E10 fuel explained

I find myself again sifting through various government webpages trying to decode the impending shift to “E10” petrol. It is the latest green initiative to reduce CO2 emissions, the ‘new fuel’ is going to contain 10% Bio Ethanol – hence the 10 in “E10”. We should see an increase in fuel economy and seemingly quite a few cars are not going to be able to run on it. Those I’ve asked don’t seem to have any clue about the impending shift, so here’s our attempt to decode it for you.

 Reading the Government information the switch should happen with very little noticeable change for us motorists. Most cars made from 1990 have already been approved as being able to run with no issues, but classic cars, scooters, some cars made in the early 00’s are also going to run into problems. There is a compatibility checker on the government site which doesn’t seem to be especially through – targeted more to the everyday motorist than the enthusiast. Scanning through briefly, it’s not even obscure high performance machines that could have problems, 1.8l MK.3 Mondeos, 2.2l Vauxhall Vectras/Zafiras/Signams, a lot of early VAG TSI engines are a very select few I could find that have not been cleared for use with E10 fuel.

 So what do you do if you find yourself in the 5% of motorists that can’t run on E10? Well you’ll have to run on E5 – what we currently know as premium fuels (Shell V-Power, BP Ultimate etc, etc), so the cost rise will be noticeable for those affected. The RAC estimate the 5% is approximately 600,000 vehicles which in my mind is no small number! The expected issues are engine “pinking”, poor starting, and rough running.

The shift is supposed to happen in September of this year. Initially there is going to be some resistance to the change - because, well, people don’t like change. But I can remember when 4 star fuel used to be a thing, people adapt and overcome. There is no doubt though that in the here and now if you are worried your best bet is to speak to your manufacturer to confirm compatibility. If that is not an option then assume you’re going to have to run on premium fuel. This is not a change that is going to disappear so once again the individual motorist is going to have to find a way of muddling through.

However, the vast majority of owners here will already be used to running high octane fuels. For anyone else we are currently in the process of checking vehicles and offering our guidance.

In the meantime if you’d like to discuss you and yours in more detail do please drop us a line.

Further reading can be done with the RAC and with WhatCar?

On the ramp - underside inspection

We thought we’d try and be brief with this month’s ‘On the ramp’. Below is a video of us going through an underside inspection with the lucky owner of this Nissan R32 Skyline GTR (Swoon).

We will go through the underside of the car documenting any drippy bits that should be dry, and wobbly bits that should be stiff, and any other bits that need addressing. This is carried out with as much involvement from you as you’d like. It’s something we really enjoy - as enthusiasts first its just nice having a nose around different auto makers engineering solutions.

If it is something you would like do discuss, please do get in touch

Back to the Future?

This month’s YouTube must watch has to be this effort from Top Gear. Want to have an argument with yourself whilst gazing upon a beautiful car? This is the video for you, the electrified Bentley S1 resto-mod - see type the words “electrified” and “resto-mod” and you immediately get the purist’s backs up, but just look at it….

What's for sale?

I’m going to try a new approach looking at what’s currently on the market. Something for every budget, and something for every taste.

Speaking of taste, how does former celeb chef Gary Rhodes’ 1300 mile Ferrari F430 sound?

Up for sale at Silverstone Auctions next sale on 5th June.

Looking to reduce your carbon output, fancy something electric?

The all electric Mercedes SLS AMG

Up for sale with RM Sothebys in the Netherlands, believed to be 1 of only 9 cars - you’ll have to dig deep, its priced at over €1m

One of our own is up for sale too. This stunning Porsche 968 Clubsport is being offered by one of our Garage Queen’s members. Currently she’s stored at Buntingford - drop us a line if you’re interested and we’ll introduce you to the current owner.

Last month you may remember that we told you about Mistubishi UK clearing their heritage fleet. Well, just a little update we thought was interesting. The Tommi Makkinen edition EVO sold for over £100K in the end. I like them, but crumbs that’s a big number!

https://bit.ly/2QbOaXH

Latest Arrivals - May

The warmest of welcomes to our newest cars and owners. Here’s a quick peek at what’s new this month

Detailing Packages

Has Spring sprung, can we look forward to our cars staying clean a little longer than just 1 trip out? Lets hope so! With this in mind we are trying to streamline our detailing services for you. With prices starting from just £60, there is something for every budget.

Maintenance –  A “freshen up wash” if you will. Designed to maintain the condition of your car. Taking the car out for a run? No problem we’ll get the bug splats and road grime off for you. This is also included in our Care Pack.

Enhancement – “Day in the bay sir”? Our first and most popular level of correction. Minor imperfections in your paint or interior, ceramic coating application, or an area that need that little bit more attention? Then this is the one for you.

Paint Correction – “Showtime” After that mirror finish? We cast our forensic eye over your pride and joy leaving no stone unturned in getting your car to that show standard. Nothing is too much trouble in our most thorough detailing process.

Whatever your after, just drop us an email, or give us a call and we can answer any questions you might have.

Some before and after paint correction shots

Inspiration from where?

One quiet evening I found myself looking over the variety of cars that you have all chosen to store with us. I found myself thinking about the journey that makes us car enthusiasts finally settle on the car we want. I’m not talking about the specific car we end up buying, but more the model we want that we then hunt down to find the best example we can afford. Whether it’s brand loyalty, the enjoyment of an oddity, or a familial tie - it certainly gives us something different to look at every day.

I don’t really think it’s any secret both I and Richard have a bit of a thing for BMW. Being the age that I am, growing up I was at about the peak age for the E39 M5. This sleek V8 bruiser with “400hp”, that also happened to have a pretty good marketing strategy. Remember the BMW film “Star” (Clive Owen chauffeuring Madonna in an M5), being of the Playstation generation I always played the M5 in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2, or when Youtube was in its infancy a video of some German woman absolutely driving the wheels off an M5 Ring Taxi – R.I.P. Sabine.

Well it all worked on me. I was set that the E39 was my dream car and my fate was sealed. For others though (as recently highlighted by Top Gear) our Dad’s cars often have a huge impact on us and our passion. We store some family heirlooms for owners, these are the cars that at a glance aren’t exclusive, expensive, or unattainable, but they mean more to the individual than words can describe.

Or aspiring to a brand that you never thought would be attainable. You’ve saved, scrimped, had a bit of luck come your way and the stars align for you. Whatever it may be is now in reach and you go for it. I’m writing this and thinking it’s not only the cars themselves, but the wraps, parts, paint we lavish them with. We really are an odd bunch us petrol heads.

Whatever yours are, we all have our reasons. The pull to these lumps of metal that only serve as a method of getting from A to B is undeniable. We’ve all been bitten by the bug and whatever you journey has been, we’re very privileged that you’ve trusted us with your journey.

Garage Project

We hate saying good bye to cars and customers, but life changes and people’s circumstances change. Chris has stored his cars with us for some time, recently he has decided to overhaul his garage space at home and create his own space fit for his “Garage Queens”. This has been a long process that we have assisted with – it is still his project, but we have taken some of the heavier lifting jobs and managed the project for him when life has got in the way. The results are outstanding we’re both chuffed with the results, safe to say I think there’s space for another one now Chris?

Thinking of moving on, want to make better use of the space you already have? Get in touch and we’d love to work with you on your next phase of ownership.

Here is a sample of our next plan we’re looking to make a reality (wink wink)