Ok - not fl2 but LR anyway.
Got what I thought was junk mail but on reading it, it was an invite to a Range Rover 'Exhilaration by Appointment' event. I had the time so the Mrs and I went up on Monday. It was up at Elvington airfield (of Richard Hammond fame). It included lunch so I figured a plate of sarnies, foam cup of coffee, some rangies parked round and the chance to drive them round the car park before someone jumps on you to flog you one.

I was wrong. 5 star 2 course sit down meal in a very smart marquee. The out to our own Vogue with driver to do a series of exercises. He shows you what to do, then we take turns. The first was a demo of the radar cruise control. A brilliant gizmo, set to 55 and happily sat behind another rangie doing 30. Pulled out and it accelerated, back in and the brakes went on. I did it a bit close and panicked the driver but the rangie coped very well.

Then a 'torque' demo which was basically hoofing round a track they'd laid out on the airfield. All V8 tdis and boy do they shift. Great fun, coming out of a bend with 3/4 mile of runway ahead of you, a big V8 under the bonnet and no legal or safety issues to worry about. I could have spent all day on that track!
They handle really well at speed too. Coming out of a bend at 50 (not on the limit), hoofing up to 90+ and then on the brakes for the next corner, I'm pretty sure the merc, with its 'handling pack' would have struggled to keep up with these 2 1/2 ton monsters. Ok I'd driven a vogue a few times but you just don't get the opportunity to do that on normal roads. We then swapped to the RR sport and did the same again. That V8 tdi in the sport sounds like a TVR! Each excercise was 2 gos on a vogue and 2 on the sport so you get plenty of chance to play, and all with an instructor who is simply there to explain and demonstrate. He didn't even know prices. Not his job.

Then on to a braking demo. Floor it to a cone (up to around 70-80) and then stand on the brakes as hard as you can. They stop rather well too!
Then a handling (weaving through cones) and corner braking demo and finally an 'off road' course over ramps and other obstacles (no mud).

At the end, just a questionnaire and a goodie bag. No sales pressure. Just standing watching these huge cars blast round a track was impressive, let alone getting the chance to put such expensive machinery through its paces.

f you get one of these invites (nobody seemed to know why they were invited) do go. It's a brilliant half day out.  07 Freelander 2 TD4SE Tambora Flame, side steps, privacy glass, mud flaps, boot liner and a tow bar. Ok it's the Wifes but she lets me drive it occasionally - if I've been good!

Hi jules,

Also went to Elvington on Monday. Took the father-in-law along. We were there for the afternoon session in the purple team. Had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon putting the vehicles through their paces. Oh & the excellent free lunch of course

Jules......................now you know why my RRS TDv6 morphed into an RRS TDv8 instead of my other option which was a Freely2 with all the toys. How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green

i know the feeling of the TDv8 in FFRR Vogue

Mine got its 2nd year service booked in on 25 Oct so i will call and ask for something nice for the weekend

Which will end up been a s spec Fl2




PS Tim, one of your container ships was on TV last night Charlie Bordman ireland to Sydney TV prog. he hopped on for a lift from Dubai to Mumbai, didn't catch the name of the ship but it showed all the engine room, and ballast tanks which they had him crawling through and had Capt. Kevin at the helm, port Pilot at Mumbai was at bit of an though  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

NP - I have no telly but can watch I-Player, which channel was it on? BBC or ITV. How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green

OK, found it and watched it - I sailed on Nedlloyd Tasman and with Capt Hardy (Kevin), the third mate I sailed with when he was a cadet/ trainee.
And nah,nah,nee,nah,nah my ship is bigger than that! They are 290m long mine is 335, they carry 5500 x 20ft containers mine carries 8000. I like how Charlie Borman was amazed at how fast the catamaran ferry was travelling, but Nedlloyd Tasman could go that fast too!
Here is my ship
http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/Gallery/Ve...99927.html

http://containerinfo.co.ohost.de/vessel_9299927.html

BTW it says that my ship can carry 6000 TEU's at 14t each, it doesn't say that we can actually carry 9876TEU if they are empties! How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green

Hi Tim, knew you had no tele box so i thought i would mention it as i also know you like your iplayer

I just forgot to put that part in the above post

I didn't see the catermaran part as my son shouted out for me in his sleep, but i made him wait till he got off the container ship  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

The straight 12 reversible engine in the ship produces 68400KW................. torque is phenomenal but isn't measured, makes a TDv8 look like a large outboard engine! How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green

dscholey wrote:

Hi jules,

Also went to Elvington on Monday. Took the father-in-law along. We were there for the afternoon session in the purple team. Had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon putting the vehicles through their paces. Oh & the excellent free lunch of course

Hi,
We were there at the same time then - I was on the blue team.
You may have seen me - sitting in an unco-operative sport parked on the 'slippy braking' track for 20 mins with an embarrassed instructor  07 Freelander 2 TD4SE Tambora Flame, side steps, privacy glass, mud flaps, boot liner and a tow bar. Ok it's the Wifes but she lets me drive it occasionally - if I've been good!

Hi Jules, Probably did see you and didn't know it! We started on the 'braking demo' section first, then cone section, followed by the Terrapod and then the pedal to the metal laps round the airfield... got told to slow down a bit into the corners

Incidently we were sat on the far right table as you looked at the dining section of the marquee

ah - I was on the middle table with the Mrs and a nice chap and his son. 07 Freelander 2 TD4SE Tambora Flame, side steps, privacy glass, mud flaps, boot liner and a tow bar. Ok it's the Wifes but she lets me drive it occasionally - if I've been good!