Alright fine gentlemen of TM,
Last night was the night ! The stars aligned, I freed my schedule, put on the goggles and worn my courage pants to take my new M3W out for a night drive. I was hoping to drive this weekend but global warming has been wreaking havoc on the weather here and it now rains nearly every week during winter time (rain in the desert ? How outrageous - maybe the Mog brought the weather in its suitcases?).
So here I am past 9PM trotting along the night streets and roads of Dubai for a good 2 hours straight. Here are my first impressions:
25. I didn't know it was a feature but "smelling" the road is pretty cool - I drove by some places I definitely want to visit now because the kitchen smelled awesome
USUALLY, BUT WHEN PASSING SLAUGHTER HOUSES OF LARGE ANIMAL FEED LOTS IT IS NOT SO PLEASANT.
28. The horn is idiotically placed - I reckon this will need to be remedied - taking your hand off the wheel or the shifter to blindly try and reach out for it is really unsettling - Any one using an alternative?
I TOTALLY AGREE, SINCE IT IS A PEUGOT STEERING COLUMN I WOULD THINK A HORN BUTTON IN THE CENTER WOULD BE POSSIBLE SANS REMOVABLE STEERING WHEEL.
34. Rev counter is annoyingly hidden behind the steering wheel at my eye level - got to learn by ear what the right rpm is
I TOTALLY AGREE, NOT HAVING THE NUMBERS YOU USE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A MISTAKE.
37. Tyre pressure on the rear wheel is going to be a pain - Any tips ?
PRACTICE YOGA SO YOU CAN GET LOW ENOUGH TO DO IT.
39. Indicators could be a tad bigger
THAT IS WHY I ADDED MORE WITH THE FENDER LAMPS AND AT THE SAME TIME ADDED MORE BRAKE LAMPS.
68. How do you put a Nav or Phone holder ? And Where ?
I USE A HELMET WITH BLUETOOTH COMMUNICATION TO MY PHONE WHICH MEANS MUSIC, PASSENGER COMMUNICATION, SATNAV DRIVE DIRECTIONS, FM RADIO, AND YES, THE PHONE.
69. I didn't know the car had a power socket - very useful
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PLUG INTO IT, IT IS ALWAYS ON AND YOU CAN DRAIN A BATTERY IF YOU DON'T CHECK POWER DRAIN.
70. You laugh so much you dehydrate so fast. Any cup holder mods out there ? I live in a hot country - Water is always a good idea
CAMEL PACK.
Now to infinity and Beyond !
My first British sports car was an Austin Healey Sprite, a 1959, and it is just the same height as the M3W but is shorter by almost 2 feet! It too was a blast to drive.
Thanks for your detailed thoughts on your first drive, glad you had so much fun.
