Considering buying a 4.4 v8 petrol. I am doing very little milage so I have decided petrol is the choice for me and the 4.4 v8 is also within my budget. Consumption is of less interest.

This weekend I travelled to Sweden in my Alfa 166. It is perfectly happy with cruising at 140km/h with no fuss. What is high speed motorway cruising like in a 4.4v8? The car will be used for longer journeys with family and sove driving in town.

Martin

Effortless

That's just under 90mph, mine sits quite happily at 90mph, when driving on roads that permit it, they are limited to 130mph (210kph)

It won't do many mpg at that speed though, barely double figures...  Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Need a sorted 4.4 petrol to sustain that MPH too sir... Lots of little parts that don’t age well on the BMW petrol models!

Including me....  Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Little Pete...

 Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Unnecessary quote removed

Thanks, I am currentlty doing my homework upfront purchase. I understand radiator, coolant hoses, automatic transmission heat exchanger & piping + the crank ventilation system is not aging very well so those components will be replaced upon purchase. Are there also other components to pay attention to?

I can do most of mainenace myself. Parts are cheap, but what scares me is transmission failure and failure to cam chain and Vanos. Should I be worried?

I am aware of all the storries and warnings about owning an aging luxury car.......

Martin

Martin
My 2004 4.4 does 600 miles a week and is regularly serviced with plenty of preventative maintenance along the way. Its a cracking car for motorway cruising, and the only reason I haven't changed for a newer one is because mine is still working really well.

As Craig and Pete said, plenty of things which need checked regularly, as you pointed out the crankcase breathing system needs to be working efficiently. You've identified the main things that need attending too - for my money I would also be checking the suspension components, particularly the rear hub carrier bushes to make sure thats all working efficiently too.

The only other thing big item I've had to change along the way is the alternator.

Enjoy!

Nick Current Fleet:-
2018 Discovery 5 3.0 HSE
2021 Ford Ranger Wildtrack
2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt 5.0 V8
1993 Defender 90 200TDI Pickup

Gone - not forgotten
2016 L405 4.4 SDV8 Vogue SE
2012 L322 4.4 Westminster
2004 L322 4.4 V8 Autobiography LE
2000 P38 RR 4.0 HSE (ex Clarkson test car)

Martin, what about an SC? Why have you discounted it? Budget?

I ask as it has the newer/better 6sp gearbox. No vanos issues, breathers etc etc

You'd get the better infotainment system, arguably a better ride quality and imho an all-round better package

The SC is out of budget. Secondly there are not plenty of SC around here in Norway. Difficult enough to find a petrol V8. The petrol V8 was around 170 000 GBP new and the SC possibly around 200 000 when knew. Today SC sell between
45 000 and 50 000 GBP here. A 4.4 V8 is between 20 000 and 35 000 GBP. Yes, car prices in Norway are sky high......

can you not buy a cheap FF in the UK and import to norway? ... - .- -.




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Seeing as we are all one big happy family at the moment, why not buy one in another country, register it there and then go on holiday to said country once a year to sort the paperwork.... or have they stopped that sort of thing...??? Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

I've just spent Sunday doing exactly that, in a 2007 4.4 V8 (Jaguar unit) and I'll be doing it again on Thursday for a business trip to see some clients.

In a nutshell; it's lovely.

After an early start, a 140 mile drive and a full day running around Legoland chasing after a 4 year old, the thought of driving home in a RR lifted my flagging spirits. We couldn't have wished for a better car to be in, its perfect.

The trip computer shows a marked difference in fuel consumption between sticking to a speedo-indicated 70-ish (25mpg) compared to 80 and higher (18mpg). But you don't buy these thinking it's ever going to be frugal. It's such a nice place to be.