Scottish Borders
I didn’t really expect it or see it coming…
I’d picked the Yellow Peril from my local garage having had some stronger springs fitted to replace the tired, sagging and as it turned out broken Ohlins left rear spring..
Compounding this the garage pointed out that the front arb drop link was disconnected..
I mused on my last weekend hoon..some folks said I drove too fast for the roads we were on..
I could see that the garage had struggled to get the ride heights right..the left rear was 5-10mm higher than the right rear..the fronts were 10-15mm lower than the rears..
It had been drizzling..roads were damp in places…lots of greasy leaves littered corners..
The garage had suggested I take it for a trundle to see how it felt..
I decided to go to Hawick and back..a varied mixture of roads..mostly single track , often quite rough but little traffic and good sight lines.
I drive respectively from the garage through the town with the roof up..
No music on and lo..very few rattles or creaks ..strange I thought..
Got on the fast if bumpy and bendy B road to Bonchester Bridge..
Slowed down with the roof button engaged..bong..as expected…as we past 20mph on the lovely ID4 Motion instrument cluster the roof dutifully starts to sequence..
The roof opens to show a dark and stormy sky..but no rain..
I thumb the idrive jog wheel to select YouTube on the MMI box feeding my idrive…
I select another compilation of mostly 70s and 80s tracks ..
A bug in the system means no sound..I toggle the stock radio on then back..
Jackson Browne obliges with one of his great tunes..the 10 channel DSP and 15 uprated speaker as one with great authority and depth..
I know this road very well..it’s bumpy, fast and bad edges.
The car rides the edges with a nonchalance I’ve not previously seen.
As usual there’s no traffic ..nothing..
I pick up a bit of speed and keep the car riding the edges..sure you can tell it’s riding on a poor road surface..but it sits there ..composed ..
I decide to flip it into sports mode..the xHP remap performs impeccably..selecting gears as if it’s clairvoyant..
After a few miles of bumpy and damp roads the car feels good..really good..
I decide not to go direct to Hawick but turn off on one of the smooth single track roads that heads to the south of Hawick..
I ponder the car’s riding well but I didn’t touch the dampers..harder springs require more damping..
I decide to pop the roof into maintenance position , get the little Allen key out to find the right damper is on 9 clicks and for whatever reason the left is on 14..I set not to 8..
I get back in the car..it’s a smooth open single track roads with of course no traffic..
I press the go pedal…the uprated twin turbos curated by a lovingly crafted remap effortlessly launches the car forward..no flat spots, no sudden surges just a relentless and effortless surge..
The car says to me ‘we’re having a great time ..let’s enjoy this’…
I could go on but you get the drift..
The car just handles like it’s on rails…none of that stock..’one more mph and I’m going to kill you’ feel…
Some philosophical song comes on about time and the importance of life and enjoying whilst you can..
I reflect that I’ve successfully completed my 2026 Z4 hooning calendar with 5 major trips.
I think about how good the car is today and how great it’s going to be with my Zed buddies on these various trips , NC500s, Spain etc
At times like this I wonder ‘what if’…
One of my young pups I recruited back in 2015 to my special ops airline has sadly passed away a few days ago.l..he couldn’t have been more than 35..
I reflect on the sanctity of life..the fact that our time on this earth is finite and the importance of making most of the time and opportunities you have.
I ponder on how life would have been if I’d picked a Jag XK as instead of my 20i MSport or if I’d gone for the F Type I drove instead of the multitude of 35i/35is I drove before the current Yellow Peril..
Sure there have been various first world problems..not every person with a Zed will be your best friend and there are some I’m very glad that I don’t have to share time and space with..
But when I look back on my 24 ish motorbikes..40 ish cars and some 13 aircraft I can truly say that I’m content with my lot..
Sure not every decision was a brilliant one, I bit of for sure sometimes more than I wished for..but..
I’ve enjoyed my times with my Zeds..I’ve enjoyed (mostly) the company I’ve kept..I’ve had some fabulous drives, seem some epic sights and had some truly great times with my Zeds buddies..
I’m fortunate to have now some great friends found through my trips and a social circle that I doubt I would have had with my other possible car choices..
I’d picked the Yellow Peril from my local garage having had some stronger springs fitted to replace the tired, sagging and as it turned out broken Ohlins left rear spring..
Compounding this the garage pointed out that the front arb drop link was disconnected..
I mused on my last weekend hoon..some folks said I drove too fast for the roads we were on..
I could see that the garage had struggled to get the ride heights right..the left rear was 5-10mm higher than the right rear..the fronts were 10-15mm lower than the rears..
It had been drizzling..roads were damp in places…lots of greasy leaves littered corners..
The garage had suggested I take it for a trundle to see how it felt..
I decided to go to Hawick and back..a varied mixture of roads..mostly single track , often quite rough but little traffic and good sight lines.
I drive respectively from the garage through the town with the roof up..
No music on and lo..very few rattles or creaks ..strange I thought..
Got on the fast if bumpy and bendy B road to Bonchester Bridge..
Slowed down with the roof button engaged..bong..as expected…as we past 20mph on the lovely ID4 Motion instrument cluster the roof dutifully starts to sequence..
The roof opens to show a dark and stormy sky..but no rain..
I thumb the idrive jog wheel to select YouTube on the MMI box feeding my idrive…
I select another compilation of mostly 70s and 80s tracks ..
A bug in the system means no sound..I toggle the stock radio on then back..
Jackson Browne obliges with one of his great tunes..the 10 channel DSP and 15 uprated speaker as one with great authority and depth..
I know this road very well..it’s bumpy, fast and bad edges.
The car rides the edges with a nonchalance I’ve not previously seen.
As usual there’s no traffic ..nothing..
I pick up a bit of speed and keep the car riding the edges..sure you can tell it’s riding on a poor road surface..but it sits there ..composed ..
I decide to flip it into sports mode..the xHP remap performs impeccably..selecting gears as if it’s clairvoyant..
After a few miles of bumpy and damp roads the car feels good..really good..
I decide not to go direct to Hawick but turn off on one of the smooth single track roads that heads to the south of Hawick..
I ponder the car’s riding well but I didn’t touch the dampers..harder springs require more damping..
I decide to pop the roof into maintenance position , get the little Allen key out to find the right damper is on 9 clicks and for whatever reason the left is on 14..I set not to 8..
I get back in the car..it’s a smooth open single track roads with of course no traffic..
I press the go pedal…the uprated twin turbos curated by a lovingly crafted remap effortlessly launches the car forward..no flat spots, no sudden surges just a relentless and effortless surge..
The car says to me ‘we’re having a great time ..let’s enjoy this’…
I could go on but you get the drift..
The car just handles like it’s on rails…none of that stock..’one more mph and I’m going to kill you’ feel…
Some philosophical song comes on about time and the importance of life and enjoying whilst you can..
I reflect that I’ve successfully completed my 2026 Z4 hooning calendar with 5 major trips.
I think about how good the car is today and how great it’s going to be with my Zed buddies on these various trips , NC500s, Spain etc
At times like this I wonder ‘what if’…
One of my young pups I recruited back in 2015 to my special ops airline has sadly passed away a few days ago.l..he couldn’t have been more than 35..
I reflect on the sanctity of life..the fact that our time on this earth is finite and the importance of making most of the time and opportunities you have.
I ponder on how life would have been if I’d picked a Jag XK as instead of my 20i MSport or if I’d gone for the F Type I drove instead of the multitude of 35i/35is I drove before the current Yellow Peril..
Sure there have been various first world problems..not every person with a Zed will be your best friend and there are some I’m very glad that I don’t have to share time and space with..
But when I look back on my 24 ish motorbikes..40 ish cars and some 13 aircraft I can truly say that I’m content with my lot..
Sure not every decision was a brilliant one, I bit of for sure sometimes more than I wished for..but..
I’ve enjoyed my times with my Zeds..I’ve enjoyed (mostly) the company I’ve kept..I’ve had some fabulous drives, seem some epic sights and had some truly great times with my Zeds buddies..
I’m fortunate to have now some great friends found through my trips and a social circle that I doubt I would have had with my other possible car choices..
Last edited:
Attleborough, Norfolk
