Wow, I just checked and it was July 04 when I last posted on the Fiat Forum...time flies when you're having fun.....work threw me in a box and shipped me out overnight and I forgot all about this place...

....so 9 days ago I take a day off and pop down to the local dealers to order a GP.....

1.9td Sporting in caribbean orange with the orange interior trim... options of dual climate, cruise control and the sub

BUT I LOST MY BOTTLE, I've not been able to see an orange one in the flesh and the more I thought about it the more I got worried, what if I don't like it when it arrives? So I buckled and changed the order to Exotica Red last Monday. But now I've seen some 'real' photos of the Orange on the Forum, I'm torn again, should I phone and change back to the original choice....DECISIONS!!!! What to do......?

More important, my garage still haven't been able to get hold of a 1.9 for me to play with, to date I've only driven the 1.4 petrol Sporting. So, what can I expect? To be honest, I was disappointed with the 1.4, I know it only had 4 miles on the clock, but it felt so flat, nothing like I expected.....so how dif is the diesel? Am I in for a pleasant suprise?

Look forward to hearing opinions from folks already driving the diesel (mine is due for build on week 34, which is the last week in August I think).

Cheers!

the orange is gorgeous, kinda like the focus st orange was really impressed when bob took me out in his sporting but not had first hand experience of driving it

Get an orange one, you know you want to

orange.....so this season..:yum:

yes get the orange its alot nicer, red is a bit 1990's, orange is very 2006

Both the red and the orange look superb, you can't go wrong with either

And to drive? It's fantastic

Red always looks good on an italian car

But the orange is also very nice too and will be a bit rarer i expect, as the dealer said they also make less of the orange ones....

But for me orange is not my cup of tea and is a bit too in your face

As for driving, it'll trounce the petrol version and has plenty of shove to its acceleration and its easily remapped for even more power

Bugger, this is giving me a bad head.......

I think I'm gonna go orange, NO! Red, NO! ORANGE Arggghhhaaaaa!!!!!!
RED, there that's it, RED RED RED RED!

I think both look good on the pics I've seen on the forum, but Bob's pics just swayed it for me, leaving it at Red.

So Bob, I shouldn't be too worried at ordering the 1.9 without driving it first, you happy with it? I've driven the Stilo and Punto 1.9's in the past and they have been fine, and I'm sure this engine will be even better. I'm in Reading/Bracknell for 3 days, coming down a week on Wednesday, will drive around in circles till I see yours, Reading's not that big......

I bought mine with out driving it...

Test drove a 1.3mjtd 90bhp one and ordered the sporting after that...

If your in Reading and free come have a look at my car and i'll take you for a spin if you want...

Less dissing of the 1.4 Sporting! Ok, so it's no fireball but i've done bout 1,300 miles so far in mine and the engine is completely different to when i first picked it up. Much more free revving and loves to be pushed with a great exhaust note, it's never unrefined though and the economy seems to be improving..

I'd go for red everytime or black more so (like mine) - three years time come resale and you'll regret you bought it. Fashions change so quickly.

No dissing Rob, like I said it only had 4 miles on it and is prolly still in need of being run in, just was disappointed thats all. Will have another go next time I'm in and see if it's improved with the miles....

Apologies if you thought I was being rude, I wasn't, I love the GP!

...and will do Bob, cheers! :worship:

Either staying at the Madjeski in Reading or the Coppid Beach in Bracknell, haven't decided yet. I only know how to get between the office in Reading, the office in Bracknell and the hotel, never go any further than that, but trusty TomTom will lead me to you

spacecowboy said:

Look forward to hearing opinions from folks already driving the diesel (mine is due for build on week 34, which is the last week in August I think).

Cheers!

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Don't expect it to fly when its new but should still have more grunt that your mk2b Sporting even when new. Just take it easy and do some long motorway drives for the first 4000 miles and it will really start to open up and rev nicely to 4000rpm's and shove you in to the back of your seat at the same time . Sunderland aint that far from me im in Newton Aycliffe about 10miles from Darlington, can meet up somewhere and give you a spin if you want?.

Cheers Chris, mate lives in Ovington, village west of Darlo, if I'm off down that way I'll give you a shout.....

So many nice people, perhaps if i just arrange rides in everyones new GP's I won't need to buy one myself.....erm, does anyone have a GP and is travelling from Sunderland to Newcastle at 6am tomorrow and returning at 3pm.....?

spacecowboy said:

Cheers Chris, mate lives in Ovington, village west of Darlo, if I'm off down that way I'll give you a shout.....

So many nice people, perhaps if i just arrange rides in everyones new GP's I won't need to buy one myself.....erm, does anyone have a GP and is travelling from Sunderland to Newcastle at 6am tomorrow and returning at 3pm.....?

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What are you doing with your mk2b sporting?

ChrisUK said:

What are you doing with your mk2b sporting?

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The garage are taking it part ex

Whats the Stereo like?.
I have the sub in the 2b and have ordered it for the GP, any good? Wasn't impressed with the 2b, I blew it 3 times, along with the near side rear speaker twice (couldn't handle the funky Jamiroqual bass lines). I'm guessing it's an identical unit? Was also thinking about waiting for the facia adapters to come out and buying a DAB, but not sure if that will interfere with Blue&me? Alternatively you can get those REVO thingies.....

Also, when I bought the last car I decided I needed Aircon which I'd not had before, that was top of my wish list. This time, due to speeding up and down to Reading all the time in company cars I've gotten used to Cruise Control and decided that it was top of my wish list this time around so I ordered it. Is it any good?

spacecowboy said:

The garage are taking it part ex

Whats the Stereo like?.
I have the sub in the 2b and have ordered it for the GP, any good? Wasn't impressed with the 2b, I blew it 3 times, along with the near side rear speaker twice (couldn't handle the funky Jamiroqual bass lines). I'm guessing it's an identical unit? Was also thinking about waiting for the facia adapters to come out and buying a DAB, but not sure if that will interfere with Blue&me? Alternatively you can get those REVO thingies.....

Also, when I bought the last car I decided I needed Aircon which I'd not had before, that was top of my wish list. This time, due to speeding up and down to Reading all the time in company cars I've gotten used to Cruise Control and decided that it was top of my wish list this time around so I ordered it. Is it any good?

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I think the stereo for a factory stereo is very good as long as you have the sub I've got mate with an Active sport and no sub and it lacks bass. The subwoofer isn't as good as a moderate after market sub, but then again it doesn't need an amp and half your boot space! . Ive had it rather quite loud and it hasn't blown.... and was quite hard to make it distort the sound.

The aircon is good but i've heard reports of peoples not working as good as it should so test it on the first day!. If it seems a bit poor take it back to the dealer to get regassed.

As for using an aftermarket stereo, I think only thing it will affect on Blue&Me is the media player function (i.E USB Memory stick, ipod etc). The handsfree functionality should remain the same.

The cruise control is great . Its a little leaver under neath the normal light controls. Turn the switch to 'On' Drive the speed you want to set say 70mph and hold the stick up for 1sec and then put your feet up . It also lets you do fine adjustments by holding it up to speed up and holding it back to slow down.

Shame about the part ex!. I would of swapped you my GP for your Sporting with some cash ontop of course see my classified ads for details:
https://www.fiatforum.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=3967&cat=24

How much cash were you thinking of giving me on top? Go on then, your GP and £5 cash and it's all yours

GP sounds all good to be honest, think this is gonna be the longest 7 (or prolly more known my luck) weeks of my life.....

robk77 said:

Less dissing of the 1.4 Sporting! Ok, so it's no fireball but i've done bout 1,300 miles so far in mine and the engine is completely different to when i first picked it up. Much more free revving and loves to be pushed with a great exhaust note, it's never unrefined though and the economy seems to be improving..

I'd go for red everytime or black more so (like mine) - three years time come resale and you'll regret you bought it. Fashions change so quickly.

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Am not dissing the 1.4 at all, i never said it was bad....

spacecowboy said:

...and will do Bob, cheers! :worship:

Either staying at the Madjeski in Reading or the Coppid Beach in Bracknell, haven't decided yet. I only know how to get between the office in Reading, the office in Bracknell and the hotel, never go any further than that, but trusty TomTom will lead me to you

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Ahh i know where they both are...

Dunno about the madjeski but we had our works xmas do at the coppid beach and it was like stepping back into the 80's in there, what a dive and its expensive, but if your works paying who cares