D&G Assist

Tracked my @uk_dhl parcel (that was supposed to be delivered yesterday). He drove down the estate, turned round and drove off without delivering it. Even tried to stop him, but no.

The Poppy car looks great

A real pleasure to be able to play a small part in making @Missionmotorspt Race of Remembrance happen, with an early start this morning to head to Wantage and collect some race cars to take to Anglesey. The drive home was even more comfortable with @DG_Assist doing the hard part and heading off to Wales. I had a lovely drive along the A4494, too, a road I can't remember driving before.

Arrived at Wantage earlier to load up @DG_Assist to head off to Wantage. Bentley off so I can go back to Essex after loading some @Missionmotorspt race cars

Off to help @Missionmotorspt with @DG_Assist

This sign has been up on the A127 for a month or so now. NSL dual carriageway. The reason for the sign is a dip across the width of the road that has caused at least 3 accidents that I know of, including an airstream that detached from the car in front and obliterated itself against a lorry. Can't even get the sign right let alone fix the road. On another point, seemingly some planned road repairs have been cancelled in place of pothole filling

The Type 01. Up until this week I hadn't had a chance to see anything of the new Jaguar in person, not the camouflaged cars and not the Type 00, either. It seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up to go into London and have a sit in what has been a painfully drawn out gestation for a brand I care for, and also a brand that I've never bought a new car from. I expected to like it, because it is unusual, and I liked it even more than I thought it would. It certainly isn't the prettiest Jag, and not even pretty in its own right, but it has something about it that captivated me in some way, probably because it's like a road going spaceship. There's no denying that it is a hugely compromised thing, especially where packaging is concerned, though for someone like me who loves a saloon but uses rear seats occasionally, it makes enough sense. Unsurprisingly I'm in the minority. One of the main things I wanted to see was how comfortable the seats were, and it was better than I had hoped, even with the poor rear leg room with the seat back (and I'd assume with the seat forward). The rear view is possibly my favourite part, and I'm looking forward to seeing one on the road, and also to having a sit in a production ready car that is at the standard required for a £100k+ car. I believe it's going to be an uphill battle for Jaguar, even with the cars that follow this one. I don't believe that the current general public perception will matter to those who are actually looking at buying one, it was always going to be a divisive car. There's certainly a lot of hatred for it out there though, and people who actively want it to fail, and I can't quite get my head around that.

Grace, Space, and Pace A saying synonymous with Jaguar, but is the reality that it is a great piece of marketing but not necessarily entirely true? I took this video last week just because it was entertaining, without realising I would be sitting in the back of the Type 01 and causing a bit of a furore. As you can see, it's hardly spacious, as most Jaguars aren't. That doesn't excuse that the Type 01 is poorly packaged and thought out, even if you're aligned with the idea that it's a 2+2 with occasional rear seats that is more useable than a coupe, rather than it being a tradition saloon. I hadn't quite realised the amount of vitriol and hate that video would cause, especially as I only filmed it for a group chat to make friends laugh who didn't believe I would fit (and nor did I, really). Since then I've been called a liar, a c*nt and lots of other names, and apparently Jaguar paid me to post it, despite them being completely unaware of who I am and that they would have no desire for anyone to post that video. As for the 01, I really like it, and the seat was comfortable in the back, something that can't be said for a lot of cars. Would I want to do anything over a short trip with the seat in front in that position? No, of course not, but I would happily drive the car based on what I saw yesterday. It is undeniably huge and with a small cabin compared to the external acreage, but that's hardly new with a Jag. The rear view is special and I'm really looking forward to seeing one on the road. No doubt no one will see this compared to the other video, apart from the angry man who seemed to believe an X350 was superior to a car he hadn't seen in person, or had any experience of. Anyone can go and see it, it's in certain show rooms, which is how I got to sit in it. This one is in Knightsbridge. May be worth judging for yourself rather than screaming at strangers on the internet.

If you are over 6 foot tall and wondering how you might fit in the back of the new Jaguar 01 with the front seat in a position you could drive it, wonder no longer! It's not as bad as I thought it would be. Could sit up straight, not quite enough foot room but also not the worst I've been in by any means!