A8 LOOONG

Congrats on the W12 Brozee. That car looks sharp AND you got a hell of a deal. Next time you're in Chitown let ME know. We'll have to line up! lol!

Sci-fi_Wasabi

Brozee, good job on they buy, i was looking at that car since i live in Chicago, but the 2 seater rear is just too impractical with a kid, need the bench seat option. Anyway, i am really interested in your driving impressions between the w12 and 4.2L. Just kinda noticed the 4.2 L had a bit of a coarser feel when you accelerated slowly than the w12, other than that i did not have a chance to push the w12 during my test drives. Anyway, I'd like to hear about the differences. Thanks

Brozee

The W12 is so smooth. Compared to the 4.2 it is quite different. I don't really notice gear changes at all in the W12 at slower speeds, while I could in the 4.2. The W12 seems much more planted and seems wider. In the 4.2 it seemed like I could weave in and out a bit easier as the W12 long wheelbase has a worse blind spot, and also seems more planted with the wider tires so it seems to not weave as easily; feels longer. But overall I love the low end torque and overall feel. While the 20" wheels I can tell a difference the car is still more comfortable than the 4.2, the leather is stiffer in the w12 as well, maybe because it was more worn in the 4.2 while also being a different leather, but comfort is the same, it's just less "plush"?? I'd say in the w12. I do like the leather steering wheel in the 4.2L better as it was a nicer feeling leather, although it didn't wick away sweat. Don't know if the w12's steering wheel is made of valcona as well, but it is less glossy and a bit more coarse than in the other vehicle. Overall loving the car! In the process of replacing a battery and then tinting the windows (still deciding on which film etc), then installing the TPMS sensors and then I should be done!

MP4.2+6.0

For steering wheel, simply try a good leather cleaner on it. I use Lexol cleaner first, then the finisher. Changes the feel of the leather nicely as it gets all the old hand oil and other stuff off. Not even obvious when you look at wheel, but it's there. And never use a cleaner like 409; it will strip the finish/dyes off a lot of leathers.

On leather (seats) feel, your observations are like mine; net I think its a thicker leather and more likely durable for the long run. When I had the D4 loaner recently, the difference in the two was obvious and left me thinking the D3 W12 type was going to hold up meaningfully longer. On my 12 year old C5 with then standard leather (which felt thinner yet in C6's), it's starting to deteriorate a bit in high wear areas. On the 16 year old C4 still in the family at 200K plus, it's shot. Both have no tint beyond factory glass BTW.

Tint: FWIW, my most recent have been 3M. Choice depends some on exterior AND interior colors to me, more than I realized when I started tinting a couple of cars back and had some experienced tint guys really walk me through it with bunch of examples and side by side comapares of films. Some (quality) tints tend toward brown, others green, some a bit blue or silver, some pretty close to neutral gray (a likely on your color scheme I bet), etc. The color issue for example disqualified the oft well regarded Huper Optik, which my tint guy does install. I prefer a close to stock/subtle look, so its 50% down in back for me and 30% down (70% transmission) in front. Tinted the Mini similarly, in that case w/ the ginormous glass roof further tinted (beyond factory). In most lights you wouldn't know front is tinted, and rear is still modest, but enough to knock IR way down.

If I did it again, not sure I would do the back (rear) window, though I don't notice as much now. Obviously does take the light/heat load down, and want the upholstery lasting a long time. No matter how good a job they do, it won't ever lay totally flat w/ the defroster wires there, which gives some incremental distortion at night. I pulled all the rear upholstery out of mine by the way--trim around rear window and C + D pillars, rear deck that required pulling back seats, etc. Took a while, but allowed them to really get down to the bottom of the back deck instead of just pushing down in there or cutting it short. Some guys locally won't do D3's in back because of the way the back deck covers the rear glass for several inches.

K9COP

Isn't white the absence of colour?

K9

Brozee

Yeap, was going to go for a huper optik ceramic film. Probably going to go full dark again. Not completely sure though, and 20% up front. Supposedly the ceramic film by huper is the highest rated and by far the best for heat reduction, and I know what you mean by the back window being a PITA.

mishar

No. White is mix of all colors (at least in US ).

P.S. Spelling Cop.

PaulW

Beautiful car....I know exactly where those pictures were taken.

Love that you got a car with the B&O, really a great stock stereo!

Sci-fi_Wasabi

Brozee, you mentioned the soft close doors were not working on the front doors of your new w12. Were they somehow disabled, or did they actually not work?

Brozee

Turns out they weren't working, for whatever reason; so I disabled the driver and passenger.

As an update: Installed all the LED's in the underside of the doors, as well as trunk. In the process of removing the license plate lights. One screw is a huge PITA to remove. Got one removed but trying to get the other without stripping the screw. Major design flaw as they are so difficult to get as they are on an angle as well as screws too soft and tight.