Quirks/features that make you smile!

[Mattp]

my wife noticed this a little while back on my QP... on the inside of the door handle, there is a little strip of Alcantara, I suppose to stop sweaty mediterranean fingers from slipping when hefting the door shut - its almost un-noticable but its a tiny detail thats been thought through, designed and built...

Now that I know its there, its a fiddle strip! and its this sort of silly attention to detail that makes me smile when i clamber aboard this 12 yearold car!

are there any other bits of obscure design excess that either brighten your day or tend to be missed on a casual basis?

 

[IanU]

There's a small cubby hole under the steering column that folds down that you can slot the owners manual into. Never knew it was there until I was looking to run dash cam wiring to the fuse panel next to it.
What is annoying though, the nice leather bound folder you get to keep all the booklets in, doesn't actually fit into any of the pockets or glove compartment - shame. Would be nice to have a custom pocket for it to fit neatly into.
Double glazed side windows still blow me away.............

 

[daverichardson]

The spare wheel well, that does not hold a spare wheel
The electric operated Glove Compartment that does not open (it is on a timer though) unless the ignition is on so you cannot access things of little importance like the handbook that details how to release the hand brake in the event of a mal function.
I could go on.....................

 

[markp4200]

Some details are not quite as welcome as others.
Only Italians could design a 'glove box' or what I would refer to as the 'car-manual holder' that won't take the car's manual. I could fit some driving gloves in there though but imagine what I would be called!
I am such an anorak I won't have anything extraneous floating around in the interior, so the manual stays at home, just hope I never need it urgently!

 

[Wanderer]

I like the flick of the flasher stalk on exit, if dark, gives you 30 secs headlamps per flick and turns off, hopefully just as some passerby says ‘Oy, you’ve left your lights on...’

 

[CatmanV2]

Some details are not quite as welcome as others.
Only Italians could design a 'glove box' or what I would refer to as the 'car-manual holder' that won't take the car's manual. I could fit some driving gloves in there though but imagine what I would be called!
I am such an anorak I won't have anything extraneous floating around in the interior, so the manual stays at home, just hope I never need it urgently!

Mine stays at home as well. I have a digital copy
C

 

[daverichardson]

I tried putting the book (s) in the boot in the mesh thingy under the wing near the battery. It promptly pulled the mesh away from the clips. So I gave that up and re fixed the mesh for cosmetic reasons only.
And
What is this black pad thingy in the drivers foot well that sits at the side on the RHS of the accelerator pedal against the wing?
Mine was black originally but is now all scuffed - I need to fix this, maybe with a black marker pen, what do you think?

 

[D Walker]

The Door Pockets on a GS are as much use as tits on a fish...

 

[markp4200]

Mine was black originally but is now all scuffed - I need to fix this, maybe with a black marker pen, what do you think?

Barely noticeable so something neat should do the trick.

 

[tidus72]

Quirk, tick over at 1000 RPM,

Features, a 4.2 V8

Quirk / Annoying, Brakes squeak in reverse

 

[CatmanV2]

Quirk, tick over at 1000 RPM,

Features, a 4.2 V8

Quirk / Annoying, Brakes squeak in reverse

Why is 1000 RPM a quirk?

And brakes shouldn't squeak, ever.

C

 

[MarkMas]

There's a small cubby hole under the steering column that folds down that you can slot the owners manual into.

I think there is supposed to be a CD multi-changer in there But as I don't have one of those the cubby works well to hold a small case of CDs.

 

[Ebenezer]

QP quirks

Does anyone keep anything in the tiny little draw thingly-whats-it on the right hand side of the dash (on a QP anyway)? I keep some mints their which I only remember at times like this!

Also open up the boot and find it's tiny.

Most of the switches on the dash seem to be obscured by the steering wheel.

Does anyone ever use the rear blind? - But it does amuse the kids. Especially when it won't retract resulting in some F'ing and Blinding!

The secret switch in the rear centre arm rest that allows you to adjust the front passenger seat much to the occupants displeasure!

Battery in the boot? It was a first for the last AA man that came to my assistance.

Cup holders - when you put a cup in obstructs access to the gear shift.

Gotta love it though when you mash the loud pedal - They got that bit perfect!

Eb

 

[CatmanV2]

Must have been a very in-experienced AA man then!

C

 

[MarkMas]

Does anyone keep anything in the tiny little draw thingly-whats-it on the right hand side of the dash (on a QP anyway)? I keep some mints their which I only remember at times like this!

I keep parking coins in there - but they have to be in a little bag otherwise they are impossible to get out.

Does anyone ever use the rear blind? - But it does amuse the kids. Especially when it won't retract resulting in some F'ing and Blinding!

I had fun the other day, as I was in a queue of slowish traffic on the motoway and some erk roared up behind me and flashed his lights to barge through, so I just raised the blind (rather than two fingers).

Cup holders - when you put a cup in obstructs access to the gear shift.

Yeah, love that. Have learned to get smaller cups.

 

[MarkMas]

I'm 'loving' how the armrest interior has special molding in the lid and the base to reduce the available space by 50%.

 

[TridentTested]

Also open up the boot and find it's tiny.

Claimed 450 litres. My Alfa 166 had 500 litres and it seemed to me to be at least twice the size of the QP's.

Most of the switches on the dash seem to be obscured by the steering wheel.

When I put the steering wheel at what feels like a comfortable height for me, the speedo is completely obscured. Luckily there is a repeat on the LCD screen.

Does anyone ever use the rear blind? - But it does amuse the kids. Especially when it won't retract resulting in some F'ing and Blinding!

Amusing the kids does seem to be its primary purpose.

Battery in the boot? It was a first for the last AA man that came to my assistance.

That AA man must lead a sheltered life. Batteries in the boot are relatively common. Alfa have been doing it from the 1970s Alfetta series.

Cup holders - when you put a cup in obstructs access to the gear shift.

Total joke. Some marketing man said: 'oh, the American market demands cup holders. We have to be able to say there are cup holders'.


One more. You've got to laugh at the pointless mechanism which drops the central rear head restraint, to give you just another centimetre of view when reversing. I haven't used it for years and did so recently just to see my daughter jumping in surprise.

 

[Devonboy]

I like the flick of the flasher stalk on exit, if dark, gives you 30 secs headlamps per flick and turns off, hopefully just as some passerby says ‘Oy, you’ve left your lights on...’

Had 4 modern Maserati's including the QP Sport GTS and I never knew that...………...just read the manual...……….wonder what else I have still to find!

 

[Wanderer]

My old Audi 200 Quattro Turbo had the battery under the rear passenger seat......

 

[Ebenezer]

I'm 'loving' how the armrest interior has special molding in the lid and the base to reduce the available space by 50%.

You mean even without the 'Wall St' brick phone? I was hoping to swap my phone out and get some usable space!

Eb

Eb