the show here and the response has been incredible. So Dave took the car in and put a shout out and and various suppliers sent tires and parts. And and ah this is going to be like a showroom concourse version of the Leon and and the you know the outpouring of of you know real affection for Bob but in order to get this car back in the road is really, really touching, you know?
00:25:24
Speaker
ah Bob is, I think, is in... Serbia. Serbia, yeah. He's there right now. um Dude's up for someone else though, isn't he?
00:25:35
Speaker
Yeah, he's doing some charity thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was talking to him two nights ago and... he He was given out about the price of beer on the flight over there. It was eight euro for a can of Heineken or something. So he's his usual self.
00:25:46
Speaker
um But no, it's it's nice to see. And it's lovely to see communities and car communities kind of coming together. I think Bob has a Volvo estate as well. He's a V70. He was doing some work on that himself as well. But the Leon had been dormant for quite a while. So.
00:26:01
Speaker
um that's great to see it and and look there's Bob has done so much for for charities Bumblebee and the likes of that so yeah I think am I think all of this is just coming back around deservedly so for him so it'd be great to see that car back in the road Yeah, and thanks very much to Dave and everyone else involved doing that.
00:26:20
Speaker
I know, well, Bob sometimes will be comfortable talking about these things and other times he kind of isn't. So as two people have known, well, he I'm sure he's very, very appreciative of it.
00:26:31
Speaker
Yeah, no, he is. He's been posting that to say and he can't get over the reaction to it. so m But yeah, we we'll be looking forward to hearing more on that story in the coming weeks.
Focus ST Legacy and Discontinuation
00:26:39
Speaker
and We'll take a quick break and then after the break we'll come back and talk about the end of the Focus ST.
00:26:50
Speaker
Welcome back to the Drivers Republic podcast brought to you in association with Dundeele Cars, Ireland's favourite website for car buying with more certified trusted dealers than anywhere else. You're sure to find the right car for you on dundeele.ie. Ain't that the truth?
00:27:04
Speaker
Well, yes, I would have to say that for sure. And it is the truth. I wouldn't lie to you. It is. um So sad week this week. First of all, they are preparing to kill the Ford Focus. Last cars will be produced in November.
00:27:20
Speaker
But this week, the last ever Focus ST rolled off the production line. Yeah, it is a sad week for that. I mean, look, you know that you've driven both the Fiesta ST and the Focus ST and you know two amazing cars. the final The final one rolled off the line in Germany on the 26th of September and it followed Ford's decision back in 2023 now I think it is this stage to can the Fiesta ST. ST now lives and in a
00:27:54
Speaker
sort of a trim line almost. There is a version of it for the Puma, but... um But yeah, such a shame. he ah You need an ST3 and also you need to stop sending me cars.
00:28:06
Speaker
Corrado G60s Fiesta ST3s for 30 grand. We'll talk about that later. But yeah, the ST, I remember the first ST I drove and it was the first...
00:28:18
Speaker
focused It was the ST170. 170, yes. one seventy That was €35,000. And I know this because I was toying between a Mark Golf GTI and the Focus ST.
00:28:33
Speaker
And it had the wheels and that blue colour. And I test drove it out of South Dublin Ford. And the the residual I was just so nervous of the residuals versus a Golf GTI. And I think I probably made the sensible choice. You did, even though it was probably a better car than the Golf at the time.
00:28:49
Speaker
Mach 4 wasn't their finest hour by any means, a bit of a lump. It was comfortable, it wasn't really a GTI. It was a GT rather than a GTI though. Yeah, ST170, 2 litre, naturally aspirated, 170 horsepower,
00:29:03
Speaker
not to hundred kilometers per just under eight seconds seven point nine seconds A lovely thing, but absolutely wiped out by what I feel, and I'm a little bit biased because my age, was the best one, which was the Mark II.
00:29:18
Speaker
two and a half litre, five cylinder yeah from a Volvo. No, it was, it was, it was. The seats, that was like, if the Mark five was V was VW's return to form in the GTI, not really comp comparable because it wasn't around as long, but that that second gen Focus ST was the Recaro seats, the orange color.
00:29:37
Speaker
Yeah, it was either an orange or blue. The blue, the wheels, that was, that was a cracking car. So it took another second off, 6.8 seconds, 225 horsepower, 320 newton-meters torque.
00:29:51
Speaker
But that engine was brilliant. And those things are like Ken's teeth now, and I think they're bit a future classic. Really, really good car. The Mark 1 Focus RS was the car you wanted this from the Mark 1. Oh, yeah. That was €50,000 car at the day.
00:30:07
Speaker
and yeah Yeah, and look, RS was another bottle of wax, but this thing was this wing it was a slightly softer and and, you know, albeit more accessible because the RS was heavy duty, heavy insurance, heavy everything.
00:30:21
Speaker
am Very likely to have your house broken into to be robbed, but the ST was sort of a little bit back from there. and Third generation, ah I don't know. I didn't, sorry, i haven't driven many of the later ones.
00:30:34
Speaker
So full disclosure, maybe you did, but... We started getting into the EcoBoost engine. So 2 litre EcoBoost in the Mark III, which is 2012 to 2018. 250 horsepower. IV was 2.3 EcoBoost. 276 horsepower. um mark four was a two point three ecobost two hundred and seventy six horsepowerarer and there was actually a diesel as well in the Mark and we use a hundred and ninety horse pares um i did ah did try and find out to-day how many we have done in Ireland but I failed I failed Mark because I just couldn't get the answer and however you asked people they just couldn't find the numbers I did ask yeah so for yeah I did and and I'd imagine it's small i mean
00:31:18
Speaker
I would imagine it was small. Like I did, um by contrast, I asked Martin in Volkswagen about the GTI.
00:31:28
Speaker
We don't even need to put in his surname. We've mentioned him. Yeah, just Martin now. It's just Martin. So Golf GTI and OAR represent 5% of all golf circa 120 a year.
00:31:44
Speaker
um or alone is zero point eight percent sos so around twenty cars a year So, bare mind, Martin Cardiff was on a plane when i when he answered this.
00:31:54
Speaker
And he answered me in about 0.8 of a second. Yeah. I don't have the Ford figures. So, he didn't even know he didn't have to go looking for the figures. He had the figures up here. He had them. Well, yeah whether he I would imagine he had them in his head because that's who he is.
00:32:09
Speaker
But if not, they were very quick. If anyone listening is looking for a golf ball, it could be gone by now. But two days ago, Bershoff Motors in Houghton, Dublin, posted a three-door lapis blue or manual.
00:32:21
Speaker
Manual. Right. For 25 grand. It's either 2017 or 2018. Three-door manual. Is it gone? Just saying. i don't I don't know.
00:32:32
Speaker
I don't know. It looks clean as well. and he was looking for one of them. and ah you Yeah, go on. um my i suppose my point in asking Martin about this was, well, you know, Volkswagen are continuing on with this and the numbers are respectable. And, you know, Ford have apparently said that that the discard didn't make any money, etc, etc.
00:32:51
Speaker
But it's a bad sign from Ford who would, you know, are not making very interesting cards these days. No, but I will say VW probably have an idea of where they're going right now.
00:33:03
Speaker
I don't know Ford do. ah Maybe Ford just have a load of money tucked away somewhere and they're just waiting to see where the whole next few years go.
00:33:14
Speaker
And then... Yeah, it looks a little bit like Europe isn't a major priority for them. Yeah, that's another statement, yeah. The same as Honda. Yeah, like you can see, although, you know, i had the Puma electric last week and I really liked it and it was a little expensive, but I really warmed to that thing. And the UK, it's absolutely flying.
00:33:36
Speaker
They can't get enough of them.
EV Incentives and Tax Implications
00:33:38
Speaker
Yeah, um so it's also getting the biggest grant, though, in the UK as well. Yeah, exactly, it is getting that. Yeah. Interestingly enough, I wonder would that work here, the salary sacrifice?
00:33:49
Speaker
Because Simei did mention it this week, and I know we're going off track a little bit, but Simei did mention it this week. They were saying that calling the government to introduce that as part of their budget and the budget proposals, they were saying, you know, why not?
00:34:04
Speaker
So I was looking at it. I hadn't really, it wasn't really on my radar, but essentially it's the bike to work scheme for EVs. It's your employer can, yeah you know, you can nominate a contribution that that your employer takes pre-tax and it goes against the leasing of an EV. You know, obviously we're not very advanced in leasing in Ireland, whereas they are in the UK.
00:34:25
Speaker
So you're never owning that thing. But you would essentially have the use of it for any given amount of time, including a charger and all those other bits and bobs. So yeah, like we have on Bike to Work where you get your fancy bike and, you know, pedals, but this is on a grander scale and you don't get to keep the thing at the end of it.
00:34:42
Speaker
Do you think that would work here? do you think there'd any appetite for that? think it's worth trying. I don't know how well the bike to work scheme has done. I i i did it myself. I know plenty people that did. Would a car be any different? I don't know, but I think we have to try something. We can't keep doing what we're doing because while the numbers are slowly, slowly increasing, ah our targets just aren't being met. So we have to incentivize.
00:35:05
Speaker
I think that and also some way to claim back... VAT or whatever. on I just don't know. we As long as we continue to make diesel fuel an attractive offering for businesses in this country, nothing's going to change.
00:35:21
Speaker
So why not? yeah and look to you know Certainly for for this budget coming up and it's later this week or next week, and you know they can't do anything to It the sales of EVs because you know there are start is some momentum. It's starting to build up. We're seeing decent values used. We were talking about they can't start messing with this again. Now, I know they're concerned because their VRT take is down.
00:35:50
Speaker
They had a report out during the week that showed that there there is you know there's been a drop because of everything going towards EVs, plug-in hybrids and the like. So at some stage that is going to shift, but now is not the time to do it I think.
00:36:04
Speaker
No, and let's not forget that VRT is an anti-European tax and, you know, anything that puts the Irish government under the spotlight in terms of hitting targets and maybe someone going, well, why aren't they hitting targets is a good thing. That said, VRT on electric vehicles is quite insignificant compared to other things.
00:36:22
Speaker
um they could They could increase the road tax on them. It's, you know, 120 is very, very low. I'm not saying I want this to happen, but, you know, I'm sure if you were... in the department of finance you would be looking at all these kind of things um but that will then play right into the hands of people like my father-in-law who has said for years uh wait till you see now once everyone's driving electric they'll find out a way to tax you on that fuel as well they'll know when you're charging an ev at home and that'll be more expensive than when you're charging your or plugging in your kettle i was like there's no way of knowing that he goes i'm telling you watch it
00:36:55
Speaker
Well, yeah, I mean, should should there still should there be the same you know motor tax on a Leap Motor T03 as there is on a, you know, Macan Turbo?
00:37:09
Speaker
Yeah, and as someone who is paying $1809 a year for a car that does 1,000 kilometres a year, it's very frustrating and unfair. If you have a 2.3 ton electric SUV pulling potholes into the roads, etc., then yeah, $120 is very, very low.
00:37:26
Speaker
And, you know, to think about Michael O'Leary in his way of thinking, for example, ah he thinks you should be mean tested, means tested for children's allowance. If you can afford to buy 100 grand BMW iX, then you can pay more than 120 a year road tax.
00:37:41
Speaker
Yeah. And and ah certainly this the plug and hybrid thing has been used and abused a little bit as well. You know, there's plenty of people who are importing all sorts of crazy stuff on for half nothing because those emission rates are so low. So it's much much easier regard to get in but I know someone who has a panmerica or um panmerre Panamera E-Hybrid.
00:38:03
Speaker
It's never been charged. Never. Probably don't have a wall box even. Yeah, no way. Don't have a wall box. I mean, I say the battery's goosed because it's never been charged.
00:38:14
Speaker
But they were able to, you know, get it in for the cheap tax and cheap VRT. Yeah. Why wouldn't you? Well, look, I mean, we we were talking about the Ford ST, the Fiesta ST. Just looking at prices of those. so We didn't find out how many new ones were sold, but there's about 15 of each on the classifieds and don't deal with cars. yeah So the cheapest.
00:38:36
Speaker
The Mark II really is one. You you pulled up a gem there. really forgot about that. Yeah. So there's 14 Focus ranging from 13.5 for 2013 to 56.900 for 2025 models. there is a 2025 model Spirit and Sandiford.
00:38:47
Speaker
fifty six nine hundred for twenty twenty five model so there is a twenty twenty five model in spirit and sandy for And it's a heap of money. But that would be an interesting one for you to go and do a nice little video on. I think I need to talk to our friend ah Lee, yeah, and see if they need Focus ST.
00:39:06
Speaker
Spirit Sanitarium, 56,9. Now, in terms of the Fiesta ST, there's about the same amount, about 14 or 15 of them. um And the cheapest is eight grand.
00:39:18
Speaker
And the most expensive is 2022 model in Kerry, in the Ford dealership in Kerry for 50 quid under grand. Now that car was 30 grand new.
00:39:30
Speaker
Yeah, but there you go. So that's, i mean, that's good residuals. But that one I sent you on WhatsApp, the Mount Tuned one in and Carolyn Roach, 182 horsepower. What a car.
00:39:46
Speaker
That would be all of the crack. One of the best cars I've ever driven yeah was 2021, I think, Fiesta ST. Twin exhaust, 200 brake horsepower, absolute rocket, noise out of the standard exhaust, lovely Recaro seats, pretty sure it had an upgraded sound system.
00:40:07
Speaker
Um... Just cracking at the car. and ah In some ways, I'm not surprised someone is trying to get 30 grand for 2022 and it's ridiculous. Because they will get it. They will get it. Look, let's take a quick break because need to strap in. Oh, I'm sorry.
00:40:20
Speaker
Yeah. By the way, if you ever see 2018-ish Model 19, the guards have a few of them as well. They had a grey one, for example. So... Well, not that either of us would have anything to fear from that, but somebody might. No, of course not. Of course not. But if you ever see a late, that kind of late teens Focus ST, assume it's the guards and nothing else is a bonus.
00:40:44
Speaker
Right. Well, look, coming up after the break, we are going to discuss Mark's next car because looks like the 911 might be going.
00:40:57
Speaker
Welcome back to the Drivers Public podcast brought to you in association with Dundeal Cars with Ireland's widest selection of cars for sale from certified trusted dealers. The right car for you is on Dundeal.ie. So where were you this morning? I was over in Dave O'Brien's sports cars. Your new best friend.
00:41:14
Speaker
Dave is my new BFF. He's handy for a lift actually, in fairness to him. let's and So, yeah. So your days of 9-11 ownership, are they drawing to a close?
Porsche 911 Ownership Experience
00:41:28
Speaker
Maybe. Maybe, yeah. i don't I don't want to assume anything until the money is resting in my account. The fat lady is singing. Yeah. So, quick recap. Did video.
00:41:39
Speaker
quick quick recap did a video that video did pretty well. Some people wanted to buy the car off the back of said video. And as even Dave asked this morning, he goes, did you list that car anywhere? i said, nope no, no.
00:41:53
Speaker
So there's someone very keen and they have to get first refusal. Meanwhile, during the week, someone else came out of the woodwork, someone maybe down your neck of the woods, and is almost pleading with me to sell the car to him right if the first person isn't interested. interested So one last hurdle, I suppose as you could say, and something I didn't do and I would do again if I was doing it is a pre-purchase inspection.
00:42:18
Speaker
But to be fair, I was buying the car from sports and classic dealer, so I wasn't buying it off a randomer And on his driveway. So ah it's a little bit of comfort there. And, you know, ah ah most of the stuff on my car that has come come undone, if you want to call it that way, are just wear and tear items. so So one part of the pre-purchase inspection that you can get is a bore score.
00:42:43
Speaker
Now, people who talk about bore scores are literally probably bores. But basically, you've got six cylinders in the majority of Porsches. Also, by the way, Dave gave me little tour today of like 60-year-old Porsche engines.
00:42:56
Speaker
Wow. And there's just a thing, like fully opened up, resting in trolleys and like just some of the stuff there. Top class engineering.
00:43:07
Speaker
But when you think, that's the thing, like when you when you look at it you go okay, yeah, like he's obviously working on it, but it's a 60-year-old engine and it's there in front of you in one piece. I just think that's amazing. Anyway, so basically the cylinder sleeve of particularly the 997, 911,
00:43:23
Speaker
was not the most durable of materials. Things like the GT3 of the same era is a much more durable liner inside it. So you've got pistons moving up and down really, really fast in an engine.
00:43:35
Speaker
And over time with wear and tear, if you don't service them, if you don't make sure there's enough oil, you get these friction marks inside the sleeve. And basically just like, imagine you've got a wire brush against a piece of metal and you just scraped it down the side. So i like these really fine hairlines that, that, Like a scratch in a pan.
00:43:54
Speaker
Yeah, a bit like that, right? So there' there's a company in the UK called Hartek who rebuilds your Porsche engine and they've kind of made a business out of this because they realised, okay, there's an opportunity here. They are doing very, very good work.
00:44:07
Speaker
They're not cheap. And the fix that they can do is also not permanent. So over time, you can get what's known as bore scoring in this particular era of of Porsche. Apparently, some would say the 3.8 engine is slightly more so susceptible to it than the 3.6, which is the one I have.
00:44:23
Speaker
And generally it would present itself in cylinder five and cylinder six. So how does it manifest itself if this happens? It's just over time, but you will you will notice the car will smoke when you start it up. It might use excess oil.
00:44:39
Speaker
The actual tailpipes of the car might be quite black where they shouldn't really be. You know, it's not a diesel. um So there are some kind of superficial ways of knowing. You might have misfiring in the in the engine.
00:44:51
Speaker
There's a couple of ways. um So basically they get like a tiny, like a chimney sweep camera that goes into the engine. um So this morning we we did that and in cylinder six, there is some bore scoring on my car.
00:45:08
Speaker
So some people also maybe because of the internet are like, oh, the car is wrecked. You can't sell it now for five grand. it's It's a fixable thing. you jetlab You could just change the sleeve in one cylinder or, you know, best best and scenario is to just fully rebuild it.
00:45:29
Speaker
But, and this is, again, I've said this few times, what I like about Dave O'Brien is he's never sort of saying everything needs to be done now. Unless something does really need to be done now. It's always, so I said to him, okay, well, if I was keeping this car today, what would you be saying to me? He'd say, i'd leave it alone and just keep an eye on it.
00:45:46
Speaker
He said that could go for another five years without any problems. Just depends on the mileage. But he was very much of the view of you have a car, high-performance engine, 147,000 kilometers, of course there's going to be wear and tear on an engine like that. It's not a brand new car.
00:46:03
Speaker
Yeah, so... Well, look, I mean, it's... Are you... So are you still... You're you're obviously in talks, discussions about maybe letting the 911 go. So, ah well, firstly, tell us your highlights of that car. What's it been like? I know we've so you've you've posted about the pitfalls and stuff, but you've never really spoken about the...
00:46:23
Speaker
The unadulterated joy it's brought you. Yeah. Look, it's a brilliant car to drive. It has a couple of personalities, over 4,000 revs. just wild.
00:46:34
Speaker
just go wild the cornering, the grip, the steering. They're one of the last truly analogue set up steering columns. um Just to look at it, to be honest with you, the first day I collected, i remember looking over my, the rear driver's side mirror and just the shoulder line of the car. It's just, they're just beautiful. I think any version of the 911 is beautiful to look at. I'll include the 996, which always gets a hard time from people in that.
00:47:02
Speaker
But, If you're quibbling, if you got to the point where you're quibbling over which 911 you think is prettier, you know, you've you're doing okay. Like, I mean, because it's easy to get jaded in and the line of work, you know, you and I are where we do get access to lots of vehicles and, and you know, some people would kill to be able to drive a new anything.
00:47:23
Speaker
But there must be something about collecting a 911 that's yours, right?
00:47:30
Speaker
That you paid your own money for and that then that first day of going to bed and waking up and it's outside. Try and describe that feeling because it must be special versus, you know, you could have a Ferrari for a week outside and you don't care.
00:47:46
Speaker
Yeah, no, no, it was. It was special. I remember the day getting it, college you know, pretty much a year ago now today. um I've always, I haven't had that many mad cars in my life, but that and and sort of the, I remember the day I bought my M3 as well over the phone because I was driving the Belfast and the guy was like, so if we do this money at this price, you're doing a deal, yeah? And I was like, yeah, yeah.
00:48:08
Speaker
And then you're you're kind of going, yeah. Jesus what am I doing here because you're you're getting into these cars knowing that they're not going to be cheap they're going to be high maintenance there's going to be bills yeah petrol road tax tires just normal stuff but everything is multiplied in any sort of big engine car especially in Ireland um but that that car lover in you kind of
00:48:33
Speaker
ignores all that stuff. the The stuff in your head that's telling you, walk away from this. This is going to be expensive. Very few of these cars are bought with purely rational thought because, I mean, you know, not all of them are investment pieces. So once it goes beyond that, you have to start scraping the bowels of your...
00:48:52
Speaker
and sanity to yeah try and try and find reasons why but that's the beauty of it the beauty of it is and look there is a bit of pain in it but that's okay if you love cars you kind of you're okay with that like like I could absolutely keep this car and put the work into it and the car would probably stand me god 55,000 euro to get everything done to it and have it you know not as good as new it would still be 147,000 kilometre car that's cost me 55,000 euro and would I sell that tomorrow for 55,000 euro no no nope no but again not the point
00:49:33
Speaker
Not the point, but there there is, you have to know the point as well with these cars when to cut your loss and and and walk away. And i yes, I will miss it if it goes.
00:49:45
Speaker
It's only a car. There's other ones out there. um I'd like to try a few other different cars anyway. I've had it for a year, you know, and... Yeah, it it is what it is, but you just, you need to know when it's time as well. So that's kind of where I'm at. So right, if if it goes and, you know, it's gone on the trailer or gone on whatever, on its own steam, what's next? And this is the thing where you and I have been talking with many a WhatsApp message over the last few days.
00:50:13
Speaker
What is in your head for replacement? Because look, this doesn't just serve a purpose of a bit of a toy for you at all. So it has the potential to be entertainment for your audience.
00:50:28
Speaker
Yeah, i am well, this is the problem. There's just the so many cars, not enough time. I've always, I have always been a VW fan. I spent a lot of my forward of years in a Mark I Golf as a kid.
00:50:42
Speaker
So I've always had to think about them. It was service in Kenilworth Motors i in Harrell's Cross. So I always, remember the Volkswagen Workshop guys all had these kind of blue, nearly like doctor's coats.
00:50:54
Speaker
Oh yeah. Big long, sort of three quarter lengths, mechanics jackets, not overalls, jackets, like Volkswagen branded. And I just always then had a thing for Mark IIs and then e thirty BMWs. And I nearly bought a couple of them. I bought, I nearly bought one for three grand, walked away from because of rust and nearly bought the same car again. And a few years later, not realizing it for 25 grand.
00:51:16
Speaker
So they've always eluded me. and I've always, and enough this is my part, I've never driven a Honda before. But I've really kind of now looking at that.
00:51:27
Speaker
But then we were chatting last night. ah Again, i remember friend of my parents, I think he worked in banking or something. In 1989 or 90, he had a silver Corrado.
00:51:37
Speaker
It was brand new. and And they've always been in the back of my head. And now you've got obviously got the VR60, you've got the G60s. But some of them are crazy money. You're talking like 20 sterling.
00:51:49
Speaker
They need to be minded, kept somewhere warm. um There's just so many things. Yeah. I mean, that Coral G60 I sent you last night. Oh my God. It's mint.
00:52:01
Speaker
Absolutely fabulous. And mean, it does. I'm not going to tell people where it is in case someone buys it, but even the spare wheel is like, it looks like it never was touched.
00:52:12
Speaker
and People don't generally in their ads. Take a photograph of the inside of the wheel well and show you how clean it is. This car, but it has 70,000 miles on it. Yeah, I've never seen anything like it. And, and you know, that's 200 quid tax, 250 quid insurance or whatever it is.
00:52:29
Speaker
Yeah, so so if again, this is the problem. So you've got, VRT is capped on classics at 200, but then you still have customs. Yeah. So that's that that's the problem.
00:52:39
Speaker
um But, you know, I'm sure you people can tell even by how animated we're getting. Like, there's just something about these cars that just, and it's even my own kids, like, they they get into the Porsche and they go, oh, smell of crayons.
00:52:55
Speaker
You know, we often joke about that, but, but that's, that's even, they're picking up on that. They've never heard me say that. That's just because it it does smell like old crayons. Yeah. But, yeah, I think, yeah like, I get the feeling you you've had your time with it. You're done with it. And, and like, I would say as from someone who has driven an a Honda wow, that's serious crack. Yeah.
00:53:18
Speaker
I know it's going to be a different car. The 911 is way more low down torque. i think I think the S2000 is like £150 per foot or something. It it is. It's low. And and that's at 7,000 RPM. So you really have to rev the nuts off it.
00:53:31
Speaker
But for me, that's part, like, and I know we all sound like our dads when we say this. You don't always, like even the 911, I never really kind of drove it like a lunatic. It's just the whole thing. And and for me, I think the S2000, just the proportions of it, the bonnet of it,
00:53:46
Speaker
the kind of stubby little rear on it. Just- And the engine is wonderful. I mean, we when it does wake up, it's it's something special and it has that duality of you can pootle around town and comfortably.
00:54:01
Speaker
doesn't grumble and then when you do want to let it off the leash it does really wake up and it's yeah really really interesting and you know it's a two liter in this part of the world i know it's not going to sound like the Porsche does or did whatever way we want to look at it but again it's okay like you know they're only cards their own ni cars only cars So do you think by this time next week we will have a clearer picture on what's happening with the but the Porsche? i'd imagine I'd imagine so, yeah, because um it's look, it it needs to be taxed at the end of this month. I got my motor tax revenue email.
00:54:40
Speaker
They don't even send you a postal thing anymore. It's just, it's all online. Yeah, I got online the other day for the up that I forgot. Reminding me. Reminding me that, and it's also the worst month because if you work for yourself, you've also got your revenue bill due.
00:54:55
Speaker
Now in my case, you've got the motor tax. So, you know, it it was a good reminder. were The days you're kind of going, oh God, going miss this car. That email was actually worth getting because it was like, like yes, gone. oh I'm not paying that.
00:55:08
Speaker
Yeah. So, yeah, I imagine we probably will have a bit of a clearer picture. Sorry for kind of going on about it if I have. ah No, I think people are interested in it because, you know, it's these are the, you know, lots of people don't have this problem in adverted commas of what will they do at 9-11?
00:55:27
Speaker
But there are, you know, if for you you're not a millionaire. You know, it's not something that's going to. not cost you a thought. So it's interesting to know the thought process of someone who's okay. He has worked, where you've worked hard and you've got the money together you've got this car, but then after that, what happens?
00:55:42
Speaker
And I think that's why people are are pretty interested in this story. um and But then equally, you know, one of my favourite moments of this week was I took a Volkswagen Golf for a few days, 1.5 ETSI, 150 brake horsepower, R-line version.
Classic Cars and Future Speculations
00:55:58
Speaker
Still a very expensive car, 45 grand. I think it does include a service pack at 1800 quid delivery, but that's still spicy. and But I did a video, not really so much about the golf insofar as just hatchbacks and why they kind of they're not as popular as they were.
00:56:14
Speaker
And you know like like I was able to have fun in Dakar. you know So I think that's the joy in and in our job is... trying to find the fun in everything you know you can you can absolutely have fun driving the new Renault 5 but it's funny to guitar looking at your your page here the you know the sign of the times the the Model Y is twice as many views so far as the Golf you know so yeah yeah does it does tell its own story there But it's, you know, I'm looking forward to watching the golf one because, you know, again, Martin and Volkswagen had been on saying that there would have been in the talk of the office, stop that video. So they'd all been keen to watch it and enjoy it all in a good way, I think in a positive way, you know, because I think, I think, the look, the golf is an interesting one. It's.
00:57:00
Speaker
You know, certainly we got the feeling from the Munich show that the golf will live on. You know, it might be ID golf, for example. The future is obviously is electric of it. But for so many people, that car has meant so much that they have to treat it carefully. They have, know, there's such you know, you think of Kermit, the Mark I that we had in Volkswagen and you drove and everyone drove and thinking,
00:57:23
Speaker
how much you know that car has evolved so they really have to be careful with the heritage and legacy of that car Yeah, and and I do think Volkswagen are quite protective over, and they they know, they know. i dont i don't think we're, and look, I'm sure Ford know too, but there was obviously different commercial reasons for for them doing what what they've done.
00:57:42
Speaker
I firmly, I i don't know whether we ever will, yeah have we really seen the last of some of these cars we've spoken about, like the Fiesta and the Focus? Who knows? You know, people, there's nothing people enjoy more than a resurgence or a comeback or a, you know, oh, wait till you see what car is coming back. You know, look at the Renault V5.
00:58:00
Speaker
I was just about to mention Renault 5 because you can say, right, like you know, they'll make money and there's no future in them. But Renault were able to take a car which, you know, people had largely forgotten about. The Clio was a success.
00:58:11
Speaker
The 5 was, you know, the Clio was such a jump and evolution from the 5. Yeah. um and made the 5 look like a prehistoric car. Now we might be starting to see, okay, you can have that old heritage, but you can do it in a modern way. And no one, even Clarkson, who hates EVs, loves the Renault 5 because yeah of what it does and how it does it.
00:58:38
Speaker
Yeah. um and And Hammond did a video on DriveTribe and he also loved it. So it can be done. Yeah, it can be done. um But there was just it was just something, and you said it last week, you know, you're going to feel like it's a blanket around in the golf. And it was, it the physical buttons are back.
00:58:56
Speaker
I love how as well, you know, we we all have experienced times in our lives where you're you're stubborn and you know you're wrong, but you hold your ground. And I think for VW, such a big company, such a kind of, I'd imagine some, a very traditionalist company in some ways, nothing changes quickly there. For them to put their hands up and go, look, we got the button thing wrong.
00:59:17
Speaker
We got the slider thing wrong. That's all backing on the car. So, you know, there's people who were messaging me going, I have a Mark 8. I really need this video to show my missus that the 8.5 is worth trading up for, you know?
00:59:28
Speaker
Yeah. So I think they they did a good job of kind of going, yeah, you know what? We got it wrong and and we're going to ride it. But look, that video that I did about the hatchback, it could have been about anything. It could have been about any kind of hatch hatch car, like the Focus equally.
00:59:41
Speaker
um that Even the one liter EcoBoost engine, like ah I really enjoy kind of manual gearbox without winding it up. um And, you know, there was one or two people saying, oh God, like can you not get with the times? And I don't know, I've done like 800 YouTube videos at this stage.
00:59:56
Speaker
I've driven most of the stuff out there. I try my best to understand the electric tech and everything going on. That doesn't mean you can't look back every now and again and just say, where are we going? like The person who bought the Golf five years ago and bought something else and or you know the versus an equivalent EV, for example...
01:00:19
Speaker
Who's happier because they have incredibly simple car with really, really good residuals that are stable and and they know exactly what they're going to get for it and when they trade it in. So there's still relevance in looking at these cars because for a while, a lot of people are going to want them.
01:00:37
Speaker
Yeah. and And I think that Dundee report you mentioned earlier on is thoughting that. You'd be kind of patting yourself on the back if if you had that kind of car. The problem is, though, I'd imagine if you do and it is getting a bit on, maybe, you you know, you've got mileage on it.
01:00:49
Speaker
Where are you going to go next? Because I'm assuming that person is hanging on to their 10 year old Golf isn't quite convinced about electric right now. No, and and look, that's that is a bit of a drawback. But um but look, I think we will see merging of the two at some stage.
01:01:07
Speaker
i The bit with the golf that I don't still don't understand, and I never really asked anyone, is why ID3 wasn't ID golf at the time. You know, if if they had made... at Because the e-golf was was so good...
01:01:21
Speaker
incredibly good car that just didn't go far enough. So yeah why, I wonder, do they not just say, okay, we will make an ID.3 that looks a lot like a Golf, make it, you know, the packaging changed, call it ID.Golf.
01:01:35
Speaker
And, you know, i I'm totally guessing, but was it because they were worried that maybe this thing isn't quite up to Golf standards and that we're going to have to wait until it is? i don't know.
01:01:46
Speaker
Because it looks like that, looks that way that they're going to change those names. It was very clear in the golf I was in, the interior is is better than the ID.3. And I know the ID.3 interior is a little bit nicer than it was in 2021.
01:02:01
Speaker
There's a couple of thoughts, you know, were they trying to distance themselves from diesel gate? Were they trying to kind of do a reset and go, this is a new type of car that you're used to?
01:02:12
Speaker
Were they also doing a reset so they could kind of distance themselves from the heritage lineup of of cars and not damage them if it didn't go well. I'm sure a lot of thought went into it.
01:02:23
Speaker
Yeah, don't know, for sure it did. but um But I wonder would they have made those decisions if they're looking back and, you know, certainly from where they are now. So interesting one to see. So does anyone even have heated storage for a a classic car? And can I have it for 50 quid a month, basically? if If you have the answers to those questions, please reach out to me.
01:02:44
Speaker
um Well, I don't know. I know some people who might be able to help you out. But yeah, I think i think i think that Corrado would be a good investment. but um But as in investment terms, but i but yeah, I think you'll end up with a $2,000.
01:02:59
Speaker
It's so clean though. Would you be afraid? I mean, I was offered last, but before I bought the 911, a guy I know from Cork, in Cork for years and years and years, he had 986 Boxster, 3.2 manual, three point two manual Guards read 9,000 miles.
01:03:18
Speaker
Right. Now this thing was in a garage, a heated garage on a trickle charger in Cork. it had a sport It had a Porsche hold all sports bag that came with the car. It had everything.
01:03:32
Speaker
Now we were talking about kind 30,000 euro for it.
01:03:37
Speaker
And that was actually less than the 911. But I just couldn't do that car justice. I knew it was going to sit on a driveway yeah in ah in a storm like today.
01:03:48
Speaker
And that car is now in Porsche Dublin as a heritage car that they have in the showroom. So that Corrado kind reminds me of that. The model is obviously higher, but it's so clean. I think you'd be terrified of driving it.
01:04:02
Speaker
Yeah, but let to look, at ah I feel with people who do that with those cars, they're getting as much as if not more enjoyment from yeah being so particular about it than they do from driving the accident because clearly they don't drive it much.
01:04:16
Speaker
So, you know, I would free them of that. Once they've handed it over to you, you're going to give it a new lease of life, which is doing with it what you're supposed to do, which is drive it. You know, you're you're not going to be...
01:04:29
Speaker
you know, treating it. But that I think that can be a little bit too extreme as well. Because look, at the end of the day, the engineers, the designers ah who were making this car didn't intend it to be sitting in a trickle charge in the garage with a blanket around 9,000 miles.
01:04:44
Speaker
Yeah. enjoy thousand 9,000. Yeah. It was a bell guard. Where's the joy in that? I don't see it. Well, I think Trevor probably did just enjoy polishing it and maybe sitting in it and making vroom vroom noises or whatever.
01:04:55
Speaker
Best of luck, but let the next person have have some fun. Drive it, yeah. so if I would think that way with your if you would the next car, you know, do if it if it is the Corrado or if it is s two thousand you're
Listener Engagement and Podcast Farewell
01:05:06
Speaker
going to enjoy it. and That's what for.
01:05:07
Speaker
I know S2000 definitely definitely but yeah if we end up going to the UK we'll have to go together I'll pay for your Ryanair and we'll drive the car back and make some videos for sure and the A who are listening if they are will help us if we need in case it breaks down so yeah yeah first world dilemmas and problems as I often say but look it's a car podcast so I'm sure you're on the same wavelength
01:05:40
Speaker
And on that note, um who knows what next week will will hold. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. But look, if you do want to get in touch with us, driversrepublicpodcast at gmail.com.
01:05:51
Speaker
Let us know your suggestions. Before we go, getting very, very close to Irish Car the Year in association with Continental Tires. Oh yeah, we should to get Irish Car of Year. Monday, Tuesday the next week, refresher drives. um but That's basically where the jurors drive the cars they've driven during the year.
01:06:07
Speaker
But again, just put a little recap in their head of, Oh, what was that like? Oh, how was the steering this one? Oh, was the handling better than this car versus that car? I saw a great photograph of you with cables wrapped around you.
01:06:18
Speaker
Yeah. I also saw you slap down Derek Heaney who was trying to be smart with them. your His was definitely worse than yours. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 100%. I'm thinking Renault, I know you can't really comment, you know, you can vote, you're going to vote, but I'm thinking Renault 5, I'm thinking Hyundai Insta, I'm thinking Dacia Bigster, but that's what's in my head for that. I think Renault 5 will win it, but I think Hyundai has to be in there with a close shout with the Insta.
01:06:52
Speaker
I'm saying nothing. As the head honcho, of course, you're definitely saying nothing. But i when is the actual event? 14th of November ah at the Congrat Hotel. Simon Delaney will be our emcee. I know you worked with Simon for the AA Car Awards. Did indeed, yeah. Absolutely. and So I was only chatting to Simon this morning. He's also a bit of a car head himself.
01:07:13
Speaker
So he'll be there. So ah yeah you'll have to, usually ends up in toners afterwards, Paddy. So um I'm sure we can leave your like your name at the door. I might get an invite this year, will You might get an invite, yeah.
01:07:25
Speaker
What do we say? The 14th? The 14th, it's Friday. Oh, ah the 17th's a Friday. it? November. Oh, November. Okay, 14th. Yeah, I'll be there.
01:07:35
Speaker
if oh I'll be there from late or else I'll meet you outside. Yeah, meet you outside. Right. Thanks for listening. See you next week.