Return of the CSL??

It’s no secret that we at GQ towers do have a bit of a soft spot for a certain German automaker based in Bavaria with a blue and white roundel. Well, when I saw this article on the potential return of the CSL badge I got a little excited. With the previous generation’s stripped out M cars badged as “GTS” is this maybe BMW conceding that it was a little misunderstood, or perhaps even a little wide of the mark?

Evo’s View

Here’s the video, my ears picked up forced induction and an automatic gearbox. What can you pick up?

What's out there for sale

Our monthly look through the classifieds to find the weird, and (more often than not) wonderful that’s going to be up for sale soon.

BMW M3 CSL - Following on from our CSL (LINK) piece. Here’s a lovely looking E46. Definatley one for my dream car garage.

Viper GTS - We all know it’s coming - Graeme’s slice of Americana. The 90s poster car of choice, the Viper GTS. Those looks, that * cough * truck * cough * V10 engine, side pipes - come on, what’s not to like.

Maybach 57S - The brave choice for a mile muncher. The 00s attempt at ultimate exclusivity and refinement. They certainly are a talking point (especially in these colours), but you’d need to be brave and with deep pockets to take on all those control modules from the era when Mercedes’ electronics were far from their best.

Fiat 500 - From a massive German luxo-barge to the tiny Italian icon. Values of these have gone through the roof so will be interesting to see what this well presented example - with luggage goes for.

Local Experiences – Standon

With the addition of a new site in Standon, naturally we’ve been trying out the local fare. We found this little gem on the High St, and our waistlines have been suffering ever since.

Days are a Hertfordshire based bakers priding themselves on fresh, local produce. Headed out for a trip in the car? It’s within very easy reach of the A10 so well worth a stop before venturing further north. They have a few sites across Herts, Cambs and Essex.

Days Bakery - Standon

Good For - Locally sourced and produced sandwiches, cakes, savouries. Excellent coffee choices, as well as an assorted selection of teas.

Distance: Broxbourne site - 20 mins (16 miles)/ Ware site - 6 mins (2.5 miles)/ Standon Site - 5 mins (1.5 miles)/ Buntingford site - 11 mins (7.5 miles)

Address: 24 High Street, Standon, SG11 1LA

Contact: 01920 823022

Porsche Macan S for sale

A fellow GQ owner has decided to let one of his gang go. I sense this isn’t something he really wants to do but a move aboard is forcing the hand. We’re in the market for a tow car and I keep glancing over at her and dreaming… Take a look at the advert for yourself below.

Ware Two..

So as a lot of you that store at Ware now know, we’ve moved units. We’re still on the same premises, but our own unit has finally finished being constructed. It’s been a long road - so thanks to those of you that have grown with us - but we’re now there. With much better lighting, significantly more space and tailored exactly to our requirements - we’re now in.

Those that have seen it have been impressed with the overall layout and the smoothness of the transition across. I’m not going to lie, it was a stressful move dodging summer showers, and the occasional combine harvester but it has been 100% worth the effort. It already seems an age ago to be honest.

If you do store your car with us at Ware, and have not had the opportunity to visit yet, this new unit comes with all the benefits of the original space (security systems, secluded location, self service option). If you’d like to get in touch to come and see for yourself, please do either via WhatsApp or the button below.

We're in Standon

You know when you get offered something that looks too good to be true, well that happened to us over the summer. We were offered the opportunity to take on another site. Whilst we weren’t particularly looking for a unit in Standon we took one look at the site, and the unit itself and just couldn’t say no.

It’s located about 5 mins away from our Ware site, and I say this next part cautiously - it’s our biggest one yet (don’t worry we’re not getting too big for our boots – only by a few metres). At the end of a beautiful tree lined driveway it is again in a secluded location. Located within very easy reach of the A10 and the A120. It was a bit of a speculative move initially helping us support a few Bishops Stortford owners but steadily the cars are coming in.

Over the summer evenings we’ve been there painting the place and getting it up our spec. We’ve got our ‘lounge’ here so that we can host people and have a place to relax and enjoy the surroundings. I have just moved my M5 in there and a Lotus Carlton also currently calls it home - 2 of my favourite cars!

We are looking to have an owners opening event for Standon - so keep an eye on the newsletter for further info.

Does Standon suit you better, or would you just like to come for a coffee? Get in touch, we’ll happily give you the tour.

It's not on the driveway

So a very strange thing happened to me on the first of the month. I got up, went through my morning routine, went to leave the house, as I turned the corner and looked onto my drive way my M5 wasn’t there. Don’t panic, she’d not been stolen – she was now in storage at our Buntingford site. But it was a rather strange feeling to say the least, she’d been there the past 10 years but now she’s not on the driveway.

I got the car in August 2011. I’d always loved the E39 BMW and the M5 was always a bit of a dream car for me. Not entirely out of my reach, but certainly beyond my finances when it was launched. Instead I lived out my ownership dreams through PlayStation games like Gran Turismo, or Need For Speed. Fast forward to August 2011 and I didn’t need a car to use everyday, so I thought to myself what car do I actually really want….there was only one that came to mind, the E39 M5.

Over the next 10 years it has been an absolute joy to own, not without its frustrations but hey what relationship runs totally smoothly? On the whole she’s been the most reliable car I think I’ve ever owned (frantically looks around for some wood to knock on). She has been my wedding car, been on some fantastic holidays, and bought both my sons home from hospital after they were born. She’s as much a part of the family as I am!

So, this brings me to the point of this piece, she’s now not on the driveway anymore. She is safely stored away from careless neighbours, wayward footballs, and prying eyes. I’d had a few knocks at the door regarding the car, some at a particularly unsociable hours – I didn’t like the attention she seems to encourage, that’s not why I have that car. Storing her at Buntingford is 100% the right decision to make, I still see her most days. However, she’s not on the driveway. 

It’s a strange feeling; having met a few of you now, and seen how some of you are when you walk away having dropped them back. It’s sometimes like watching a parent leave their child at nursery for the first time. You know they’re safe, you trust the people looking after them, but you can’t see them 24/7. Rest assured, they are safe, we love looking after them, and we completely understand the relationship we owners have with these inanimate metal boxes.

Baddest Beetle?

We’re trying to raise your blood pressure again this month, we’ve got another electrified classic for you. This time It’s a beetle that’s had the Tesla treatment. Whatever your opinion on this current trend is, you can’t help but notice the quality of the fit and finish on this particular project. You could make the argument that it’s to an OE finish. The video is as much about how they’ve made the car, as it is about how it goes. If you’re not interested in the talking and just want to see it wooosh, skip to 9:30ish.