So my pal says let's have day out...Warning!

[John Jones Jr]

The plan was to get him car which would entail looking at two inparticular that were currently for sale. Why not I think and all close to Belfast which was a city I hadn't visited for eons.

Sadly, the weather wasn't encouraging - sleet, rain, wind and the odd bit sunshine which sort of set the tone for the day. We looked at both cars on his shortlist and a couple more too but none ticked all boxes. But every cloud has a silver lining, he'd no joy but I did! The joy is very current as I'd absolutely no intentions of buying a car especially as we would be visiting prestige dealers.

Anyway, sitting in the corner of a large forecourt with loads of shiny German motors was a little Suzuki Ignis Sport no less! If you've got a soft spot for puppies you'd nearly feel the same for this car....yet that's exaggeration but I'm sure you'll get my drift.

Now, I imagine many are asking what's the attraction or even why bother with such a car, especially a car that could be classed as a mini 'Ricer' or 'Girly racer' sewing machine , totally understandable too. So, let me bullsh1t myself...

I bought it partly because the dealer was actually willing to do a deal, a real deal too. I looking for a project anyway, admittedly nothing like the Suzuki and I was on the hunt too for a left hooker car also but had little success in getting either, mainly for not trying hard enough being candid. When, I think it about none of those reasons stack up but it's bought now!

Here's my justification and logic or excuse, which ever takes your fancy. Well, the spec is interesting thanks in part to it being a homologation model for the JWRC (Junior World Rally Championship), that's a start if nothing else. This road version is a very light c.920kg with a mad & sweet little 1.5 twin cam VVTi engine giving 110BHP @ 6500rpm! The engine is also a square short stroke with a 11:1 compression ratio, I think it redlines past 7000? It's got a close ratio gearbox, a quick steering rack and believe it or not disc brakes all round. On top of which it comes standard with Recaro seats, Enkei forged alloys and a few other sporting bits - it's Bluish Black Pearl as well. Plus it's a one owner, 40k car that seems straight and we couldn't fault along with the FSH.

I'm going to collect in a few days, I'll then change the tyres as the original spec Yokohama Advan A043A (brilliant back in the day I'm sure) are still on the back and the fronts are new budget brand rubbish. Then it will be inspected on a lift by a guy who really knows his motors and all going well drive it at the weekends and hopefully have a blast on a track too.

Will update for those that may be interested in what could be described as different & touch mad too!

 

[carat 3.6]

I like it, the fact it's a homologation model make's it interesting to me.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Looks immense fun!

 

[Wheelsnuts]

Looks like great fun. I could see me buying it for my wife, as an excuse, but grabbing the keys myself most days!

 

[John Jones Jr]

Looks like great fun. I could see me buying it for my wife, as an excuse, but grabbing the keys myself most days!

Told my woman this morning about the 'new' car. The reaction, was ''I know you're joking as it's April 1st''!

 

[grober]

Looks a tidy little motor.
First question- was it an Jap import to NI or a NI dealer supplied car?
Second question- are there still different DVLA authorities for NI v UK mainland and are their MOT arrangements transferrable??

No biggy ---just wondered if perhaps there was some paperwork chicanes to negotiate before getting it on the road legally?

 

[John Jones Jr]

Looks a tidy little motor.
First question- was it an Jap import to NI or a NI dealer supplied car?
Second question- are there still different DVLA authorities for NI v UK mainland and are their MOT arrangements transferrable??

No biggy ---just wondered if perhaps there was some paperwork chicanes to negotiate before getting it on the road legally?

No, grober. It was a originally supplied by Suzuki GB to an N.I. main dealer. As for the DVLA, I don't know but from what I recall if we locate the car in London it's just a matter of treating it the same as any other U.K. reg'ed car, post off the V5 with owners details.

Here we go, just found this:

'' You can move your vehicle freely between Great Britain and Northern Ireland if it’s registered in either country.

You’ll need to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of a change of address. ''

Presumably the same goes for change of ownership?

As for the M.O.T., I'm fairly certain it's valid.

Anyway, I'll have different issues with red tape to overcome as now I'm going to park the car up at our holiday home on the west coast of Ireland, I think. That will entail, having the car inspected and paying c.£350 V.R.T. (a form of import duty, so much for the EC. ), along with getting an N.C.T. cert (MOT).

No biggy all in all and the car should be ideal there with awesome rally type tarmac roads, very cheap to insure and reasonable road tax as it will be only taxed for six months of the year, if it turns out to be a keeper.

 

[PhilJ]

Nice first car.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Nice first car.

Thanks....now I don't know if I should laugh or cry!

 

[poormansporsche]

Anything with fishnets get my vote

 

[poormansporsche]

apart from grab a granny night that is !

 

[John Jones Jr]

Glad you qualified that comment!

 

[Chrishazle]

I'd be leery of getting enthusiastic round the roads of the west of Ireland (or the south east for that matter!). Some of the "most interesting" driving I've ever seen was there or thereabouts - and I lived and drove in Karachi for a year!!

 

[John Jones Jr]

I'd be leery of getting enthusiastic round the roads of the west of Ireland (or the south east for that matter!). Some of the "most interesting" driving I've ever seen was there or thereabouts - and I lived and drove in Karachi for a year!!

You can say that again! Luckily for me I've been hooning those roads on & off for the past eight years, there's places to let rip and places not too even if it's enticing and summer is the worst between rental cars, contract tractors plus the usual suspects that are present all year round. Winter and Spring is really the ideal time in the NW from my experience so far, that's the time Porsche will be testing and Jaguar too.

 

[renault12ts]

No, grober. It was a originally supplied by Suzuki GB to an N.I. main dealer. As for the DVLA, I don't know but from what I recall if we locate the car in London it's just a matter of treating it the same as any other U.K. reg'ed car, post off the V5 with owners details.

Here we go, just found this:

'' You can move your vehicle freely between Great Britain and Northern Ireland if it’s registered in either country.

You’ll need to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of a change of address. ''

Presumably the same goes for change of ownership?

As for the M.O.T., I'm fairly certain it's valid.

Anyway, I'll have different issues with red tape to overcome as now I'm going to park the car up at our holiday home on the west coast of Ireland, I think. That will entail, having the car inspected and paying c.£350 V.R.T. (a form of import duty, so much for the EC. ), along with getting an N.C.T. cert (MOT).

No biggy all in all and the car should be ideal there with awesome rally type tarmac roads, very cheap to insure and reasonable road tax as it will be only taxed for six months of the year, if it turns out to be a keeper.

Where's the house JJ...we have one near Downings.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Where's the house JJ...we have one near Downings.

I presume Downings as in the Republic of Donegal ? If so, you're about a good 150mls further north as ours is in Mayo (really WNW rather than NW) not too far from the Atlantic.

Some great hooning done in Co.Donegal back in my youth driving Mk1 Escorts and Alfa's. The locals and the boys from the North were all nutters, it was just considered funny if you rolled a car!

 

[shadrack]

if you think your bad, i just bought a little jimny as a run around and find myself using that and parking the ml63 up, my gf thinks im tapped, especially as my jimny was £900

 

[John Jones Jr]

if you think your bad, i just bought a little jimny as a run around and find myself using that and parking the ml63 up, my gf thinks im tapped, especially as my jimny was £900

Have no worries, my woman questioned my reasoning again today. So I threw her a curved ball reply by saying the Cappuccino is a Suzuki and she likes them

 

[John Jones Jr]

Collected!

Collected the 'The Junior Ricer' and drove it 210 miles to it's new home. What can I say really, other than it was a bit of a culture shock and had me reminiscing about Alfa Suds and Golf GTi's but in a positive way as I had several love-ins with those cars.

There is no doubt the Suzuki is similar but different to the above mentioned, the first thing I noticed was the hard suspension, great on smooth roads but it hates anything just resembling a pothole, it's noisy also but not in an uncouth way as the engine is sweet and there's a nice tone from the exhaust. There's tyre roar also but that's in part to new cheapo, cheapo front tyres and what I think are original 2004 Yoko's on the rear. This particular car rattles too (I bet they all do) but a bit of careful listening and touching at around 40mph I found three out of the four culprit areas - I hate rattles with passion, the remaining rattle is somewhere in or around the dash panel, typical.

Moving on to more positive comments like the common ones trotted out about hot hatches: 'It handles as if it's on rails', 'It's like a road going Go Kart' and 'It punches above it's weight', would actually be somewhat apt. It is, for what it is, just brilliant - yes, yes it's plain to see I'm still in a honeymoon period but honestly it's great. It's an honest car too with just one little 'Sport' badge at the rear and not a mention of being developed by SWT (Suzuki Works Techno), I love that. Possibly SWT didn't care once there was enough built for homologation.

As for the performance it's not lacking but it's not fast as in modern day fast, sub 9 sec to 62mph and 115mph flat on a good day but who really cares? The car is not about speed per se it's about buzzing from one bend to the next and using the short ratio gearbox to the full, cog swapping @ 6500rpm is great and the nice shift action & the free reving engine encourages it. Having said that it will very happily tip around in 5th @ 30mph and there's no real need to change down to get a move on if one is feeling lazy as the torque seems good at low rev's and I'm sure the very light weight helps. Oh, and the brakes, discs front & rear (with ABS) are well up to the job.

I'm under no illusion that all is not rosy with Ignis. The Recaro seats are poor generally, the bolster support is fine, adjustment is limited and there's no great under leg support. I reckon Suzuki paid for the name rather than quality, then again maybe they are just not designed for a 94kg six footer, possibly I'm being a bit harsh as they should be o.k. for 50 mile trips, 200 miles in one hit is too much. Another inch or two in aft travel would be a bonus. The other gripe is there's no room for a clutch foot rest.

Now the big question. Could I live with it as a daily driver, no full stop! Long trips on a regular basis would be out of the question and I do a fair few. I could very happily use it as town car as it has a reasonable spec like, electric windows, mirrors, R/C/L and A/C, dead easy to park and great visibility but I would have to look at investing in adjustable shocks and possibly different springs, which might be on the cards regardless but I'm in no rush to start modifications (it came totally unmolested) partly as handles so well and premium shocks & springs would cost a minimum 25% of what the car cost. Thus, that would somewhat defeat the point of buying a cheap fun car that I'd no intentions of buying in the first place.

The agenda for now is:

1. Fit four premium tyres.
2. Wheel alignment
3. Full general inspection by a pro.
4. Sort out the rattles.
5. Fix the remote key - hoping it's just the battery.
6. Carry out a general service as required - Eng. oil, G/box oil change, engine coolant change and brake fluid change at a minimum.
7. Hand over 350 notes for Irish plates (they're gold leaf embossed on titanium you know!) and another 45 for an N.C.T. (MOT).

So, there you have it. In a nutshell, it's different, it's fun, it's uncivilized & are a bargain smile a mile. Oh yeah, and every boy racer stares at you wondering WTF!

Edit: a few photos.

 

[John Jones Jr]

A little update as I'm delighted to say we're still on honeymoon.

It was all looking like a big mistake on a few rougher roads and potholes or even potential potholes were almost a no go area. Happily new tyres all round and a wheel alignment have transformed the little 'Ricer'. Phew, as I was getting worried that the enjoyment factor was going to be badly compromised but not now thankfully. :bannana: