A novel form of uplift

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02-10-2004, 06:04 AM
bad_roo

A novel form of uplift

Dear Roo

blah blah blah... We would be delighted if you could now join us in Annecy, France to drive the new X-TYPE Estate before it goes on sale in the UK in March. Our schedule involves flying to France by private charter, arriving early afternoon on day one to allow you to drive the diesel version that day. On Day two you will have the opportunity to drive one of the all-wheel drive versions on a challenging snow climb before departing for home - after lunch.

Anyone got any super gnar Sled Dogs and 225mm wide Ascension skins I can borrow? ;)
02-10-2004, 06:06 AM
splat

Re: A novel form of uplift

Quote:

Originally posted by bad_roo
Dear Roo

blah blah blah... We would be delighted if you could now join us in Annecy, France to drive the new X-TYPE Estate before it goes on sale in the UK in March. Our schedule involves flying to France by private charter, arriving early afternoon on day one to allow you to drive the diesel version that day. On Day two you will have the opportunity to drive one of the all-wheel drive versions on a challenging snow climb before departing for home - after lunch.

Anyone got any super gnar Sled Dogs and 225mm wide Ascension skins I can borrow? ;)

roo- I'm running short on lodging - need someone to fill in for you?
02-10-2004, 06:07 AM
bad_roo

You're welcome to crash at the Imperial Hotel, Annecy! No boot fitters on hand though.
02-10-2004, 06:09 AM
splat

Quote:

Originally posted by bad_roo
You're welcome to crash at the Imperial Hotel, Annecy! No boot fitters on hand though.

Pick me up on the way through?
02-10-2004, 06:37 AM
Mulletizer

Not a bad birthday present. Have a good one! :)
02-10-2004, 07:07 AM
splat

Is it my birthday already?
02-10-2004, 07:09 AM
truth

Jags suck. Free trips to go beat on them on snow covered hill climbs do not!
02-10-2004, 07:49 AM
Ripzalot

Re: A novel form of uplift

Quote:

Originally posted by bad_roo
Dear Roo

blah blah blah... We would be delighted if you could now join us in Annecy, France to drive the new X-TYPE Estate before it goes on sale in the UK in March. Our schedule involves flying to France by private charter, arriving early afternoon on day one to allow you to drive the diesel version that day. On Day two you will have the opportunity to drive one of the all-wheel drive versions on a challenging snow climb before departing for home - after lunch.

Anyone got any super gnar Sled Dogs and 225mm wide Ascension skins I can borrow? ;)

sounds like another mini in the plans! dates?

la grave beckons...
02-10-2004, 10:49 AM
bad_roo

Re: Re: A novel form of uplift

Quote:

Originally posted by Ripzalot
dates?

tomorrow, man! And there's karting at the Rumilly circuit in the evening so I get access to even more hardware to destroy. I'll try to snap a few pics of the ineptitude.
02-10-2004, 10:52 AM
Beaver

Does the diesel have the ford 2.7l V6 in it?
02-10-2004, 10:54 AM
snowsprite

Dang, for a second I thought Victoria's Secret just came out with an amazing new bra. But this is cooler...you are one lucky dude!
:cool:
Sprite
02-10-2004, 10:58 AM
Dantheman

Once again we are reminded why roo never complains about his job.
02-10-2004, 11:04 AM
InspectorGadget

I prefer the Aston Martin Shooting Break.

http://www.pestalozzi.net/shooting-b...age_front2.jpg

I hope the Jag estate has a rack on it for the impromptu mini.

Roo, what do you do - for a living - that allows you to drive all these (cool) cars?
02-10-2004, 11:21 AM
mr_gyptian

Quote:

Originally posted by Beaver
Does the diesel have the ford 2.7l V6 in it?

What do you know about this engine??
02-10-2004, 11:28 AM
Beaver

Quote:

Originally posted by mr_gyptian
What do you know about this engine??

Oh shit, I forgot, it's top secret. Now I'm gonna have to kill you all.

It's a Ford /PSA Peugeot Citroën designed 2.7L V6 with 207hp 400 ft lbs torque. To be used in some Jags. Unfortunately Ford has no plans on putting it in a half ton PU. :(
02-10-2004, 11:42 AM
phUnk

Roo: Here's hoping this trip ends up perfect, rather than gay.
02-10-2004, 11:59 AM
Pinner

meh.

I got the same email.
02-10-2004, 12:04 PM
grrrr

I did too, but I thought it was a Viagra ad, so I deleted it.
02-10-2004, 01:54 PM
Theodore

Quote:

Originally posted by truth
Jags suck. Free trips to go beat on them on snow covered hill climbs do not!

Wise words...
02-10-2004, 01:56 PM
mr_gyptian

Quote:

Originally posted by Beaver
Oh shit, I forgot, it's top secret. Now I'm gonna have to kill you all.

It's a Ford /PSA Peugeot Citroën designed 2.7L V6 with 207hp 400 ft lbs torque. To be used in some Jags. Unfortunately Ford has no plans on putting it in a half ton PU. :(

Or say a 1996 Bronco:mad:
02-11-2004, 12:31 PM
Idris

Quote:

Originally posted by mr_gyptian
Or say a 1996 Bronco:mad:

???? wouldn't that need a 7.2liter not a 2.7liter?
02-11-2004, 12:35 PM
Steven S. Dallas

Quote:

Originally posted by InspectorGadget
Roo, what do you do - for a living - that allows you to drive all these (cool) cars?

He's the official oral/maxillofacial surgeon of CART.
02-11-2004, 12:59 PM
bad_roo

Stuck in Annecy at the moment in a rather swank hotel. It's one of those modern ones where you try to switch the lights on and the bidet goes berserk.

Was aiming to swipe a car and get to Cham today to shoot the shit with Splat, Pu and Tom but I ended up sharing a car with Mr Navigational Disaster Area. He managed to get us lost four times within 20 miles of setting out and it was all I could do to stop myself kicking him out of a moving vehicle on the autoroute near Aix les Bains.

Did get to do about sixty laps of the Rumilly kart circuit though. Which was nice.

And yep, many Jags do suck but this X-TYPE Estate looks to be OK. 3.0-litre engine, all wheel drive and enough room to sling gear in the back sounds like a decent ski car. They even provided one with a bunch of dentist skis in the back to show how 'lifestyle' it is. Apparently the 2.7-litre diesel doesn't fit under the bonnet (hood).

Ian Callum (bloke who drew the X-TYPE Estate and the Aston DB7) is a good bloke. Even retained his sense of humour after I did a piledriving overtaking manoeuvre in the karts that sent him into the tyre wall. ;)
02-11-2004, 01:51 PM
snowsprite

And so goes another hum-drum day in the life of bad_roo. I on the other hand, discovered a glittery toy super ball with snowflakes stamped on it in my coat pocket. I'm playing w/ it now. Try not to be too jealous. ;)

What I want to know though is was anyone sitting on the bidet when it went berserk?
:D
Sprite
02-11-2004, 01:55 PM
splat

ROO- got your pm. Not to worry. Shit happens.

Also- your pm mailbox is FFFFFFFFFFFFuuulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.
02-11-2004, 03:30 PM
frozenwater

Man, this roo character better turn up to be some sort of collective trying to piss us all off. Cause' if this bloke is real my life REALLY sucks in comparison. :mad:
02-11-2004, 04:44 PM
truth

Quote:

Originally posted by frozenwater
Man, this roo character better turn up to be some sort of collective trying to piss us all off. Cause' if this bloke is real my life REALLY sucks in comparison. :mad:

There is no Roo.
02-12-2004, 12:43 PM
bad_roo

A few shots from the launch. Here's the flop house in Annecy Jaguar put us up in.

http://www.badroo.alivewww.co.uk/XTYPE/hotel1.jpg

and the view out of the hotel window over the lake...

http://www.badroo.alivewww.co.uk/XTYPE/hotel2.jpg

This is the car they wanted us to report favourably on...

http://www.badroo.alivewww.co.uk/XTYPE/stand.jpg

And here are some nice skis to show us how 'lifestyle' said car is

http://www.badroo.alivewww.co.uk/XTYPE/dentist.jpg
02-12-2004, 12:48 PM
bad_roo

We drove up to a small ski resort called Le Grand Revard for a coffee stop. I got out of the old man spec SE and into the far more agreeable Sport.

http://www.badroo.alivewww.co.uk/XTYPE/revard.jpg
Token blonde Jag hottie on the deck at Le Grand Revard

We then drove up to the Massif de Bauges to do some snow driving. It's torture to be in a place like this with no damn ski gear. :mad:
http://www.badroo.alivewww.co.uk/XTYPE/bauges.jpg

But there are compensations (Mont Blanc on skyline of first pic)...

http://www.badroo.alivewww.co.uk/XTYPE/snow1.jpg

http://www.badroo.alivewww.co.uk/XTYPE/snow2.jpg

http://www.badroo.alivewww.co.uk/XTYPE/snow3.jpg

The challenging snow climb in fact turned out to be a figure of eight course in a snowy (and flat) car park :rolleyes: . On the way up, one of the journalists fell off the mountain road in quite spectacular fashion. He lost the back end of his X-TYPE and went over the edge of a switchback and came to a rest about fifty feet down the hill, lodged precariously beween two trees. Fortunately nothing was hurt other than his ego and the rather sorry looking Jag. But then he is a major dick.

So yes, I do exist. ;)
02-12-2004, 01:10 PM
InspectorGadget

I like it . . . .

I've driven wagons for years . . . . no, not an Aston. The Jag estate looks pretty good, how does the sport model drive?

http://www.badroo.alivewww.co.uk/XTYPE/stand.jpg

Too bad you're able to ski while you're there.
02-12-2004, 01:13 PM
Mulletizer

Shit happens to some people, right? Very nice Roo! :D
02-12-2004, 01:17 PM
bad_roo

Slightly firmer ride than the SE model, 9-way electric seat robs it of head room. The alcantara/carbon interior works a lot better than wood/leather. The 3.0-litre engine feels about as quick as a BMW 2.5 and the 2.5 feels like a BMW 1.8. The 2.0-litre common rail diesel is the best engine in the whole line up, but Jaguar will only offer it with a front-wheel drive rather than four-wheel drive chassis.

Feedback from the steering is quite good, but the rack's a little slow. Inadequate suspension travel, too much front toe in and bump steer. Well finished, decent amnount of space in the back and Callum has done a good job with the conversion. They let him design new rear doors instead of just grafting a 'backpack' onto the car and the DLOs look Jag-elegant.

Definitely worth £1,170 over the saloon and when on the road prices are taken into account (£3k less than an equivalent Audi A4, £4k less than Merc C Class) it looks as if it will be class competitive...
02-12-2004, 02:45 PM
Big E

Clearly, I made an egregious error by not majoring in automotive journalism.