GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk8 => Topic started by: Carl_45 on 05 June 2022, 20:26
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So, we’re on holiday and received a call from the neighbour this afternoon…. After 10 months wait and only 2000 miles of fun, some low life has broken in to the house and took my car with them on the way out.
I’m not holding out any hope, I’m sure it’s already on a container ship, however, if anyone might spot and recognise it, it’s you good people (aka enthusiasts) on here, a kings Red Clubsport 45, that’s unique enough, but it’s also got dynamic VW centre caps, an official GTI number plate surround and R steering wheel shift paddles, the reg is (was) C19RLD.
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So sorry to hear this and thankfully you were not at home at the time
I'm assuming you can't track the location on the VW We Connect app?
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Terrible news Carl45, phope is right the WeConnect App with VW should track same. What county / town do you live in just in case it’s now been cloned on different plates so these members can keep an eye out for it. I would certainly speak to VW ASAP. I heard the other day car key burglary thefts are increasing again. ANPR might help if there’s a good police investigator on the case.
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So sorry to hear this and thankfully you were not at home at the time
I'm assuming you can't track the location on the VW We Connect app?
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Tried that straight away, car completely offline, doesn’t even say last known mileage anymore. The next door neighbour said his CCTV shows the car driving off at 23:38, I got an email from VW saying the services were disconnected at 00:05, they knew what to do obviously.
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Terrible news Carl45, phope is right the WeConnect App with VW should track same. What county / town do you live in just in case it’s now been cloned on different plates so these members can keep an eye out for it. I would certainly speak to VW ASAP. I heard the other day car key burglary thefts are increasing again. ANPR might help if there’s a good police investigator on the case.
The police have put a notice on the reg, but they checked the ANPR whilst I was on the phone, last trigger event was in May before we went on holiday.
We’re in south Leicestershire.
I’ll contact VW tomorrow, not sure if they can reactivate the tracking?
From what our neighbour says, it looks like they broke in the house to take the car, nobody has been in the house yet so not sure what else has gone, but the car keys were in a hidden (broken) safe, so presume it’s been turned upside down, I put them in there as it’s a metal box and thought it would protect against any key clone attempts. Worse is, my missus spare key is in there too, so unless we block the car in tomorrow night when we’re home, they might come back for that. I’ll ask the neighbour to block her car in until we can get the locks changed.
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I keep meaning to place an Apple AirTag securely somewhere in my cars, like gaffer taped under the seat or hidden under the carpet/behind a dash panel - idea being that it will ping a location and tracking signal off any iPhone situated close by, and by being muffled, any noise from the internal loudspeaker will be barely audible to the thieves
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I keep meaning to place an Apple AirTag securely somewhere in my cars, like gaffer taped under the seat or hidden under the carpet/behind a dash panel - idea being that it will ping a location and tracking signal off any iPhone situated close by, and by being muffled, any noise from the internal loudspeaker will be barely audible to the thieves
Sounds wise. I’m going to invest in an ugly steering lock I think too. Hate that we have to, but I suppose we do.
I’ve spoke to VW we connect, the car has been factory reset so nothing they can do, they obviously knew to do this.
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Sorry to hear this Carl.
It’s obviously a professional job and certainly not an easy to hide car. There are how many examples in the UK? Very few.
A happy outcome doesn’t sound likely although I’m not sure what a happy outcome could be when car theft is involved as it’s a nasty thing.
As said, at least you were away and nobody was harmed. It does sound very thorough though. Scary stuff.
And how exactly do you even replace a car like that assuming an insurance settlement with current lead times and a limited production run?
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Sorry to hear this Carl.
It’s obviously a professional job and certainly not an easy to hide car. There are how many examples in the UK? Very few.
A happy outcome doesn’t sound likely although I’m not sure what a happy outcome could be when car theft is involved as it’s a nasty thing.
As said, at least you were away and nobody was harmed. It does sound very thorough though. Scary stuff.
And how exactly do you even replace a car like that assuming an insurance settlement with current lead times and a limited production run?
Thanks. That’s my next challenge… the insurance.
I don’t even know how to value it, there’s 5 on auto trader around £46k, but mine had HK, DCC and heated front seats, they don’t, but Red seems so rare too, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think there’s only one other red 45 on here. Don’t know what I’ll do, I’ve just “joked” to my missus about getting a SportKA for a few months, I really wanted one when I first passed my driving test and they’d just come out…. Every cloud :whistle:
Seriously though. It feels like an irreplaceable car and I doubt I could find the same spec, I’m gutted.
We only came to Cornwall in the family car because I was scared of scratching mine on the tight back roads and I didn’t want the kids getting sand in it!
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Exactly my thoughts, the car is basically irreplaceable.
You’re being very level headed about it all which is nice to see.
I actually think getting something like the little SportKa is a good idea while you sort everything out and decide on longer term future plans.
And yes, shiny paintwork and West Country hedges don’t mix as our lanes tend to be granite lined beneath the greenery! Sand is just plain evil so your original thinking was sound. Unfortunately someone else had other ideas. Hindsight and all that.
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Sorry to hear this,
I have a disklok on mine but then if they came in for the keys they'd have undoubtedly got the key for that too.
It annoys me that the cars have the capability of being tracked but are so easy to reset or turn off and disappear.
I'd be interested to see how a muffled Apple Airtag might work let us know if you do it and its inaudible that would be really helpful though as I understand they would still get a message there was one there if they had an Apple phone?
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Awful, after not having a car for a year, I don't think I want the anxiety of worrying about a brand new one now.
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Bloody hell Carl! I’m so sorry to hear this. Our cars were neck and neck from ordering to delivery. Wish I had some words of wisdom. I’ll post it on Twitter if you like.
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Really sorry for your loss mate. Sounds like I’m saying someone has died but you must be gutted. One of my favourite cars on here was yours. I hope you get some good news, you never know.
On the subject of tracking. Can you still reset the settings if you have the pin code option on start up? I had it on for a while but took so long to start up I turned it off.
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Cheers all.
So, we’ve got home from holiday this afternoon, checked the entire house thoroughly, not a single thing was taken other than my car key. Forensics have been out this evening and it definitely sounds like a professional job targeting the car.
The police have been good and taken it much more seriously than I first thought they were, I’ve sent images to the assigned detective and they’ve issued to “on beat cops” and motorway patrol incase they spot it on false plates or parked on a side street whilst the lowlife confirm it’s not being tracked.
I am gutted truth be told, I think it’s the whole waiting for so long and the fact it can’t be replaced easily. I’ve looked at the ones on auto trader in white, I do like white and I wasn’t even sure on red when I ordered it, but red really grew on me. I’m really not sure what I’ll do yet if it’s not recovered, I’m seriously considering a cheap thrills Ford streetKA for a few months and if the second hand market settles I’ll consider something then.
I have been considering a little mk3 MR2 as a track day car for a while, it’s something I’d like to get in to, but that’d not be practical as a sole car due to the school run.
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On the subject of tracking. Can you still reset the settings if you have the pin code option on start up? I had it on for a while but took so long to start up I turned it off.
Yes because it's a German car and they are obcessed about privacy. It wouldn't be allowed to stop someone from disabling the location transmission....
However I suspect that the bad guys this time simply deployed a signal jammer that killed the mobile signal and probably any other tracker that might have been fitted. Until they have it inside of a container and can sweep for transmitters.
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When I spoke to VW We connect in Germany, he told me they had performed a master reset of the infotainment system, this is done by pressing a sequence of buttons in the correct order, I’ve not googled it but I suspect you can find it somewhere. They knew to do this as I got an email 25 mins after the CCTV shows the car being driven away saying services have been deactivated.
My app basically shows me as no longer “connected” to the car and says to reactivate the services via the infotainment system.
He said they’ve had requests before, but they’re “not allowed” to switch the services back on remotely.
I presume they could with the correct warrant, however, even the my assigned police detective says it gets very tricky as soon as you have to start dealing other countries legislation. She says the best hope is an ANPR trigger of a potential false plate.
I’ve learnt a lot recently about security and especially how easily the cheaper door locks can be broken but also how cheaply that can be replaced yourself to much better ones, so, I’ll write a long detailed post with my advice and learnings in a few days time. We (or at least I thought we did) live in a relatively nice area, yet the way it’s happened has thought me this could happen anywhere to anyone. I thought we were quite security conscious, but the way these people brazenly operate really has shocked me.
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@Carl_45; it’s always awful to hear about experiences such as yours. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that you weren’t at home, as you and your family members are all safe which is the important thing; a car can be replaced, but family members can’t. Hopefully the perpetrators will be caught and get their just deserts.
I know hindsight’s a wonderful thing, but do you have a garage that you could’ve put your car in while you were away? Out of sight is out of mind and if the low life’s that took your car hadn’t been able to see it parked up, then you might still have it.
Many people these days just use a garage as a dumping ground for unwanted clutter, but I keep mine clear so I can garage my car while I’m not using it. My garage is only a ‘standard’ 1980’s size which is quite small to accommodate many modern cars, but a mk7 Golf will fit even though it’s a bit of a squeeze - I tried it a few years ago when I had one as a courtesy car for a day while my car was being serviced. As a mk7 / mk7.5 would fit, I’d expect to be able to get a mk8 in my small standard sized garage too.
Anyway, glad you’re OK, and hopefully you can put this awful experience behind you and move on. Take care.
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Really sad for you Carl. People on this site are enthusiasts and take care of their cars so you must be really gutted especially as a like for like replacement could be almost impossible. You seem very sanguine about it. Not sure I would be as calm. Glad the family are all ok.
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I suppose VW don't market the We Connect as an insurance approved tracking system, and instead more as a convenience tool for remembering where you parked the car
For something insurance approved, you'd need to step up to a Ghost type immobilising system and/or a full blown remote tracking & immobilisation service like this https://www.vehicletrackingtech.co.uk/vodafone-protect-connect-s5-vts.html and https://www.vehicletrackingtech.co.uk/vodafone-protect-connect-6.html
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Very sorry to read this Carl, I can totally empathise that its a very upsetting and unsettling experience.
I'm amazed that they disabled the We-Connect stuff within minutes of taking the car! This surely suggests these guys had done their homework and knew exactly what they were doing... especially when you consider the average owner (and many dealers!) struggle to fathom the operations of the infotainment in these cars...
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I’ve learnt a lot recently about security and especially how easily the cheaper door locks can be broken but also how cheaply that can be replaced yourself to much better ones, so, I’ll write a long detailed post with my advice and learnings in a few days time. We (or at least I thought we did) live in a relatively nice area, yet the way it’s happened has thought me this could happen anywhere to anyone. I thought we were quite security conscious, but the way these people brazenly operate really has shocked me.
Problem is I think the criminals are travelling further and further to steal the cars they are after. Its quite possible they watched the house for a couple of days and noticed there was no movement, this doesn't sound like a typical opportunist more likley someone who knew what they were doing.
Hopefully you get some justice, you never know, I had a brand new Merc C class a few years ago my wife caught a lad in the house who had walked in through the front door and was clearly looking for keys, he was part of a car stealing gang and although it appeared there was no evidence we received a letter to say that the gang had been prosecuted for our break in too.
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Very sorry to read this Carl, I can totally empathise that its a very upsetting and unsettling experience.
I'm amazed that they disabled the We-Connect stuff within minutes of taking the car! This surely suggests these guys had done their homework and knew exactly what they were doing... especially when you consider the average owner (and many dealers!) struggle to fathom the operations of the infotainment in these cars...
I think they just used a jammer... tbh if you are hunting expensive vehicles to order then a full set of portable jamming equipment would be top of your kit list for the job... kill gps, celluar and lojack. Boom. Done.
Not difficult to find either.
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Keep an eye on eBay for Clubsport 45 body parts, wheels and seats/trim being offered for sale/cars being broken up, etc
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We had an S5 and a Polo GTI stolen in 2017. Best thing we did was plaster pictures all over LinkedIn, Insta, Facebook and Twitter and tagging in stolen car sites, car journos, police pages and asking for retweets. We had loads of shares and got the Polo back within 48 hours. The S5 was recovered 4 months later by which time I had a replacement car but the exposure we gave helped. Police specials were even looking out for them as they had seen them on Twitter!
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Well after all the comments about me being level headed.
I may have purchased a M2 competition!! :shocked:
I’ve put a deposit on it, need to go see it, drive it and obviously it all depends on my 45 not being recovered. I’ve explained everything to BMW and they’re happy with the circumstances, conditions of the deposit and the fact it might be a while for the insurance money.
I will say, finance rates on used cars are pitiful compared to new cars but hey ho. There’s not a single new car (that I can afford) that I’d want to order to be honest, I did consider a clubsport but I’m pretty low about what’s happened so didn’t fancy another, plus the 2 year wait!! We were lucky the 45’s were prioritised in that aspect.
I’ll keep you all posted…. Btw, burnt orange colour.
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I suppose VW don't market the We Connect as an insurance approved tracking system, and instead more as a convenience tool for remembering where you parked the car
For something insurance approved, you'd need to step up to a Ghost type immobilising system and/or a full blown remote tracking & immobilisation service like this https://www.vehicletrackingtech.co.uk/vodafone-protect-connect-s5-vts.html and https://www.vehicletrackingtech.co.uk/vodafone-protect-connect-6.html
Ghost is not insurance approved but you can add it as a extra measure. Metatrak has tracking and immobiliser. It's also S5 insurance approved and a lot of the signal blockers don't work on meta as they use multiple ways of sending signals. Don't forget Meta also supply the alarms for most of VW group. Their tracking is monitored 24/7 too. Report the car stolen and they take over and liase with police to recover the car within hours most of the time. It was the 1st thing done to my car when it arrived.
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Well after all the comments about me being level headed.
I may have purchased a M2 competition!! :shocked:
I’ve put a deposit on it, need to go see it, drive it and obviously it all depends on my 45 not being recovered. I’ve explained everything to BMW and they’re happy with the circumstances, conditions of the deposit and the fact it might be a while for the insurance money.
I will say, finance rates on used cars are pitiful compared to new cars but hey ho. There’s not a single new car (that I can afford) that I’d want to order to be honest, I did consider a clubsport but I’m pretty low about what’s happened so didn’t fancy another, plus the 2 year wait!! We were lucky the 45’s were prioritised in that aspect.
I’ll keep you all posted…. Btw, burnt orange colour.
Good to hear that you’re not letting the buggers win.
FYI when my gti was stolen approximately 5 years ago, my insurance paid out in 3 weeks or so.
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What rate have BMW quoted you for the M2 finance?
You can access Alphera finance (aka BMW finance) via a broker and get better rates than the dealer offers with otherwise like for like terms.
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What rate have BMW quoted you for the M2 finance?
You can access Alphera finance (aka BMW finance) via a broker and get better rates than the dealer offers with otherwise like for like terms.
They wouldn’t budge on the car price, in the end I got £500 deposit contribution and 10.9%. I’ll look in to that, tbf I’ve found a brilliant M2 comp that’s for sale private but I need finance and didn’t fancy a bank loan. I haven’t considered using a broker for finance, think I’m a bit naive with stuff like that.
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Keep an eye on eBay for Clubsport 45 body parts, wheels and seats/trim being offered for sale/cars being broken up, etc
Not the same car I suspect as the plate surrounds are different
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304490231288?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=jgisg_0nr0c&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=JKVBlX1_QmW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Good find but no, they could’ve ripped off the surrounds fitting false plates, however, the VW badges on my wheels stay the correct way up and mine has eagle F1 tyres too.
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What rate have BMW quoted you for the M2 finance?
You can access Alphera finance (aka BMW finance) via a broker and get better rates than the dealer offers with otherwise like for like terms.
They wouldn’t budge on the car price, in the end I got £500 deposit contribution and 10.9%. I’ll look in to that, tbf I’ve found a brilliant M2 comp that’s for sale private but I need finance and didn’t fancy a bank loan. I haven’t considered using a broker for finance, think I’m a bit naive with stuff like that.
10.9% is daylight robbery!
There are a few brokers who should be able to help. It’s worth getting a couple of quotes as different lenders will offer different rates and different GFV, so you need to compare the total cost of finance over the term, not just look at the headline rate. Feel free to PM, I can share contacts I used when buying my M3 last year.
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I’ll message you later with specifics about my financial situation if you wouldn’t mind just pointing me in the best direction. I did a quick check online last night, straight away with flow car finance I found a £80/month saving so think I’ll be looking down that route.
In the meantime, this is probably the wrong forum, but I have enjoyed it here, I could do with sense check from other petrol heads, my family and missus think I’m nuts for not getting a beige Golf SE after what’s happened.
I think I’ll go look at the M2, I really want an orange one, but I’m a little nervous about the car as a whole so I’m keen to buy from a main dealer for that piece of mind. This particular model is standard except HK stereo and a sat nav upgrade (I believe the owner has paid for 3d maps rather than standard 2d). Do you think I’m better buying standard from a main dealer, or viewing one of the private garage ones with a few options like comfort pack (better headlights, rev camera, electric seats). There’s one local that’s £1k more, but bmw have told me that they them selves are buying the “better” models from auto trader to fill there own forecourt’s due to supply. Not sure if this is sales talk.
Edit that….. the local one is listed as deposit taken now. I think I’ll drag the missus and kids to a day trip in Cardiff to look at the dealer one, if it’s not in the condition it looks or I think certain options would be better holding out for, I’ll walk away and slow down for a few weeks.
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M car values are pretty sensitive to spec. If you buy the ‘right’ one and look after it you’ll have no problem moving it on for top dollar. If you get one without key options or in less desirable paint/interior combo you can find it takes a while to shift at the price you want or will need to take a hit to move it quickly.
BMW AUC warranty and full BMW service history were a must for me. It’s also significantly cheaper to renew the BMW warranty than to buy one for a car whose warranty has lapsed.
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M2 Comp is a good car....
(https://i.postimg.cc/XNcwH14m/20200905-125903952-i-OS.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/kDG6DcVv)
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my family and missus think I’m nuts for not getting a beige Golf SE after what’s happened.
Your family and missus are taking the sensible stance after a traumatic experience.
They’re probably not keen on having a man in a balaclava waving a crowbar in their face at 2am.
You however have taken the petrolhead stance, and I like your stance!
To hell with it, I’ll have a bright orange BMW instead :grin:
Do they do an ‘automated machine gun nest over the front porch’ option for a Ring doorbell?
Sympathies with your family though all joking aside.
BMW used car finance is shatteringly expensive as far as interest rates go so it’s really interesting to read Tallpaul’s advice there. Definitely food for thought. Other good advice regarding options too. To something like a Golf the options aren’t going to make a massive difference at sell on time unless it’s an Ed40 with buckets or the like (can you see anyone paying an extra £3k for an R with Akra when it’s a few years old? Me neither) but when we get into the BMW M market it’s a bit different. However I’d rather buy a used BMW from a main dealer when it comes to it. But I wouldn’t discount other cars completely, I’d just be far more wary. There are good specialists out there as well as dodgy ones, but M cars are sensitive things and very easy to crash.
The new 240i looks quite interesting even though it’s not a proper M it does at least have 4wd.
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There’s one local that’s £1k more, but bmw have told me that they them selves are buying the “better” models from auto trader to fill there own forecourt’s due to supply. Not sure if this is sales talk.
My local beemer dealer told me that they have staff constantly looking through Autotrader, trying to pick up good cars for them to sell so there is probably some truth in what you were told.
Sorry to hear about your 45, by the way. Stressful time and hope you get a suitable replacement (if it doesn't turn up).
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Carl I have to say not a pleasant experience by any stretch of the imagination losing your pride and joy, probably more the fact that your families privacy has been invaded like it has. I have never been a victim of burglary but my partner has and it certainly leaves the most unpalatable feeling in you. Your officer contact will be doing all they can to track down the offenders and maybe even recover your property. Your insurance company will be totally mindful of that fact as well before any payments are made. This is highly likely to be part of an organised crime team and cross border / county activity of this nature is not uncommon. I think personally speaking I would not jump straight back into buying another performance car until the dust settles a bit. A. Because you never know that the thieves will be expecting you to do that and B. Probably because you will always be comparing what you have since purchased against your loss. It is difficult to appreciate these things but one thing it has raised with me is that we spend all this money on paint protection, making the cars look good but actually car security we sometimes all take for granted. I have definitely altered my own perspective on what has happened here. I sincerely hope things turn out ok mate and I would feel confident that the right police will get these people.
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My sympathies also I suffered a bad experience being disturbed at 3:00am in the morning, 3 s**ms attempting to force my front door and confronting them on my drive, trying to breakin for the keys to my Clubsport! They only backed down and ran away as I said I had phoned the police. I darent leave it anywhere now, it spends most of the time in a locked garage so much so I am considering selling it. Police said I shouldn’t have challenged them and in hindsight they were right!! Cars 9 month old and 1500 miles only!
:embarrassed:
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My sympathies also I suffered a bad experience being disturbed at 3:00am in the morning, 3 s**ms attempting to force my front door and confronting them on my drive, trying to breakin for the keys to my Clubsport! They only backed down and ran away as I said I had phoned the police. I darent leave it anywhere now, it spends most of the time in a locked garage so much so I am considering selling it. Police said I shouldn’t have challenged them and in hindsight they were right!! Cars 9 month old and 1500 miles only!
:embarrassed:
Isn’t it a terrible state of things, feels like you can’t have anything nice!!
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So…. I test drove the M2 Competition, wow what a car!
The way it drives is phenomenal, obviously it was a dealer test drive so hardly “giving it the full beans”, but even on their standard route the car felt so nimble and responsive…. However!!! It has something missing and I believe it’s the interaction you get from a manual gearbox. I know the DCT is quicker, but I really don’t care about straight line speed or 0-60 times I just want to enjoy driving.
Will I get a M2 competition?…. Probably, but not that one. I’m going manual whilst there’s still a choice.
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A neighbour of mine has an M2 Comp (at least I think it’s a comp, I know nothing about them) and it sounds fabulous.
Do they sell many in manual guise?
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No very few. I think because of that and we all know ICE cars are facing extinction, I expect the manuals to hold their value slightly better.
The BMW salesman was telling me that many of the M2s bought new were by people that don’t really know cars but just liked the looks, colours and could afford them, that’s why they sold so many autos, the original PCP deals were the same price for both so only the ‘purists’ bought manual. Similar story to the 7.5 golf R I suppose.
Out of approximately 130 M2 comps on autotrader, there’s about 20 manuals, but… I’m looking for orange, so there’s 3. I’m going to look at a private seller tomorrow, I know there’s risk, but the car sounds perfect condition and the guy sounds very decent. He’d rather wait for someone who will look after the car than have quick cash, so I’m looking in to finances. (Thanks TallPaul, big help).
I didn’t know much about M2s either, I’ve always liked a hot hatch. When talking to the private seller, I said I had a TVR when I was much younger, he said driving it is like a mature TVR, I 100% agree after the test drive. It’s very typical BMW in some ways, but because of short wheel base it feels so small and nimble.
Back to ICE… I’m an engineer and I like motorsport so I’ve been watching a few YouTube videos on what the future might look like, there’s hope yet with Hydrogen. For example, there’s a prototype rotary engine that spins at many thousand RPM (30k I think) and because of this it doesn’t need any seals. I don’t see these making there way in to “normal” cars, but at least there’s hope for us to admire super cars and enjoy the likes of F1, remember when F1 went from V8 to V6? I was at silverstone both years during the change, much of the atmosphere was lost in 2014…. Just imagine what Electric F1 would be like 😔.
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Try a manual before you buy one, I wasn't over impressed with the original M2 I drove (non comp).
The new generation of M2 is coming to the market soon a a few pre production reviews online. If you are looking at "investment" (?) this is due to be the last ICE M car and is available with a manual.
On fuelling, lets hope Porsche press on with their synthetic fuel program! :)
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Thanks for the advice, I’ll definitely try.
I know what you’re saying about the new model. I’ve seen the videos on YouTube too. Looks impressive!
But… I’m hoping to make some good out of this horrible situation and not have a final payment. I’m not massively driven by having the latest thing anymore and we’ve a third child on the way, so my car will already be just for me and school runs as we can’t get 5 in it. I did consider a M340i touring, but even then, if we have a big family car, why would we ever struggle in mine, my missus is not a car fan anyway, she already thought the akra on the 45 was “stupid”… wait till she hears if I get an M2 comp and fit a Remus axle back system 😬
My plan is something I can keep long term for 5k fun miles a year, I’d also like to start track days but a bit nervous about having (or not having) insurance etc. We already plan on changing the missus’ “family” car every 4 years and I’m thinking a Tiguan all space next.
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Having done 100+ trackdays, I wouldn't even think about doing trackdays without insurance. Thankfully I have never needed to claim, but I have seen a few horrors over the years, maybe 50/50 is driver over exhuberance & the balance being hit by someone else!
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So…. I test drove the M2 Competition, wow what a car!
The way it drives is phenomenal, obviously it was a dealer test drive so hardly “giving it the full beans”, but even on their standard route the car felt so nimble and responsive…. However!!! It has something missing and I believe it’s the interaction you get from a manual gearbox. I know the DCT is quicker, but I really don’t care about straight line speed or 0-60 times I just want to enjoy driving.
Will I get a M2 competition?…. Probably, but not that one. I’m going manual whilst there’s still a choice.
I had a 21 plate clubsport carl but with all the software issues I had I gave it back to vw and now driving a M2 and as you say what a car I’m loving it ..,! Far more expensive to run than the golf but what a car
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So…. Another part of my story….
Completely out of the blue, I got a signed delivery letter today. Turns out my car has been recovered and it’s in Liverpool. They got my details from the VIN.
After I called the insurance company, who were as useless now as at the time and don’t know exactly how to proceed :lipsrsealed:, I called the storage centre. It’s in immaculate condition, starts, it’s shiny and polished. They’ve even got the key.
I asked a few questions, it’s in perfect condition except…. It’s now black. It’s been professionally resprayed as they obviously didn’t approve of my colour choice.
The only thing I’m thinking is, this month the service light would have come on, I do wonder if some poor soul that bought it has taken it in and the VIN has flagged as stolen.… the saga continues…
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How weird! It will be interesting to see what does happen with the insurance, I bet it is causing them a real headache given the amount of time that has passed.
Do you think you’ll take the CS45 back, I assume it will be tagged as a Cat something even if it’s immaculate?
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So…. Another part of my story….
Completely out of the blue, I got a signed delivery letter today. Turns out my car has been recovered and it’s in Liverpool. They got my details from the VIN.
After I called the insurance company, who were as useless now as at the time and don’t know exactly how to proceed :lipsrsealed:, I called the storage centre. It’s in immaculate condition, starts, it’s shiny and polished. They’ve even got the key.
I asked a few questions, it’s in perfect condition except…. It’s now black. It’s been professionally resprayed as they obviously didn’t approve of my colour choice.
The only thing I’m thinking is, this month the service light would have come on, I do wonder if some poor soul that bought it has taken it in and the VIN has flagged as stolen.… the saga continues…
Wow! The scumbags obviously thought it was worth in investing in a new paint job to try and disguise its origins / real identity and then sell it on to some poor unsuspecting punter.
Their plan backfired though.
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How odd!
Wonder if it’s had a wrap? Easier than a full repaint.
If the insurance has already paid out I doubt they’d ever release the car to you again.
And at least the car has been well looked after.
They probably just parked it outside a police station and left it there with the keys as the bongs were doing their heads in…
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They probably just parked it outside a police station and left it there with the keys as the bongs were doing their heads in…
:grin: :grin:
Well, since my first post earlier, the car insurance called me back, I’ve asked for first refusal to buy it back before they send to auction. They agreed and will let me know the price in a few weeks.
Who knows what’s happened, my missus made a good point, maybe they discovered it during a drug raid or similar, it’s been with the police since January it turns out.
Whilst I much prefer the M2 comp, at the right price it might be a financial opportunity I would regret not considering, I’m not sure how much they’d expect as stolen and recovered and I know it’ll always be on the log book. But, if the car is less than say £25k I’ll have a serious think about it and if so, sell the M2.
I’ll find away to remove the dash bonger if the cars an absolute bargain. It also feels like I have unfinished business with the clubsport, I’ve always enjoyed hot hatches and didn’t get to experience the car much after the initial run in period. Stolen at 2k miles, I’m interested to know the mileage now.
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That is very strange.
Seems odd someone would straight up try get away with it like that.
Wonder if they swapped the physical chasis number but the electronics still report the real one... and VW picked it up?
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I was shocked myself when I opened the letter. Thought it’d be overseas a long time ago.
It must have still been on fake plates, I had it on private plates so the DVLA reassigned them. To be honest, I think they have a total disregard for any consequences.
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Isn't it more likely that this isn't your car but they have put the vin of your stolen car on this?
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Isn't it more likely that this isn't your car but they have put the vin of your stolen car on this?
Depends how far they took the respray, unlikely they took the engine out to do it.
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Isn't it more likely that this isn't your car but they have put the vin of your stolen car on this?
Depends how far they took the respray, unlikely they took the engine out to do it.
Kings red golf’s are as good as black under the bonnet from factory, so wouldn’t look odd.
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few things do not understand on these cars when stolen, and that get that the thieves can deactivate the media tracking by some kind of reset, but surely when the car is 'sold' the car will appear again? If its possible to clone the car ID, there will then be two cars driving around with same ID?
Given new cars are becoming increasingly online with unique identification, then the manufacturers need to be sharing locations of those reported stolen when they come online again? or if they see two with same ID appear (just a simple rule set up to flag)
Also, is the only way to sale these cars with cloned details and documents, as we would all check the VIN, Service History and the V5 details. Another level of difficulty must be cars over 3 years as we can all check MOT history.
The one aspect do understand is that these cars simply get broken down into parts, and find their way into less than honest repair shops, as when see price of OEM parts, there is a lot of profit in that.
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This is an incredible read/tale of woe showing how far things can go:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=2002729
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Would you check the physical VIN plate was the same as the one displayed on the infotainment screen?
I doubt you can change the one in the electronics...
I suspect it was sold without the thing signed up and connected, probably with it displaying a fault - caused by disconnecting the comms module...
Anyway, the person I feel sorry for is the one who spent their money on a stolen car - they won't be getting that back.
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Caveat emptor. As always. I have an acquaintance who bought a pretty newT Roc from a Ford dealer which a while after, she found had been hit and repaired. She did not ask at the time of purchase if the car had been hit. The legal advice is they have no case against the dealer.
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This is an incredible read/tale of woe showing how far things can go:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=2002729
And in that 16 pages, is why tend to buy from main dealers for a few ££ more, as when it goes wrong it really goes wrong, ultimate nightmare scenario.
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Caveat emptor. As always. I have an acquaintance who bought a pretty newT Roc from a Ford dealer which a while after, she found had been hit and repaired. She did not ask at the time of purchase if the car had been hit. The legal advice is they have no case against the dealer.
My friend had a massive fight with a Jaguar dealer over the car he bought from them ex-demonstrator that had had such a massive prang that the chasis was twisted... luckily in the end he won but a lot of grief.
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I would be amazed if this car has actually been fully resprayed. Surely not! To do it properly would be a full strip down, interior out, door trims, rubbers, seals, everything - maybe even the engine. I just can't see thieves, no matter how resourceful, going to that trouble for a VW Golf...
My bet is - it's a wrap. Open the door and I reckon the cills will still be red :laugh:
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The more I think about it, it’s probably wrapped, it was only the repair centre that told me “resprayed”. All I know is it’s black.
I have absolutely no idea if the car was sold or just stayed within a certain gang. It’s all speculation. I’m not sure, as the victim of the crime, if I can ask for a police report. I might try.
It’s not hard to believe that when you don’t care about any consequences you can go on autotrader, Google images or even here, find a suitable car to use the number plate off, check it’s taxed on the gov website and order/make plates. You can drive around with someone else’s plates and all the ANPRs will log that the car is taxed and insured. Unless the computers are smart enough that both the real car and fake flag an ANPR on the same day that are too far apart, who will know.
Maybe they changed to black because there’s more choice of number plates and they could change the plates once a month…. Who knows.
Regarding the VINs, who checks? I know mine is ok because I signed in to the “my BMW” app, but I’ve never checked my missus car. Maybe with hindsight and these chats you might think to check, but I think the general population are either very trusting or gullible.
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Just to put this whole story to an end….
The car insurance emailed me, they can’t tell me a value to buy the car back because (quoted)…
“* We paid you the value of the vehicle back in june last year so the value of your vehicle today will be different.
* We do not know the extent of damage to the vehicle. We are aware that the vehicle has been resprayed and new plates but we have no way of know the extent of wear and tear the vehicle may now have.”
They told me it will be auctioned by Synetiq, I’ve checked their website as I’d like to see it, but other than that, the chapter is closed.
I only would have considered buying it back if it was a financial opportunity too good to turn down. Other than that, I’m happy with the bimmer.
I’m sure I’ll be back in a VW at some point when they get their act together, we were looking at changing the family Koleos to a Touareg, luckily we’re looking at older ones that used MK7.5 golf style infotainment. I think we’re leaving that a while yet, the Koleos is running fine and it’s a good work horse for karting the 5 of us around. I just wanted something more powerful as we’re considering a Caravan in the future…. Yes I know, caravan + 3 young kids = :laugh:
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Just to put this whole story to an end….
The car insurance emailed me, they can’t tell me a value to buy the car back because (quoted)…
“* We paid you the value of the vehicle back in june last year so the value of your vehicle today will be different.
* We do not know the extent of damage to the vehicle. We are aware that the vehicle has been resprayed and new plates but we have no way of know the extent of wear and tear the vehicle may now have.”
They told me it will be auctioned by Synetiq, I’ve checked their website as I’d like to see it, but other than that, the chapter is closed.
I only would have considered buying it back if it was a financial opportunity too good to turn down. Other than that, I’m happy with the bimmer.
I’m sure I’ll be back in a VW at some point when they get their act together, we were looking at changing the family Koleos to a Touareg, luckily we’re looking at older ones that used MK7.5 golf style infotainment. I think we’re leaving that a while yet, the Koleos is running fine and it’s a good work horse for karting the 5 of us around. I just wanted something more powerful as we’re considering a Caravan in the future…. Yes I know, caravan + 3 young kids = :laugh:
Can I ask who you’re insured with, I’m an engineer for an insurance company and might be able to offer some advice if you still wanted to keep the car?
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Just to put this whole story to an end….
The end? Or not the end of the tale just yet… ?
There could be mileage in this story still!
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Can I ask who you’re insured with, I’m an engineer for an insurance company and might be able to offer some advice if you still wanted to keep the car?
Flow car insurance, underwritten by LV.
Nah, like I said, I’m not that bothered about it back. I did really like the car, but after mine had gone, I considered another clubsport and had a look at autotrader, but, I decided to go a different route as I was gutted at the time, 10 months “patiently” waiting (which is short compared to some) to only drive it 2000 miles.
There could be mileage in this story still!
I will keep checking the website for when it’s listed 😂. I’m quite interested to see it and know the current mileage.
Also, if anyone picks up a black/red stolen and recovered CS45 on here that’s got the R paddles and floating centre wheel caps, PM me and I’ll confirm the VIN number. I also have the original VW factory build paperwork in a folder because my salesman was a car nut too, so he actually kept it for me rather than throwing it away like they normally would. It was a nice touch actually.