And another MC Stradale enters the forum....

B

bigbob

Member
Messages
8,970
outrun said:
Didn't have you down as a joker mate. Step aside Kevin Bridges !

Nice car, newbie owner. Welcome to the Strad club. There can only be three or four med blue ones. I've one of 2 in non-metallic gloss black and there are at least 2 yellow ones too so rare colour. Much cooler than the usual white (yes, you) and greys. :)
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Too subtle normally! Shame I could not make Blair Atholl especially as I probably live closest but was down south for the weekend.
 
FF1078

FF1078

Member
Messages
1,123
Beautiful

With all these Strad's I really think a Strad meet must be on the cards?

It would be a great photo oppertunity

Nick
 
S

Stormbrew

New Member
Messages
23
Holy mother of moly, that is stunning!
That will certainly stand out in a sea of grey and black Stradales!!
 
CLRut

CLRut

Member
Messages
120
Many thanks to all for the very kind and appreciated words.

Less than 2 weeks in and 400 miles dispatched. Its too early to make really refined observations, but the initial ones are entirely positive. The car has already covered the whole gamut of UK road types, from heavily cambered B-roads to M-ways. It handles them all very well, with a firm but very comfortable ride and a real urgency almost all the time. As mentioned before, the eagerness to "go" and the feeling of going a lot faster even at 50/60 is impressive and frankly, incredibly fun. The noise is on a par with my Tuscan - different (a little less raw), but equally as enjoyable; thankfully the sound insulation in the MC is much better than the Tuscan's :) ! The car has received a universally positive reaction from all, notably from fellow petrolheads who have been genuinely surprised by the performance, quality and usability of the car.

Practicality wise, I have already had the family in the car with a full boot and it was very impressive, with plenty of space to spare. The driving position is very comfortable over a 3+ hr commute, and whilst the info-tainment is poor, I really haven't got a beef with that as I knew this going in. I purchased the small Bovee 1000 unit which works very well for bluetooth streaming from my iPhone (although I need to work out how to use the phone via bluetooth in conjunction).

The areas I need to improve upon are changing up on the paddles in 1st and 2nd, which I still struggle to make entirely smooth. I am now fine with 3rd-6th using the lift up, and find the sweet spot to be 4.5-5k revs. I probably also need to up my confidence going into/out of corners as whilst the car is large, it is still very nimble and precise on the steering. Auto-gear box is clunky, but then switching it on only when cruising on the motorway neutralises this! Finally, it will take some getting used to a rev range that goes so high and reacts positively to it - going north of 5-6k isn't my usual approach!

Really looking forward to getting to know the car better.
 
outrun

outrun

Member
Messages
5,017
CLRut said:
Many thanks to all for the very kind and appreciated words.

Less than 2 weeks in and 400 miles dispatched. Its too early to make really refined observations, but the initial ones are entirely positive. The car has already covered the whole gamut of UK road types, from heavily cambered B-roads to M-ways. It handles them all very well, with a firm but very comfortable ride and a real urgency almost all the time. As mentioned before, the eagerness to "go" and the feeling of going a lot faster even at 50/60 is impressive and frankly, incredibly fun. The noise is on a par with my Tuscan - different (a little less raw), but equally as enjoyable; thankfully the sound insulation in the MC is much better than the Tuscan's :) ! The car has received a universally positive reaction from all, notably from fellow petrolheads who have been genuinely surprised by the performance, quality and usability of the car.

Practicality wise, I have already had the family in the car with a full boot and it was very impressive, with plenty of space to spare. The driving position is very comfortable over a 3+ hr commute, and whilst the info-tainment is poor, I really haven't got a beef with that as I knew this going in. I purchased the small Bovee 1000 unit which works very well for bluetooth streaming from my iPhone (although I need to work out how to use the phone via bluetooth in conjunction).

The areas I need to improve upon are changing up on the paddles in 1st and 2nd, which I still struggle to make entirely smooth. I am now fine with 3rd-6th using the lift up, and find the sweet spot to be 4.5-5k revs. I probably also need to up my confidence going into/out of corners as whilst the car is large, it is still very nimble and precise on the steering. Auto-gear box is clunky, but then switching it on only when cruising on the motorway neutralises this! Finally, it will take some getting used to a rev range that goes so high and reacts positively to it - going north of 5-6k isn't my usual approach!

Really looking forward to getting to know the car better.
Click to expand...

If you tag the phone to the bluetooth using the telematics menu first of all, then tag the phone to the Bovee after that, the two work together happily.
 
StuartW

StuartW

Member
Messages
9,314
Good to hear Craig and as mentioned in my PM, do try the start up procedure which does improve the smoothness of gear changes but it's true, it does shift better higher up the rev range which is not really possible in 1st & 2nd but the start up procedure and very slight lift off should help.

I hope that you go on enjoying the car and you've bought at a great time with the lovely summer to go out & enjoy
 
azapa

azapa

Member
Messages
1,300
try this for a laugh, open stretch of road, clear mind:
- race mode
- engine and box warmed up
- floor it (really, no nannying around)
- upshift over 5Krpm or maybe 6 (can't quite remember)

If the gear change speed doesn't scare you and make you wonder how the 'box does not explode, you didn't do it quite right!

It's one of the stradale's neatest tricks and makes you feel like your driving a lambo, just for a second..

Awaiting your results...
 
CLRut

CLRut

Member
Messages
120
Really had a chance to test the car further with 120 miles over a superb loop of the Forest of Bowland. Every possible road scenario from single lanes with passing places, through to rapid, open, moor-top roads with magnificent views. Very impressed with the pace of the car through corners and whilst it is a big car, it is very nimble in the corners - more than I expected. The brakes are also notably solid! It feels constantly "alive" over these roads at even low speeds - and to be fair to the car, the roads were not the best tarmac in places - but the ride is not excessively firm. Needless to say, it stayed in "Race" most of the time given it was dry! It was also the whole family together which again, is one of the main reasons I bought it - the ability to drive it akin to a weekend blat in the Tuscan but with 4 of us and not just 2.

Just fantastic - a privilege to be in the Strad in such a lovely part of the world.

Bowland July 17 v2.jpgBowland July 17 v3.jpgBowland July 17 v4.jpgBowland July 17 v1.jpg
 
iainw

iainw

Member
Messages
3,386
CLRut said:
Really had a chance to test the car further with 120 miles over a superb loop of the Forest of Bowland. Every possible road scenario from single lanes with passing places, through to rapid, open, moor-top roads with magnificent views. Very impressed with the pace of the car through corners and whilst it is a big car, it is very nimble in the corners - more than I expected. The brakes are also notably solid! It feels constantly "alive" over these roads at even low speeds - and to be fair to the car, the roads were not the best tarmac in places - but the ride is not excessively firm. Needless to say, it stayed in "Race" most of the time given it was dry! It was also the whole family together which again, is one of the main reasons I bought it - the ability to drive it akin to a weekend blat in the Tuscan but with 4 of us and not just 2.

Just fantastic - a privilege to be in the Strad in such a lovely part of the world.

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looks bloody lovely.much better from end than the 2018 offering
 
D Walker

D Walker

Member
Messages
9,827
I really wish you would stop teasing with these pics, ultimate strad for me and keeps reminding me I was £35k short(at least) would love to see it in flesh, NW pizza night maybe??
 
JonW

JonW

Member
Messages
3,262
Craig

That looks great, and it's great that you're enjoying it with the family. 4 seats were also essential for me, and whilst (if we're honest) this slightly compromises the driving experience, it definitely increases the overall enjoyment.

Below is a pic of an inferior car in inferior scenery - my 90 min blast around Surrey Downs earlier this evening....
 

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